diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c492da0511..4a43d90ff1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -45,12 +45,12 @@ BAZEL_OPTIONS?=
 MAKEDIR:=$(strip $(shell dirname "$(realpath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))"))
 
 # Keep in sync with upup/models/cloudup/resources/addons/dns-controller/
-DNS_CONTROLLER_TAG=1.8.0
+DNS_CONTROLLER_TAG=1.9.0-alpha.1
 
 # Keep in sync with logic in get_workspace_status
 # Update variables in tools/get_workplace_status.sh for the bazel build
-KOPS_RELEASE_VERSION = 1.8.1
-KOPS_CI_VERSION      = 1.8.2-alpha.1
+KOPS_RELEASE_VERSION = 1.9.0-alpha.1
+KOPS_CI_VERSION      = 1.9.0-alpha.2
 
 # kops local location
 KOPS                 = ${LOCAL}/kops
diff --git a/upup/models/cloudup/resources/addons/dns-controller.addons.k8s.io/k8s-1.6.yaml.template b/upup/models/cloudup/resources/addons/dns-controller.addons.k8s.io/k8s-1.6.yaml.template
index 771311ceb8..ea91ea657d 100644
--- a/upup/models/cloudup/resources/addons/dns-controller.addons.k8s.io/k8s-1.6.yaml.template
+++ b/upup/models/cloudup/resources/addons/dns-controller.addons.k8s.io/k8s-1.6.yaml.template
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ metadata:
   labels:
     k8s-addon: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
     k8s-app: dns-controller
-    version: v1.8.0
+    version: v1.9.0-alpha.1
 spec:
   replicas: 1
   selector:
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ spec:
       labels:
         k8s-addon: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
         k8s-app: dns-controller
-        version: v1.8.0
+        version: v1.9.0-alpha.1
       annotations:
         scheduler.alpha.kubernetes.io/critical-pod: ''
         # For 1.6, we keep the old tolerations in case of a downgrade to 1.5
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ spec:
       serviceAccount: dns-controller
       containers:
       - name: dns-controller
-        image: kope/dns-controller:1.8.0
+        image: kope/dns-controller:1.9.0-alpha.1
         command:
 {{ range $arg := DnsControllerArgv }}
         - "{{ $arg }}"
diff --git a/upup/models/cloudup/resources/addons/dns-controller.addons.k8s.io/pre-k8s-1.6.yaml.template b/upup/models/cloudup/resources/addons/dns-controller.addons.k8s.io/pre-k8s-1.6.yaml.template
index 1445b4a032..ccfcd9dda5 100644
--- a/upup/models/cloudup/resources/addons/dns-controller.addons.k8s.io/pre-k8s-1.6.yaml.template
+++ b/upup/models/cloudup/resources/addons/dns-controller.addons.k8s.io/pre-k8s-1.6.yaml.template
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ metadata:
   labels:
     k8s-addon: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
     k8s-app: dns-controller
-    version: v1.8.0
+    version: v1.9.0-alpha.1
 spec:
   replicas: 1
   selector:
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ spec:
       labels:
         k8s-addon: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
         k8s-app: dns-controller
-        version: v1.8.0
+        version: v1.9.0-alpha.1
       annotations:
         scheduler.alpha.kubernetes.io/critical-pod: ''
         scheduler.alpha.kubernetes.io/tolerations: '[{"key": "dedicated", "value": "master"}]'
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ spec:
       hostNetwork: true
       containers:
       - name: dns-controller
-        image: kope/dns-controller:1.8.0
+        image: kope/dns-controller:1.9.0-alpha.1
         command:
 {{ range $arg := DnsControllerArgv }}
         - "{{ $arg }}"
diff --git a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/bootstrapchannelbuilder.go b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/bootstrapchannelbuilder.go
index e2c3b0e783..c879a8b868 100644
--- a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/bootstrapchannelbuilder.go
+++ b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/bootstrapchannelbuilder.go
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ func (b *BootstrapChannelBuilder) buildManifest() (*channelsapi.Addons, map[stri
 	if externalDNS == nil || !externalDNS.Disable {
 		{
 			key := "dns-controller.addons.k8s.io"
-			version := "1.8.0"
+			version := "1.9.0-alpha.1"
 
 			{
 				location := key + "/pre-k8s-1.6.yaml"
diff --git a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/tests/bootstrapchannelbuilder/kopeio-vxlan/manifest.yaml b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/tests/bootstrapchannelbuilder/kopeio-vxlan/manifest.yaml
index 5cfa51f3e3..97f7cb01be 100644
--- a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/tests/bootstrapchannelbuilder/kopeio-vxlan/manifest.yaml
+++ b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/tests/bootstrapchannelbuilder/kopeio-vxlan/manifest.yaml
@@ -41,14 +41,14 @@ spec:
     name: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
     selector:
       k8s-addon: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
-    version: 1.8.0
+    version: 1.9.0-alpha.1
   - id: k8s-1.6
     kubernetesVersion: '>=1.6.0'
     manifest: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io/k8s-1.6.yaml
     name: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
     selector:
       k8s-addon: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
-    version: 1.8.0
+    version: 1.9.0-alpha.1
   - id: v1.7.0
     kubernetesVersion: '>=1.7.0'
     manifest: storage-aws.addons.k8s.io/v1.7.0.yaml
diff --git a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/tests/bootstrapchannelbuilder/simple/manifest.yaml b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/tests/bootstrapchannelbuilder/simple/manifest.yaml
index d2addc151b..ca52543e6b 100644
--- a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/tests/bootstrapchannelbuilder/simple/manifest.yaml
+++ b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/tests/bootstrapchannelbuilder/simple/manifest.yaml
@@ -41,14 +41,14 @@ spec:
     name: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
     selector:
       k8s-addon: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
-    version: 1.8.0
+    version: 1.9.0-alpha.1
   - id: k8s-1.6
     kubernetesVersion: '>=1.6.0'
     manifest: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io/k8s-1.6.yaml
     name: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
     selector:
       k8s-addon: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
-    version: 1.8.0
+    version: 1.9.0-alpha.1
   - id: v1.7.0
     kubernetesVersion: '>=1.7.0'
     manifest: storage-aws.addons.k8s.io/v1.7.0.yaml
diff --git a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/tests/bootstrapchannelbuilder/weave/manifest.yaml b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/tests/bootstrapchannelbuilder/weave/manifest.yaml
index 6d60b019ed..b76d26f992 100644
--- a/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/tests/bootstrapchannelbuilder/weave/manifest.yaml
+++ b/upup/pkg/fi/cloudup/tests/bootstrapchannelbuilder/weave/manifest.yaml
@@ -41,14 +41,14 @@ spec:
     name: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
     selector:
       k8s-addon: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
-    version: 1.8.0
+    version: 1.9.0-alpha.1
   - id: k8s-1.6
     kubernetesVersion: '>=1.6.0'
     manifest: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io/k8s-1.6.yaml
     name: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
     selector:
       k8s-addon: dns-controller.addons.k8s.io
-    version: 1.8.0
+    version: 1.9.0-alpha.1
   - id: v1.7.0
     kubernetesVersion: '>=1.7.0'
     manifest: storage-aws.addons.k8s.io/v1.7.0.yaml