diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 673e29f..5c72012 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ Description: Retrieve, map and summarize data from the 'VertNet.org'
     parameters, including 'taxonomic' names, places, and dates. In addition, 
     there is an interface for conducting spatially delimited searches, and 
     another for requesting large 'datasets' via email.
-Version: 0.8.4
+Version: 0.8.4.9000
 Authors@R: c(
     person("Scott", "Chamberlain", email = "myrmecocystus@gmail.com",
       role = c("aut", "cph"), comment = "0000-0003-1444-9135"),
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 456151f..beb0e3e 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+# rvertnet (development version)
+
 # rvertnet 0.8.4
 
 * remove hardcoded figure that caused failed vignette build on 2 CRAN check runners with old pandoc versions