diff --git a/BUILD b/BUILD
index 12bd026c95117a27f54b255748bd86e82ec812d1..4087216a5d1e997db4dfa0162787a16705b91d43 100644
--- a/BUILD
+++ b/BUILD
@@ -40,9 +40,9 @@ load("//bazel:grpc_build_system.bzl", "grpc_cc_library", "grpc_proto_plugin")
 # This should be updated along with build.yaml
 g_stands_for = "gentle"
 
-core_version = "3.0.0-dev"
+core_version = "3.0.0-pre1"
 
-version = "1.3.0-dev"
+version = "1.3.0-pre1"
 
 grpc_cc_library(
     name = "gpr",
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d3db20d4203d83189f5d2892fff997653468a2fa..81dba56b9ef8bc53bff10718c641450fee0d2474 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8)
 
 set(PACKAGE_NAME      "grpc")
-set(PACKAGE_VERSION   "1.3.0-dev")
+set(PACKAGE_VERSION   "1.3.0-pre1")
 set(PACKAGE_STRING    "${PACKAGE_NAME} ${PACKAGE_VERSION}")
 set(PACKAGE_TARNAME   "${PACKAGE_NAME}-${PACKAGE_VERSION}")
 set(PACKAGE_BUGREPORT "https://github.com/grpc/grpc/issues/")
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8c26b2e910a6cd3e7babed92f5db089e96969665..01e06f1003d642f7f3ba86918a4516f2ec61b053 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -419,9 +419,9 @@ E = @echo
 Q = @
 endif
 
-CORE_VERSION = 3.0.0-dev
-CPP_VERSION = 1.3.0-dev
-CSHARP_VERSION = 1.3.0-dev
+CORE_VERSION = 3.0.0-pre1
+CPP_VERSION = 1.3.0-pre1
+CSHARP_VERSION = 1.3.0-pre1
 
 CPPFLAGS_NO_ARCH += $(addprefix -I, $(INCLUDES)) $(addprefix -D, $(DEFINES))
 CPPFLAGS += $(CPPFLAGS_NO_ARCH) $(ARCH_FLAGS)
diff --git a/build.yaml b/build.yaml
index 7db01506302001cb6082a6a6c7f3ae3a2d5c815f..7edad7e9db3d0520e26a6e7d4e7b3ebfe71b7b55 100644
--- a/build.yaml
+++ b/build.yaml
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ settings:
   '#08': Use "-preN" suffixes to identify pre-release versions
   '#09': Per-language overrides are possible with (eg) ruby_version tag here
   '#10': See the expand_version.py for all the quirks here
-  core_version: 3.0.0-dev
+  core_version: 3.0.0-pre1
   g_stands_for: gentle
-  version: 1.3.0-dev
+  version: 1.3.0-pre1
 filegroups:
 - name: census
   public_headers:
diff --git a/gRPC-Core.podspec b/gRPC-Core.podspec
index aed17ae9c3dcf2a6c8976ec1dff7a5c537b7d13b..bd129f73b5f86ec29f20d8c2d322a8a21b299b7d 100644
--- a/gRPC-Core.podspec
+++ b/gRPC-Core.podspec
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 
 Pod::Spec.new do |s|
   s.name     = 'gRPC-Core'
-  version = '1.3.0-dev'
+  version = '1.3.0-pre1'
   s.version  = version
   s.summary  = 'Core cross-platform gRPC library, written in C'
   s.homepage = 'http://www.grpc.io'
diff --git a/gRPC-ProtoRPC.podspec b/gRPC-ProtoRPC.podspec
index 1940015782eac50bed8010c957dda0237235ecb2..de30032ee6776d8e179a6154982cf25a4bc1587c 100644
--- a/gRPC-ProtoRPC.podspec
+++ b/gRPC-ProtoRPC.podspec
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 
 Pod::Spec.new do |s|
   s.name     = 'gRPC-ProtoRPC'
-  version = '1.3.0-dev'
+  version = '1.3.0-pre1'
   s.version  = version
   s.summary  = 'RPC library for Protocol Buffers, based on gRPC'
   s.homepage = 'http://www.grpc.io'
diff --git a/gRPC-RxLibrary.podspec b/gRPC-RxLibrary.podspec
index 841a85336333185e3f6a1fe9437e35c8cbe5b183..642b4cad425ef17b67562209b8fa03f826ee0cc7 100644
--- a/gRPC-RxLibrary.podspec
+++ b/gRPC-RxLibrary.podspec
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 
 Pod::Spec.new do |s|
   s.name     = 'gRPC-RxLibrary'
-  version = '1.3.0-dev'
+  version = '1.3.0-pre1'
   s.version  = version
   s.summary  = 'Reactive Extensions library for iOS/OSX.'
   s.homepage = 'http://www.grpc.io'
diff --git a/gRPC.podspec b/gRPC.podspec
index 08ea79118d1a03a78301e367545f5b22d13e7793..ac3057e8706dbd54ed06588f4649e765d5ae77b1 100644
--- a/gRPC.podspec
+++ b/gRPC.podspec
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 
 Pod::Spec.new do |s|
   s.name     = 'gRPC'
-  version = '1.3.0-dev'
+  version = '1.3.0-pre1'
   s.version  = version
   s.summary  = 'gRPC client library for iOS/OSX'
   s.homepage = 'http://www.grpc.io'
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 7f242326d7ecd03feacb76126aa7defa87d18579..d4f7b56b6a99393b87593c1dca6dbb9b3571d656 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "grpc",
-  "version": "1.3.0-dev",
+  "version": "1.3.0-pre1",
   "author": "Google Inc.",
   "description": "gRPC Library for Node",
   "homepage": "http://www.grpc.io/",
diff --git a/package.xml b/package.xml
index 57e50725e8eb71b92c7d1d9a221ea88d75d6502a..6ed135e17bacd896ffe081d42f20491d30859ce3 100644
--- a/package.xml
+++ b/package.xml
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@
  <date>2017-03-01</date>
  <time>16:06:07</time>
  <version>
-  <release>1.3.0dev</release>
-  <api>1.3.0dev</api>
+  <release>1.3.0RC1</release>
+  <api>1.3.0RC1</api>
  </version>
  <stability>
   <release>beta</release>
diff --git a/src/core/lib/surface/version.c b/src/core/lib/surface/version.c
index ba80bd801ee5da585febf65443248c647f503a4b..959b45da2b3d31ebc6c345a7e699518c9eb3391f 100644
--- a/src/core/lib/surface/version.c
+++ b/src/core/lib/surface/version.c
@@ -36,6 +36,6 @@
 
 #include <grpc/grpc.h>
 
-const char *grpc_version_string(void) { return "3.0.0-dev"; }
+const char *grpc_version_string(void) { return "3.0.0-pre1"; }
 
 const char *grpc_g_stands_for(void) { return "gentle"; }
diff --git a/src/cpp/common/version_cc.cc b/src/cpp/common/version_cc.cc
index f5a0e4131de418d88f6a06e26fec1e1c128a74fb..16a295de2ead723a8182d5f8244652db12e95f05 100644
--- a/src/cpp/common/version_cc.cc
+++ b/src/cpp/common/version_cc.cc
@@ -37,5 +37,5 @@
 #include <grpc++/grpc++.h>
 
 namespace grpc {
-grpc::string Version() { return "1.3.0-dev"; }
+grpc::string Version() { return "1.3.0-pre1"; }
 }
diff --git a/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/Version.csproj.include b/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/Version.csproj.include
index ce9d0d2d5d287f616bda2ccdee308683e301ee22..5409c98fe7feb90a88d002c23b14547f5a1d5655 100755
--- a/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/Version.csproj.include
+++ b/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/Version.csproj.include
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <!-- This file is generated -->
 <Project>
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <GrpcCsharpVersion>1.3.0-dev</GrpcCsharpVersion>
+    <GrpcCsharpVersion>1.3.0-pre1</GrpcCsharpVersion>
     <GoogleProtobufVersion>3.2.0</GoogleProtobufVersion>
   </PropertyGroup>
 </Project>
diff --git a/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/VersionInfo.cs b/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/VersionInfo.cs
index 6012d904b69ee0697b2739ffe63e05faa27ef64d..03d4a96f05d4dea37feffd361bc7970688fb3ea9 100644
--- a/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/VersionInfo.cs
+++ b/src/csharp/Grpc.Core/VersionInfo.cs
@@ -53,6 +53,6 @@ namespace Grpc.Core
         /// <summary>
         /// Current version of gRPC C#
         /// </summary>
-        public const string CurrentVersion = "1.3.0-dev";
+        public const string CurrentVersion = "1.3.0-pre1";
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/csharp/build_packages_dotnetcli.bat b/src/csharp/build_packages_dotnetcli.bat
index 7558ca60c71794d4435a1a1b01464566b4f09a35..2f8d5b8157d2ae263e24d2b08f0ccb1e537d7117 100755
--- a/src/csharp/build_packages_dotnetcli.bat
+++ b/src/csharp/build_packages_dotnetcli.bat
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 @rem OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 @rem Current package versions
-set VERSION=1.3.0-dev
+set VERSION=1.3.0-pre1
 
 @rem Adjust the location of nuget.exe
 set NUGET=C:\nuget\nuget.exe
diff --git a/src/csharp/build_packages_dotnetcli.sh b/src/csharp/build_packages_dotnetcli.sh
index 2186bd3c56805607343aa13cc753cab2be428658..3096b3e45b63782e048777ba396ad3b28a2a8865 100755
--- a/src/csharp/build_packages_dotnetcli.sh
+++ b/src/csharp/build_packages_dotnetcli.sh
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ dotnet pack --configuration Release Grpc.Auth --output ../../../artifacts
 dotnet pack --configuration Release Grpc.HealthCheck --output ../../../artifacts
 dotnet pack --configuration Release Grpc.Reflection --output ../../../artifacts
 
-nuget pack Grpc.nuspec -Version "1.3.0-dev" -OutputDirectory ../../artifacts
-nuget pack Grpc.Tools.nuspec -Version "1.3.0-dev" -OutputDirectory ../../artifacts
+nuget pack Grpc.nuspec -Version "1.3.0-pre1" -OutputDirectory ../../artifacts
+nuget pack Grpc.Tools.nuspec -Version "1.3.0-pre1" -OutputDirectory ../../artifacts
 
 (cd ../../artifacts && zip csharp_nugets_dotnetcli.zip *.nupkg)
diff --git a/src/node/health_check/package.json b/src/node/health_check/package.json
index e218f5a4063dc34b46b4d9bd7c20544c55bd9b5c..3d331182981b30ec5e3d44694dfd040a5223e3d8 100644
--- a/src/node/health_check/package.json
+++ b/src/node/health_check/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "grpc-health-check",
-  "version": "1.3.0-dev",
+  "version": "1.3.0-pre1",
   "author": "Google Inc.",
   "description": "Health check service for use with gRPC",
   "repository": {
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
     }
   ],
   "dependencies": {
-    "grpc": "^1.3.0-dev",
+    "grpc": "^1.3.0-pre1",
     "lodash": "^3.9.3",
     "google-protobuf": "^3.0.0"
   },
diff --git a/src/node/tools/package.json b/src/node/tools/package.json
index 3096c6e42a8fcd6a0ffb442fbd8b9947baa108d4..056f28ab3c14809c650c4dcd96291823ab3f1bf3 100644
--- a/src/node/tools/package.json
+++ b/src/node/tools/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "grpc-tools",
-  "version": "1.3.0-dev",
+  "version": "1.3.0-pre1",
   "author": "Google Inc.",
   "description": "Tools for developing with gRPC on Node.js",
   "homepage": "http://www.grpc.io/",
diff --git a/src/objective-c/!ProtoCompiler-gRPCPlugin.podspec b/src/objective-c/!ProtoCompiler-gRPCPlugin.podspec
index 2f41ad196a651f50fb35544f8e23b8c73c2fef1a..e636d9c902a8b5af9abe3486d1f9d2256f21cfd5 100644
--- a/src/objective-c/!ProtoCompiler-gRPCPlugin.podspec
+++ b/src/objective-c/!ProtoCompiler-gRPCPlugin.podspec
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ Pod::Spec.new do |s|
   # exclamation mark ensures that other "regular" pods will be able to find it as it'll be installed
   # before them.
   s.name     = '!ProtoCompiler-gRPCPlugin'
-  v = '1.3.0-dev'
+  v = '1.3.0-pre1'
   s.version  = v
   s.summary  = 'The gRPC ProtoC plugin generates Objective-C files from .proto services.'
   s.description = <<-DESC
diff --git a/src/objective-c/GRPCClient/private/version.h b/src/objective-c/GRPCClient/private/version.h
index 09155ee4d40afab42c113e7c9f2270979b3719b2..b53033d5248f731aa1f0c20a751ba9c820fc9752 100644
--- a/src/objective-c/GRPCClient/private/version.h
+++ b/src/objective-c/GRPCClient/private/version.h
@@ -38,4 +38,4 @@
 // `tools/buildgen/generate_projects.sh`.
 
 
-#define GRPC_OBJC_VERSION_STRING @"1.3.0-dev"
+#define GRPC_OBJC_VERSION_STRING @"1.3.0-pre1"
diff --git a/src/python/grpcio/grpc_version.py b/src/python/grpcio/grpc_version.py
index 267d848e74377e8d036915a7fb2122fbde598601..a37630a1851e766d4b0d5ec25b4a6373a33a2e77 100644
--- a/src/python/grpcio/grpc_version.py
+++ b/src/python/grpcio/grpc_version.py
@@ -29,4 +29,4 @@
 
 # AUTO-GENERATED FROM `$REPO_ROOT/templates/src/python/grpcio/grpc_version.py.template`!!!
 
-VERSION='1.3.0.dev0'
+VERSION='1.3.0rc1'
diff --git a/src/python/grpcio_health_checking/grpc_version.py b/src/python/grpcio_health_checking/grpc_version.py
index 4ff5e266a1f4f1becb827368196562d2dcdaedff..c08110ec2cc904e94237e811eea3ee5864658f18 100644
--- a/src/python/grpcio_health_checking/grpc_version.py
+++ b/src/python/grpcio_health_checking/grpc_version.py
@@ -29,4 +29,4 @@
 
 # AUTO-GENERATED FROM `$REPO_ROOT/templates/src/python/grpcio_health_checking/grpc_version.py.template`!!!
 
-VERSION='1.3.0.dev0'
+VERSION='1.3.0rc1'
diff --git a/src/python/grpcio_reflection/grpc_version.py b/src/python/grpcio_reflection/grpc_version.py
index 8ffc08c04b8f72ebbc771f7bb153fcc31b5f096e..456573262115127f42ffcbabbd6ff8a9522e0723 100644
--- a/src/python/grpcio_reflection/grpc_version.py
+++ b/src/python/grpcio_reflection/grpc_version.py
@@ -29,4 +29,4 @@
 
 # AUTO-GENERATED FROM `$REPO_ROOT/templates/src/python/grpcio_reflection/grpc_version.py.template`!!!
 
-VERSION='1.3.0.dev0'
+VERSION='1.3.0rc1'
diff --git a/src/python/grpcio_tests/grpc_version.py b/src/python/grpcio_tests/grpc_version.py
index ba82dce6f6d2ae8e168370aa4f4385606e54942a..aadfabfddeea178f2bd269622724d048a617b1d7 100644
--- a/src/python/grpcio_tests/grpc_version.py
+++ b/src/python/grpcio_tests/grpc_version.py
@@ -29,4 +29,4 @@
 
 # AUTO-GENERATED FROM `$REPO_ROOT/templates/src/python/grpcio_tests/grpc_version.py.template`!!!
 
-VERSION='1.3.0.dev0'
+VERSION='1.3.0rc1'
diff --git a/src/ruby/lib/grpc/version.rb b/src/ruby/lib/grpc/version.rb
index 9901158e735daae3d90616247754933bdff569dc..fa804685b38b52e4ed190480cdb4eb94090b6da5 100644
--- a/src/ruby/lib/grpc/version.rb
+++ b/src/ruby/lib/grpc/version.rb
@@ -29,5 +29,5 @@
 
 # GRPC contains the General RPC module.
 module GRPC
-  VERSION = '1.3.0.dev'
+  VERSION = '1.3.0.pre1'
 end
diff --git a/src/ruby/tools/version.rb b/src/ruby/tools/version.rb
index 632c0100bd842cef6ddffb978e9c7ebb36d0e466..fa19aee62b590997a6f3b8eb291bbaf877e9f177 100644
--- a/src/ruby/tools/version.rb
+++ b/src/ruby/tools/version.rb
@@ -29,6 +29,6 @@
 
 module GRPC
   module Tools
-    VERSION = '1.3.0.dev'
+    VERSION = '1.3.0.pre1'
   end
 end
diff --git a/tools/distrib/python/grpcio_tools/grpc_version.py b/tools/distrib/python/grpcio_tools/grpc_version.py
index ad35b90bad3743f0afc81df80abfd22732d3242d..289c0b13c380198f5e15e59c10839d03a3eefe2b 100644
--- a/tools/distrib/python/grpcio_tools/grpc_version.py
+++ b/tools/distrib/python/grpcio_tools/grpc_version.py
@@ -29,4 +29,4 @@
 
 # AUTO-GENERATED FROM `$REPO_ROOT/templates/tools/distrib/python/grpcio_tools/grpc_version.py.template`!!!
 
-VERSION='1.3.0.dev0'
+VERSION='1.3.0rc1'
diff --git a/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.c++ b/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.c++
index 59e619749a88a24c24d63be365b1021f973a3a91..01a2dfb74f80bda42a5978face19a960e15c81b3 100644
--- a/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.c++
+++ b/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.c++
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ PROJECT_NAME           = "GRPC C++"
 # could be handy for archiving the generated documentation or if some version
 # control system is used.
 
-PROJECT_NUMBER         = 1.3.0-dev
+PROJECT_NUMBER         = 1.3.0-pre1
 
 # Using the PROJECT_BRIEF tag one can provide an optional one line description
 # for a project that appears at the top of each page and should give viewer a
diff --git a/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.c++.internal b/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.c++.internal
index afab2296a020424e7cf0ed42a5c216d10fa692bf..7734d8ba11faf80bcfa8a0361ee02c7a2ad99d7e 100644
--- a/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.c++.internal
+++ b/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.c++.internal
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ PROJECT_NAME           = "GRPC C++"
 # could be handy for archiving the generated documentation or if some version
 # control system is used.
 
-PROJECT_NUMBER         = 1.3.0-dev
+PROJECT_NUMBER         = 1.3.0-pre1
 
 # Using the PROJECT_BRIEF tag one can provide an optional one line description
 # for a project that appears at the top of each page and should give viewer a
diff --git a/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.core b/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.core
index e6ca9cb845cf1c0a9ad788506b0d9b40588600a8..d651c9209e0a446ff4542a30a75b923692930f3a 100644
--- a/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.core
+++ b/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.core
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ PROJECT_NAME           = "GRPC Core"
 # could be handy for archiving the generated documentation or if some version
 # control system is used.
 
-PROJECT_NUMBER         = 3.0.0-dev
+PROJECT_NUMBER         = 3.0.0-pre1
 
 # Using the PROJECT_BRIEF tag one can provide an optional one line description
 # for a project that appears at the top of each page and should give viewer a
diff --git a/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.core.internal b/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.core.internal
index 915648640f6b77eb825ce1f816463a8590ec3bca..f5ffe97e49999c203ef5d8f4875beb1d3c751357 100644
--- a/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.core.internal
+++ b/tools/doxygen/Doxyfile.core.internal
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ PROJECT_NAME           = "GRPC Core"
 # could be handy for archiving the generated documentation or if some version
 # control system is used.
 
-PROJECT_NUMBER         = 3.0.0-dev
+PROJECT_NUMBER         = 3.0.0-pre1
 
 # Using the PROJECT_BRIEF tag one can provide an optional one line description
 # for a project that appears at the top of each page and should give viewer a