diff --git a/.release-please-manifest.json b/.release-please-manifest.json
index 0625c6279ad..2fd812ad9ed 100644
--- a/.release-please-manifest.json
+++ b/.release-please-manifest.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  ".": "0.16.2",
-  "barretenberg": "0.16.2",
-  "barretenberg/ts": "0.16.2"
+  ".": "0.16.3",
+  "barretenberg": "0.16.3",
+  "barretenberg/ts": "0.16.3"
 }
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 16be9425752..83bfc2a93fc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,22 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [0.16.3](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/compare/aztec-packages-v0.16.2...aztec-packages-v0.16.3) (2023-12-05)
+
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* Npm release of l1-contracts ([#3571](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/issues/3571)) ([487419b](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/commit/487419be549903a3d42b1232cce02139b2ac556f))
+
+
+### Miscellaneous
+
+* CLI's startup time was pushing almost 2s. This gets the basic 'help' down to 0.16. ([#3529](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/issues/3529)) ([396df13](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/commit/396df13389cdcb8b8b0d5a92a4b3d1c2bffcb7a7))
+
+
+### Documentation
+
+* Documenting issue with `context.block_header` ([#3565](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/issues/3565)) ([1237e26](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/commit/1237e2658d90114c03a6b838cbab80005aa3a661))
+
 ## [0.16.2](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/compare/aztec-packages-v0.16.1...aztec-packages-v0.16.2) (2023-12-05)
 
 
diff --git a/barretenberg/CHANGELOG.md b/barretenberg/CHANGELOG.md
index 47f98bb6935..42b370a29e2 100644
--- a/barretenberg/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/barretenberg/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [0.16.3](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/compare/barretenberg-v0.16.2...barretenberg-v0.16.3) (2023-12-05)
+
+
+### Miscellaneous
+
+* CLI's startup time was pushing almost 2s. This gets the basic 'help' down to 0.16. ([#3529](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/issues/3529)) ([396df13](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/commit/396df13389cdcb8b8b0d5a92a4b3d1c2bffcb7a7))
+
 ## [0.16.2](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/compare/barretenberg-v0.16.1...barretenberg-v0.16.2) (2023-12-05)
 
 
diff --git a/barretenberg/cpp/CMakeLists.txt b/barretenberg/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
index 1acc9d6aa37..86dc58cb049 100644
--- a/barretenberg/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/barretenberg/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.24)
 project(
     Barretenberg
     DESCRIPTION "BN254 elliptic curve library, and PLONK SNARK prover"
-    VERSION 0.16.2 # x-release-please-version
+    VERSION 0.16.3 # x-release-please-version
     LANGUAGES CXX C
 )
 # Insert version into `bb` config file
diff --git a/barretenberg/ts/CHANGELOG.md b/barretenberg/ts/CHANGELOG.md
index 3f606a6041b..ecac9680ee6 100644
--- a/barretenberg/ts/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/barretenberg/ts/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [0.16.3](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/compare/barretenberg.js-v0.16.2...barretenberg.js-v0.16.3) (2023-12-05)
+
+
+### Miscellaneous
+
+* CLI's startup time was pushing almost 2s. This gets the basic 'help' down to 0.16. ([#3529](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/issues/3529)) ([396df13](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/commit/396df13389cdcb8b8b0d5a92a4b3d1c2bffcb7a7))
+
 ## [0.16.2](https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/compare/barretenberg.js-v0.16.1...barretenberg.js-v0.16.2) (2023-12-05)
 
 
diff --git a/barretenberg/ts/package.json b/barretenberg/ts/package.json
index 3ce85e8fdc5..82b5d172c9a 100644
--- a/barretenberg/ts/package.json
+++ b/barretenberg/ts/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@aztec/bb.js",
-  "version": "0.16.2",
+  "version": "0.16.3",
   "homepage": "https://github.com/AztecProtocol/aztec-packages/tree/master/barretenberg/ts",
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",