diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 8ac94ac9..5b31e236 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-Changes in 1.4.0:
+Changes in 1.4.0-beta:
  o allow \r or \n individually to separate HTTP headers instead of the standard "\r\n"; from Charles Kerr.
  o demote most http warnings to debug messages
  o Fix Solaris compilation; from Magne Mahre
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 22b1ecf4..80578d21 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ dnl configure.in for libevent
 dnl Dug Song <dugsong@monkey.org>
 AC_INIT(event.c)
 
-AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(libevent,1.4.0)
+AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE(libevent,1.4.0-beta)
 AM_CONFIG_HEADER(config.h)
 AM_MAINTAINER_MODE