diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 47f98bb693..42b370a29e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/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/cpp/CMakeLists.txt b/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
index 1acc9d6aa3..86dc58cb04 100644
--- a/cpp/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/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/ts/CHANGELOG.md b/ts/CHANGELOG.md
index 3f606a6041..ecac9680ee 100644
--- a/ts/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/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/ts/package.json b/ts/package.json
index 3ce85e8fdc..82b5d172c9 100644
--- a/ts/package.json
+++ b/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",