REL: Release 1.8.1rc1

diff --git a/pavement.py b/pavement.py
index d3777f7..f1dfed1 100644
--- a/pavement.py
+++ b/pavement.py

@@ -98,10 +98,10 @@
 #-----------------------------------
 
 # Source of the release notes
-RELEASE_NOTES = 'doc/release/1.8.0-notes.rst'
+RELEASE_NOTES = 'doc/release/1.8.1-notes.rst'
 
 # Start/end of the log (from git)
-LOG_START = 'v1.7.0'
+LOG_START = 'v1.8.0'
 LOG_END = 'maintenance/1.8.x'
 
 

diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index c86852e..2e7bdb1 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py

@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@
 
 MAJOR               = 1
 MINOR               = 8
-MICRO               = 0
-ISRELEASED          = False
-VERSION             = '%d.%d.%d' % (MAJOR, MINOR, MICRO)
+MICRO               = 1
+ISRELEASED          = True
+VERSION             = '%d.%d.%drc1' % (MAJOR, MINOR, MICRO)
 
 
 # Return the git revision as a string