diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index b512b20d9f18fceca29f842e5cfc7ef1f6fe34ee..66d7f0c26eae34dcf63989bf9f3ecca5d40844de 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ project(DD4hep)
 
 # project version
 SET( DD4hep_VERSION_MAJOR 0 )
-SET( DD4hep_VERSION_MINOR 3 )
+SET( DD4hep_VERSION_MINOR 4 )
 SET( DD4hep_VERSION_PATCH 0 )
 
 SET( DD4hep_VERSION "${DD4hep_VERSION_MAJOR}.${DD4hep_VERSION_MINOR}" )
diff --git a/doc/release.notes b/doc/release.notes
index c3f5b733502b7655825b1941f23d54a82981bdaa..8b8af857152d268004d08df11cee2496e0b0253c 100644
--- a/doc/release.notes
+++ b/doc/release.notes
@@ -26,6 +26,22 @@ DD4hep  ----  Release Notes
    Unless all problems are solved you should be careful to move to the svn
    head. In any case save your checkout or use the tag v00-03.
 
+ --------
+| v00-04 |  fourth beta release ...
+ --------   - placement options are now compatible with geant4 
+            - fixed Geant4SensitiveDetector::getVolumeID()
+            - modified ILDEx model to not use assemblies (for now !?)
+	    - removed obsolete geant4 example ILDEx
+	    - Fix population procedure of volume manager
+	    - Fix uniqueness of volume identifiers.
+	    - Remove call with lookups by placed volume to the volume manager
+	    - improved ILDExtoy example:	   		
+	      - fixed creation of cellIDS for simhits
+	      - creates SimTrackerHits for VXD, SIT and TPC
+              - creates SimCalorimeterHits for AHcal barrele and endcap
+	      - works now wigth ILDExSimu _and_ SLIC 
+ 
+
  --------
 | v00-03 |  third beta release ...
  --------   - broken geometry (for some rotations/translations)