diff --git a/History.txt b/History.txt
index 7b1f0d0..c52e5c9 100644
--- a/History.txt
+++ b/History.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
+=== 0.5.5 2010-03-15
+* 2 minor enhancements
+  * fix string encoding issue that was breaking RHEL 5.x
+  * fix pthread linking issue on RHEL 5.2
+  
 === 0.5.4 2010-03-09
 * 1 minor enhancement
- * add ext directory to gem require paths which was causing problems for non-binary gems
+  * add ext directory to gem require paths which was causing problems for non-binary gems
  
 === 0.5.3 2010-03-01
 * 1 major enhancement
diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index 0218991..75e5a04 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ begin
   require 'jeweler'
   Jeweler::Tasks.new do |gemspec|
     gemspec.name = gemspec.rubyforge_project = "therubyracer"
-    gemspec.version = "0.5.4"
+    gemspec.version = "0.5.5"
     gemspec.summary = "Embed the V8 Javascript interpreter into Ruby"
     gemspec.description = "Call javascript code and manipulate javascript objects from ruby. Call ruby code and manipulate ruby objects from javascript."
     gemspec.email = "cowboyd@thefrontside.net"
diff --git a/lib/v8.rb b/lib/v8.rb
index 5a7685b..61ec5a5 100644
--- a/lib/v8.rb
+++ b/lib/v8.rb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ $:.unshift(File.dirname(__FILE__)) unless
   $:.include?(File.dirname(__FILE__)) || $:.include?(File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__)))
 
 module V8
-  VERSION = '0.5.4'
+  VERSION = '0.5.5'
   require 'v8/v8' #native glue
   require 'v8/to'
   require 'v8/context'
diff --git a/therubyracer.gemspec b/therubyracer.gemspec
index cf88c22..1e8aa65 100644
--- a/therubyracer.gemspec
+++ b/therubyracer.gemspec
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@
 
 Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.name = %q{therubyracer}
-  s.version = "0.5.4"
+  s.version = "0.5.5"
 
   s.required_rubygems_version = Gem::Requirement.new(">= 0") if s.respond_to? :required_rubygems_version=
   s.authors = ["Charles Lowell", "Bill Robertson"]
-  s.date = %q{2010-03-09}
+  s.date = %q{2010-03-15}
   s.default_executable = %q{therubyracer}
   s.description = %q{Call javascript code and manipulate javascript objects from ruby. Call ruby code and manipulate ruby objects from javascript.}
   s.email = %q{cowboyd@thefrontside.net}