diff --git a/README.adoc b/README.adoc
index 17aa65b07ae..3f7ef5409f1 100755
--- a/README.adoc
+++ b/README.adoc
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-= Spring Boot image:https://ci.spring.io/api/v1/teams/spring-boot/pipelines/spring-boot-2.5.x/jobs/build/badge["Build Status", link="https://ci.spring.io/teams/spring-boot/pipelines/spring-boot-2.5.x?groups=Build"] image:https://badges.gitter.im/Join Chat.svg["Chat",link="https://gitter.im/spring-projects/spring-boot?utm_source=badge&utm_medium=badge&utm_campaign=pr-badge&utm_content=badge"] image:https://img.shields.io/badge/Revved%20up%20by-Gradle%20Enterprise-06A0CE?logo=Gradle&labelColor=02303A["Revved up by Gradle Enterprise", link="https://ge.spring.io/scans?&search.rootProjectNames=Spring%20Boot%20Build&search.rootProjectNames=spring-boot-build"]
+= Spring Boot image:https://ci.spring.io/api/v1/teams/spring-boot/pipelines/spring-boot-2.6.x/jobs/build/badge["Build Status", link="https://ci.spring.io/teams/spring-boot/pipelines/spring-boot-2.6.x?groups=Build"] image:https://badges.gitter.im/Join Chat.svg["Chat",link="https://gitter.im/spring-projects/spring-boot?utm_source=badge&utm_medium=badge&utm_campaign=pr-badge&utm_content=badge"] image:https://img.shields.io/badge/Revved%20up%20by-Gradle%20Enterprise-06A0CE?logo=Gradle&labelColor=02303A["Revved up by Gradle Enterprise", link="https://ge.spring.io/scans?&search.rootProjectNames=Spring%20Boot%20Build&search.rootProjectNames=spring-boot-build"]
 :docs: https://docs.spring.io/spring-boot/docs/current-SNAPSHOT/reference
 :github: https://github.com/spring-projects/spring-boot
 
diff --git a/eclipse/spring-boot-project.setup b/eclipse/spring-boot-project.setup
index 1d1e281c1c7..ed1f152c6e5 100644
--- a/eclipse/spring-boot-project.setup
+++ b/eclipse/spring-boot-project.setup
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@
     xmlns:setup.workingsets="http://www.eclipse.org/oomph/setup/workingsets/1.0"
     xmlns:workingsets="http://www.eclipse.org/oomph/workingsets/1.0"
     xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.eclipse.org/oomph/setup/jdt/1.0 http://git.eclipse.org/c/oomph/org.eclipse.oomph.git/plain/setups/models/JDT.ecore http://www.eclipse.org/buildship/oomph/1.0 https://raw.githubusercontent.com/eclipse/buildship/master/org.eclipse.buildship.oomph/model/GradleImport-1.0.ecore http://www.eclipse.org/oomph/predicates/1.0 http://git.eclipse.org/c/oomph/org.eclipse.oomph.git/plain/setups/models/Predicates.ecore http://www.eclipse.org/oomph/setup/workingsets/1.0 http://git.eclipse.org/c/oomph/org.eclipse.oomph.git/plain/setups/models/SetupWorkingSets.ecore http://www.eclipse.org/oomph/workingsets/1.0 http://git.eclipse.org/c/oomph/org.eclipse.oomph.git/plain/setups/models/WorkingSets.ecore"
-    name="spring.boot.2.5.x"
-    label="Spring Boot 2.5.x">
+    name="spring.boot.2.6.x"
+    label="Spring Boot 2.6.x">
   <setupTask
       xsi:type="setup:VariableTask"
       type="FOLDER"
diff --git a/git/hooks/prepare-forward-merge b/git/hooks/prepare-forward-merge
index 163e3ed9151..c698a9e2c19 100755
--- a/git/hooks/prepare-forward-merge
+++ b/git/hooks/prepare-forward-merge
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ require 'net/http'
 require 'yaml'
 require 'logger'
 
-$main_branch = "2.5.x"
+$main_branch = "2.6.x"
 
 $log = Logger.new(STDOUT)
 $log.level = Logger::WARN