diff --git a/app/build.gradle b/app/build.gradle
index bc4550367..b883912d9 100644
--- a/app/build.gradle
+++ b/app/build.gradle
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ android {
         // excluding duplicate rxjava properties file
         // see https://github.com/ReactiveX/RxJava/issues/4445#issuecomment-243591879
         exclude 'META-INF/rxjava.properties'
+        exclude 'META-INF/core_release.kotlin_module'
+        exclude 'META-INF/LGPL2.1'
+
     }
 
     buildTypes {
@@ -177,7 +180,7 @@ android {
             applicationId "org.simprints.dhis2"
             dimension "default"
             versionCode versions.vCode
-            versionName "2.5.2-simprints-fork-2"
+            versionName "2.5.3-simprints-fork-2"
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/buildsystem/dependencies.gradle b/buildsystem/dependencies.gradle
index 36f802b59..e95645126 100644
--- a/buildsystem/dependencies.gradle
+++ b/buildsystem/dependencies.gradle
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ ext {
             sdk     : 30,
             tools   : "30.0.3",
             minSdk  : 19,
-            vCode: 112,
-            vName: "2.5.2-simprints-fork-2"
+            vCode: 113,
+            vName: "2.5.3-simprints-fork-2"
     ]
     libraries = [
             //DHIS2
diff --git a/release.info b/release.info
index 598a3d762..957189fbc 100644
--- a/release.info
+++ b/release.info
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-vName:2.5.2
-vBranch:release/2.5.2
+vName:2.5.3
+vBranch:release/2.5.3
 sdkVersion:1.5.3