diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 34e7b9a58..36b7a9ba1 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,27 @@
+What's new in Sudo 1.8.6?
+
+ * Sudo is now built with the -fstack-protector flag if the the
+   compiler supports it.  Also, the -zrelro linker flag is used if
+   supported.  The --disable-hardening configure option can be used
+   to build sudo without stack smashing support.
+
+ * If the user is a member of the "exempt" group in sudoers, they
+   will no longer be prompted for a password even if the -k flag
+   is specified with the command.  This makes "sudo -k command"
+   consistent with the behavior one would get if the user ran "sudo
+   -k" immediately before running the command.
+
+ * The sudoers file may now be a symbolic link.  Previously, sudo
+   would refuse to read sudoers unless it was a regular file.
+
+ * The sudoreplay command can now properly replay sessions where
+   no tty was present.
+
+ * The sudoers plugin now takes advantage of symbol visibility
+   controls when supported by the compiler or linker.  As a result,
+   only a small number of symbols are exported which significantly
+   reduces the chances of a conflict with other shared objects.
+
 What's new in Sudo 1.8.5p2?
 
  * Fixed use of the SUDO_ASKPASS environment variable which was
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 248c0bc35..306a5e85b 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 # Guess values for system-dependent variables and create Makefiles.
-# Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.68 for sudo 1.8.5p1.
+# Generated by GNU Autoconf 2.68 for sudo 1.8.6.
 #
 # Report bugs to <http://www.sudo.ws/bugs/>.
 #
@@ -570,8 +570,8 @@ MAKEFLAGS=
 # Identity of this package.
 PACKAGE_NAME='sudo'
 PACKAGE_TARNAME='sudo'
-PACKAGE_VERSION='1.8.5p1'
-PACKAGE_STRING='sudo 1.8.5p1'
+PACKAGE_VERSION='1.8.6'
+PACKAGE_STRING='sudo 1.8.6'
 PACKAGE_BUGREPORT='http://www.sudo.ws/bugs/'
 PACKAGE_URL=''
 
@@ -1453,7 +1453,7 @@ if test "$ac_init_help" = "long"; then
   # Omit some internal or obsolete options to make the list less imposing.
   # This message is too long to be a string in the A/UX 3.1 sh.
   cat <<_ACEOF
-\`configure' configures sudo 1.8.5p1 to adapt to many kinds of systems.
+\`configure' configures sudo 1.8.6 to adapt to many kinds of systems.
 
 Usage: $0 [OPTION]... [VAR=VALUE]...
 
@@ -1518,7 +1518,7 @@ fi
 
 if test -n "$ac_init_help"; then
   case $ac_init_help in
-     short | recursive ) echo "Configuration of sudo 1.8.5p1:";;
+     short | recursive ) echo "Configuration of sudo 1.8.6:";;
    esac
   cat <<\_ACEOF
 
@@ -1738,7 +1738,7 @@ fi
 test -n "$ac_init_help" && exit $ac_status
 if $ac_init_version; then
   cat <<\_ACEOF
-sudo configure 1.8.5p1
+sudo configure 1.8.6
 generated by GNU Autoconf 2.68
 
 Copyright (C) 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@@ -2442,7 +2442,7 @@ cat >config.log <<_ACEOF
 This file contains any messages produced by compilers while
 running configure, to aid debugging if configure makes a mistake.
 
-It was created by sudo $as_me 1.8.5p1, which was
+It was created by sudo $as_me 1.8.6, which was
 generated by GNU Autoconf 2.68.  Invocation command line was
 
   $ $0 $@
@@ -21022,7 +21022,7 @@ cat >>$CONFIG_STATUS <<\_ACEOF || ac_write_fail=1
 # report actual input values of CONFIG_FILES etc. instead of their
 # values after options handling.
 ac_log="
-This file was extended by sudo $as_me 1.8.5p1, which was
+This file was extended by sudo $as_me 1.8.6, which was
 generated by GNU Autoconf 2.68.  Invocation command line was
 
   CONFIG_FILES    = $CONFIG_FILES
@@ -21088,7 +21088,7 @@ _ACEOF
 cat >>$CONFIG_STATUS <<_ACEOF || ac_write_fail=1
 ac_cs_config="`$as_echo "$ac_configure_args" | sed 's/^ //; s/[\\""\`\$]/\\\\&/g'`"
 ac_cs_version="\\
-sudo config.status 1.8.5p1
+sudo config.status 1.8.6
 configured by $0, generated by GNU Autoconf 2.68,
   with options \\"\$ac_cs_config\\"
 
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index f0af2b0d8..4d16dd0d4 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ dnl Process this file with GNU autoconf to produce a configure script.
 dnl
 dnl Copyright (c) 1994-1996,1998-2012 Todd C. Miller <Todd.Miller@courtesan.com>
 dnl
-AC_INIT([sudo], [1.8.5p1], [http://www.sudo.ws/bugs/], [sudo])
+AC_INIT([sudo], [1.8.6], [http://www.sudo.ws/bugs/], [sudo])
 AC_CONFIG_HEADER([config.h pathnames.h])
 dnl
 dnl Note: this must come after AC_INIT