diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 966f4eb..8b32304 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+v2.6.0
+
+* equivalent to v2.5.3 but created for semver reasons
+
 v2.5.3
 
 * add a `mix.exs` to be buildable by both mix and rebar
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4827e73..c6b6ded 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# jsx (v2.5.3) #
+# jsx (v2.6.0) #
 
 
 an erlang application for consuming, producing and manipulating [json][json]. 
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ inspired by [yajl][yajl]
 
 **jsx** is built via [rebar][rebar] and continuous integration testing provided courtesy [travis-ci][travis]
 
-current status: [![Build Status](https://secure.travis-ci.org/talentdeficit/jsx.png?branch=develop)](http://travis-ci.org/talentdeficit/jsx)
+current status: [![Build Status](https://secure.travis-ci.org/talentdeficit/jsx.png?branch=master)](http://travis-ci.org/talentdeficit/jsx)
 
 **jsx** is released under the terms of the [MIT][MIT] license
 
-copyright 2010-2014 alisdair sullivan
+copyright 2010-2015 alisdair sullivan
 
 ## really important note ##
 
diff --git a/mix.exs b/mix.exs
index f922911..c1ab1d7 100644
--- a/mix.exs
+++ b/mix.exs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use Mix.Project
   def project do
     [
       app: :jsx,
-      version: "2.5.3",
+      version: "2.6.0",
       description: "an erlang application for consuming, producing and manipulating json. inspired by yajl",
       deps: deps(Mix.env),
       package: package,
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ use Mix.Project
   defp opts(:dev), do: [d: :TEST]
   defp opts(_), do: []
 
-  defp deps(:dev), do: [{:mixunit, "~> 0.9.1"}]
+  defp deps(:dev), do: [{:mixunit, "~> 0.9.1", [optional: true]}]
   defp deps(_), do: []
 
   defp package do
diff --git a/src/jsx.app.src b/src/jsx.app.src
index 50f00b5..ff7b2fd 100644
--- a/src/jsx.app.src
+++ b/src/jsx.app.src
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {application, jsx,
 [
     {description, "a streaming, evented json parsing toolkit"},
-    {vsn, "2.5.3"},
+    {vsn, "2.6.0"},
     {modules, [
         jsx,
         jsx_encoder,