diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e725eb66..57fdb62c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ If possible, provide tooling that performs the changes, e.g. a shell-script.
 
 ## Bug fixes
 
-* Resolved an issue preventing `seqan3/std/charconv' from working on macOS
+* Resolved an issue preventing `seqan3/std/charconv` from working on macOS
   ([\#304](https://github.com/seqan/sharg-parser/pull/304)).
 
 # Release 1.2.1
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c5e5c87d..66625c21 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ OPTIONS
 VERSION
     Last update:
     Eat-Me-App version:
-    Sharg version: 1.2.2
+    Sharg version: 1.2.3-rc.1
 ```
 <!-- MARKDOWN-AUTO-DOCS:END -->
 
diff --git a/include/sharg/version.hpp b/include/sharg/version.hpp
index f55badc4..0cab2220 100644
--- a/include/sharg/version.hpp
+++ b/include/sharg/version.hpp
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@
 //!\brief The minor version as MACRO.
 #define SHARG_VERSION_MINOR 2
 //!\brief The patch version as MACRO.
-#define SHARG_VERSION_PATCH 2
+#define SHARG_VERSION_PATCH 3
 //!\brief The release candidate number. 0 means stable release, >= 1 means release candidate.
-#define SHARG_RELEASE_CANDIDATE 0
+#define SHARG_RELEASE_CANDIDATE 1
 
 //!\brief The full version as MACRO (number).
 #define SHARG_VERSION (SHARG_VERSION_MAJOR * 10000 + SHARG_VERSION_MINOR * 100 + SHARG_VERSION_PATCH)
diff --git a/test/api_stability/1.2.2/0001-NOAPI-Bump-version.patch b/test/api_stability/1.2.2/0001-NOAPI-Bump-version.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..46bf53e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/api_stability/1.2.2/0001-NOAPI-Bump-version.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+From 0410716fff941cd751d4ce0135c4941d96e1eab7 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Enrico Seiler <enrico.seiler@hotmail.de>
+Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2026 19:23:23 +0100
+Subject: [PATCH] [NOAPI] Bump version
+
+---
+ test/snippet/readme_sneak_peek.out   | 2 +-
+ test/unit/detail/format_ctd_test.cpp | 2 +-
+ test/unit/detail/format_cwl_test.cpp | 2 +-
+ 3 files changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
+
+diff --git a/test/snippet/readme_sneak_peek.out b/test/snippet/readme_sneak_peek.out
+index 99c4be7..7e8292d 100644
+--- a/test/snippet/readme_sneak_peek.out
++++ b/test/snippet/readme_sneak_peek.out
+@@ -28,4 +28,4 @@ OPTIONS
+ VERSION
+     Last update:
+     Eat-Me-App version:
+-    Sharg version: 1.2.2
++    Sharg version: 1.2.3-rc.1
+diff --git a/test/unit/detail/format_ctd_test.cpp b/test/unit/detail/format_ctd_test.cpp
+index 6dd2aea..ad432f1 100644
+--- a/test/unit/detail/format_ctd_test.cpp
++++ b/test/unit/detail/format_ctd_test.cpp
+@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ TEST_F(format_ctd_test, empty_information)
+     // Create the dummy parser.
+     auto parser = get_parser("--export-help", "ctd");
+     parser.info.date = "December 01, 1994";
+-    parser.info.version = "1.2.2";
++    parser.info.version = "1.2.3-rc.1";
+     parser.info.man_page_title = "default_man_page_title";
+     parser.info.short_description = "A short description here.";
+
+diff --git a/test/unit/detail/format_cwl_test.cpp b/test/unit/detail/format_cwl_test.cpp
+index 7c8862a..9f5ef7e 100644
+--- a/test/unit/detail/format_cwl_test.cpp
++++ b/test/unit/detail/format_cwl_test.cpp
+@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ TEST_F(format_cwl_test, empty_information)
+     // Create the dummy parser.
+     auto parser = get_parser("--export-help", "cwl");
+     parser.info.date = "December 01, 1994";
+-    parser.info.version = "1.2.2";
++    parser.info.version = "1.2.3-rc.1";
+     parser.info.man_page_title = "default_man_page_title";
+     parser.info.short_description = "A short description here.";
+
+--
+2.47.3
+
diff --git a/test/api_stability/CMakeLists.txt b/test/api_stability/CMakeLists.txt
index 20626f16..c134d32b 100644
--- a/test/api_stability/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/api_stability/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ find_package (Git)
 include (../sharg-test.cmake)
 
 include (ExternalProject)
-set (SHARG_LAST_STABLE_VERSION "1.2.1")
+set (SHARG_LAST_STABLE_VERSION "1.2.2")
 set (SHARG_LAST_STABLE_SOURCE_URL
      "https://github.com/seqan/sharg-parser/releases/download/${SHARG_LAST_STABLE_VERSION}/sharg-${SHARG_LAST_STABLE_VERSION}-Source.tar.xz"
 )
-set (SHARG_LAST_STABLE_SOURCE_SHA256 "3ff0bf3ae2b3b5f927445bca2224918c2954a716c12633be531a35e183bf94b6")
+set (SHARG_LAST_STABLE_SOURCE_SHA256 "cf898d76e5cf0981be29dfae4a566ad41abafd27fb795f5287926c596dba0013")
 
 set (SHARG_API_STABILITY_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -DSHARG_DISABLE_DEPRECATED_WARNINGS=1")
 
diff --git a/test/snippet/readme_sneak_peek.out b/test/snippet/readme_sneak_peek.out
index 83b83757..9d01cefb 100644
--- a/test/snippet/readme_sneak_peek.out
+++ b/test/snippet/readme_sneak_peek.out
@@ -28,4 +28,4 @@ OPTIONS
 VERSION
     Last update:
     Eat-Me-App version:
-    Sharg version: 1.2.2
+    Sharg version: 1.2.3-rc.1
diff --git a/test/unit/detail/format_ctd_test.cpp b/test/unit/detail/format_ctd_test.cpp
index 5525ad34..10cfee3f 100644
--- a/test/unit/detail/format_ctd_test.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/detail/format_ctd_test.cpp
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ TEST_F(format_ctd_test, empty_information)
     // Create the dummy parser.
     auto parser = get_parser("--export-help", "ctd");
     parser.info.date = "December 01, 1994";
-    parser.info.version = "1.2.2";
+    parser.info.version = "1.2.3-rc.1";
     parser.info.man_page_title = "default_man_page_title";
     parser.info.short_description = "A short description here.";
 
diff --git a/test/unit/detail/format_cwl_test.cpp b/test/unit/detail/format_cwl_test.cpp
index 8a7b3609..0c0f2668 100644
--- a/test/unit/detail/format_cwl_test.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/detail/format_cwl_test.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ TEST_F(format_cwl_test, empty_information)
     // Create the dummy parser.
     auto parser = get_parser("--export-help", "cwl");
     parser.info.date = "December 01, 1994";
-    parser.info.version = "1.2.2";
+    parser.info.version = "1.2.3-rc.1";
     parser.info.man_page_title = "default_man_page_title";
     parser.info.short_description = "A short description here.";