diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 40df704d68..d080be07ee 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+# Synapse 1.126.0rc3 (2025-03-07)
+
+### Bugfixes
+
+- Revert the background job to clear unreferenced state groups (that was introduced in v1.126.0rc1), due to a suspected issue that causes increased disk usage. ([\#18222](https://github.com/element-hq/synapse/issues/18222))
+
+
+
+
 # Synapse 1.126.0rc2 (2025-03-05)
 
 Administrators using the Debian/Ubuntu packages from `packages.matrix.org`, please check
diff --git a/changelog.d/18222.bugfix b/changelog.d/18222.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index 16160c5651..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/18222.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Revert the background job to clear unreferenced state groups (that was introduced in v1.126.0rc1), due to a suspected issue that causes increased disk usage.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index b66326d79b..8104933cf1 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+matrix-synapse-py3 (1.126.0~rc3) stable; urgency=medium
+
+  * New Synapse release 1.126.0rc3.
+
+ -- Synapse Packaging team <packages@matrix.org>  Fri, 07 Mar 2025 15:45:05 +0000
+
 matrix-synapse-py3 (1.126.0~rc2) stable; urgency=medium
 
   * New Synapse release 1.126.0rc2.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index f95c8e0e80..7db8fa08ad 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ module-name = "synapse.synapse_rust"
 
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "matrix-synapse"
-version = "1.126.0rc2"
+version = "1.126.0rc3"
 description = "Homeserver for the Matrix decentralised comms protocol"
 authors = ["Matrix.org Team and Contributors <packages@matrix.org>"]
 license = "AGPL-3.0-or-later"