diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 59ff967633..6c2728d407 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+Synapse 1.44.0rc3 (2021-10-04)
+==============================
+
+Bugfixes
+--------
+
+- Fix a bug introduced in Synapse v1.40.0 where changing a user's display name or avatar in a restricted room would cause an authentication error. ([\#10933](https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/issues/10933))
+- Fix `/admin/whois/{user_id}` endpoint, which was broken in v1.44.0rc1. ([\#10968](https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/issues/10968))
+
+
 Synapse 1.44.0rc2 (2021-09-30)
 ==============================
 
diff --git a/changelog.d/10933.bugfix b/changelog.d/10933.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index e0694fea22..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/10933.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Fix a bug introduced in Synapse v1.40.0 where changing a user's display name or avatar in a restricted room would cause an authentication error.
diff --git a/changelog.d/10968.bugfix b/changelog.d/10968.bugfix
deleted file mode 100644
index 76624ed73c..0000000000
--- a/changelog.d/10968.bugfix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Fix `/admin/whois/{user_id}` endpoint, which was broken in v1.44.0rc1.
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index b08a592780..a0f1bcbdf9 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+matrix-synapse-py3 (1.44.0~rc3) stable; urgency=medium
+
+  * New synapse release 1.44.0~rc3.
+
+ -- Synapse Packaging team <packages@matrix.org>  Mon, 04 Oct 2021 14:57:22 +0100
+
 matrix-synapse-py3 (1.44.0~rc2) stable; urgency=medium
 
   * New synapse release 1.44.0~rc2.
diff --git a/synapse/__init__.py b/synapse/__init__.py
index 8791c20e26..a9a7b658b7 100644
--- a/synapse/__init__.py
+++ b/synapse/__init__.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     pass
 
-__version__ = "1.44.0rc2"
+__version__ = "1.44.0rc3"
 
 if bool(os.environ.get("SYNAPSE_TEST_PATCH_LOG_CONTEXTS", False)):
     # We import here so that we don't have to install a bunch of deps when