diff --git a/.release-please-manifest.json b/.release-please-manifest.json
index 1c0bdd4c1..f1f01eaf9 100644
--- a/.release-please-manifest.json
+++ b/.release-please-manifest.json
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-  ".": "16.12.0"
+  ".": "16.12.1"
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index bc6720e5b..39e32f9cc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,19 @@
 
 [1]: https://www.npmjs.com/package/release-please?activeTab=versions
 
+## [16.12.1](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/compare/v16.12.0...v16.12.1) (2024-09-11)
+
+
+### Bug Fixes
+
+* add missing generic updaters in to release please config schema extraFiles ([#2344](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/issues/2344)) ([050cf93](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/commit/050cf93f272e76f0fc7a408fc9e85ab02321459c))
+* don't escape html tags inside of inline code in release notes ([#2367](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/issues/2367)) ([a41d137](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/commit/a41d13787b6676b73c87b9e03ff952289928c0fd))
+* fix comment at release pr is ugly ([#2348](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/issues/2348)) ([e562ee2](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/commit/e562ee21c8820d99007604cd930022816ce6c76c))
+* GenericJSON updater uses regex to find version in matching entry ([#2253](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/issues/2253)) ([acc3242](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/commit/acc3242b1e35349ada51e0d41a66e8fad29000f6))
+* prevent open release PRs from being mistaken as current releases ([#2323](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/issues/2323)) ([3101ab3](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/commit/3101ab32a1898d265277f543f1fca08793ec9a41))
+* respect `tagSeparator` and `includeVInTag` everywhere ([#2283](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/issues/2283)) ([dad27e3](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/commit/dad27e385e4cfdec18c84a1b48c3b45ab65abe5e)), closes [#2282](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/issues/2282)
+* respect signoff in manifest config ([#2334](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/issues/2334)) ([eb968c8](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/commit/eb968c8cbbf666355b87612e3bb704e1611e1747))
+
 ## [16.12.0](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/compare/v16.11.0...v16.12.0) (2024-06-06)
 
 
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 17786ba6c..6ad5fc234 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "release-please",
-  "version": "16.12.0",
+  "version": "16.12.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 2,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "release-please",
-      "version": "16.12.0",
+      "version": "16.12.1",
       "license": "Apache-2.0",
       "dependencies": {
         "@conventional-commits/parser": "^0.4.1",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e8c727574..495503a0a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "release-please",
-  "version": "16.12.0",
+  "version": "16.12.1",
   "description": "generate release PRs based on the conventionalcommits.org spec",
   "main": "./build/src/index.js",
   "bin": "./build/src/bin/release-please.js",
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 2f7b71528..c0033a7f9 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -63,5 +63,5 @@ export const configSchema = require('../../schemas/config.json');
 export const manifestSchema = require('../../schemas/manifest.json');
 
 // x-release-please-start-version
-export const VERSION = '16.12.0';
+export const VERSION = '16.12.1';
 // x-release-please-end