diff --git a/.semaphore/semaphore.yml b/.semaphore/semaphore.yml
index fc76fd059..4ad493aee 100644
--- a/.semaphore/semaphore.yml
+++ b/.semaphore/semaphore.yml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ execution_time_limit:
 global_job_config:
   env_vars:
     - name: LIBRDKAFKA_VERSION
-      value: v2.11.1
+      value: v2.12.0-RC2
   prologue:
     commands:
       - checkout
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index af9f47012..beda834e8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,14 @@
 # Confluent Python Client for Apache Kafka - CHANGELOG
 
-## Unreleased
+
+## v2.12.0 - 2025-10-07
+
+v2.12.0 is a feature release with the following enhancements:
+
+confluent-kafka-python v2.12.0 is based on librdkafka v2.12.0, see the
+[librdkafka release notes](https://github.com/confluentinc/librdkafka/releases/tag/v2.12.0)
+for a complete list of changes, enhancements, fixes and upgrade considerations.
+
 
 ## v2.12.0b1 - 2025-10-01
 
@@ -33,6 +41,7 @@
 - For batch jobs, scripts, or highest-throughput pipelines without an event
   loop, the synchronous `Producer` remains recommended.
 
+
 ## v2.11.1 - 2025-08-18
 
 v2.11.1 is a maintenance release with the following fixes:
diff --git a/examples/docker/Dockerfile.alpine b/examples/docker/Dockerfile.alpine
index c8db6ed74..888245869 100644
--- a/examples/docker/Dockerfile.alpine
+++ b/examples/docker/Dockerfile.alpine
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ FROM alpine:3.12
 
 COPY . /usr/src/confluent-kafka-python
 
-ENV LIBRDKAFKA_VERSION="v2.11.1"
+ENV LIBRDKAFKA_VERSION="v2.12.0-RC2"
 ENV KCAT_VERSION="master"
 ENV CKP_VERSION="master"
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 8d989b590..719d3ba5f 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "confluent-kafka"
-version = "2.12.0b1"
+version = "2.12.0rc2"
 description = "Confluent's Python client for Apache Kafka"
 classifiers = [
     "Development Status :: 5 - Production/Stable",
diff --git a/requirements/requirements-tests-install.txt b/requirements/requirements-tests-install.txt
index 4a4e628f4..ff5b3c348 100644
--- a/requirements/requirements-tests-install.txt
+++ b/requirements/requirements-tests-install.txt
@@ -4,4 +4,4 @@
 -r requirements-avro.txt
 -r requirements-protobuf.txt  
 -r requirements-json.txt
-tests/trivup/trivup-0.13.0.tar.gz
\ No newline at end of file
+tests/trivup/trivup-0.14.0.tar.gz
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/confluent_kafka/src/confluent_kafka.h b/src/confluent_kafka/src/confluent_kafka.h
index d1dab8e95..fb3ac997a 100644
--- a/src/confluent_kafka/src/confluent_kafka.h
+++ b/src/confluent_kafka/src/confluent_kafka.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 /**
  * @brief confluent-kafka-python version, must match that of pyproject.toml.
  */
-#define CFL_VERSION_STR "2.12.0b1"
+#define CFL_VERSION_STR "2.12.0rc2"
 
 /**
  * Minimum required librdkafka version. This is checked both during
@@ -46,19 +46,19 @@
  * Make sure to keep the MIN_RD_KAFKA_VERSION, MIN_VER_ERRSTR and #error
  * defines and strings in sync.
  */
-#define MIN_RD_KAFKA_VERSION 0x020b01ff
+#define MIN_RD_KAFKA_VERSION 0x020c00ff
 
 #ifdef __APPLE__
-#define MIN_VER_ERRSTR "confluent-kafka-python requires librdkafka v2.11.1 or later. Install the latest version of librdkafka from Homebrew by running `brew install librdkafka` or `brew upgrade librdkafka`"
+#define MIN_VER_ERRSTR "confluent-kafka-python requires librdkafka v2.12.0 or later. Install the latest version of librdkafka from Homebrew by running `brew install librdkafka` or `brew upgrade librdkafka`"
 #else
-#define MIN_VER_ERRSTR "confluent-kafka-python requires librdkafka v2.11.1 or later. Install the latest version of librdkafka from the Confluent repositories, see http://docs.confluent.io/current/installation.html"
+#define MIN_VER_ERRSTR "confluent-kafka-python requires librdkafka v2.12.0 or later. Install the latest version of librdkafka from the Confluent repositories, see http://docs.confluent.io/current/installation.html"
 #endif
 
 #if RD_KAFKA_VERSION < MIN_RD_KAFKA_VERSION
 #ifdef __APPLE__
-#error "confluent-kafka-python requires librdkafka v2.11.1 or later. Install the latest version of librdkafka from Homebrew by running `brew install librdkafka` or `brew upgrade librdkafka`"
+#error "confluent-kafka-python requires librdkafka v2.12.0 or later. Install the latest version of librdkafka from Homebrew by running `brew install librdkafka` or `brew upgrade librdkafka`"
 #else
-#error "confluent-kafka-python requires librdkafka v2.11.1 or later. Install the latest version of librdkafka from the Confluent repositories, see http://docs.confluent.io/current/installation.html"
+#error "confluent-kafka-python requires librdkafka v2.12.0 or later. Install the latest version of librdkafka from the Confluent repositories, see http://docs.confluent.io/current/installation.html"
 #endif
 #endif
 
diff --git a/tests/soak/setup_all_versions.py b/tests/soak/setup_all_versions.py
index 341cfc5bf..a7d9d4cc2 100755
--- a/tests/soak/setup_all_versions.py
+++ b/tests/soak/setup_all_versions.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 
 PYTHON_VERSIONS = [
     # '2.12.0',
-    '2.11.0',
+    '2.11.1',
     '2.10.1',
     '2.8.0',
     '2.6.1',
diff --git a/tests/trivup/trivup-0.13.0.tar.gz b/tests/trivup/trivup-0.13.0.tar.gz
deleted file mode 100644
index 28b94a9ad..000000000
Binary files a/tests/trivup/trivup-0.13.0.tar.gz and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/tests/trivup/trivup-0.14.0.tar.gz b/tests/trivup/trivup-0.14.0.tar.gz
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a8965847a
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/trivup/trivup-0.14.0.tar.gz differ
diff --git a/tools/RELEASE.md b/tools/RELEASE.md
index 33c5878f6..b5dc23871 100644
--- a/tools/RELEASE.md
+++ b/tools/RELEASE.md
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ RCs, so it only needs to be set once for each release.
 
 Commit these changes with a commit-message containing the version:
 
-    $ git commit -m "Version v0.11.4rc1" src/confluent_kafka/src/confluent_kafka.h docs/conf.py pyproject.toml
+    $ git commit -m "Version v0.11.4rc1" src/confluent_kafka/src/confluent_kafka.h pyproject.toml
 
 
 ## 5. Tag, CI build, wheel verification, upload
@@ -254,7 +254,9 @@ the git history to look tidy, remove any test tags, and then go back to
 
 
 
-### 5.5.2. CANDIDATE ITERATION: Create PR
+### 5.5.2. Create PR
+
+**CANDIDATE ITERATION:**
 
 Once all test and RC builds are successful and have been verified and you're
 ready to go ahead with the release, it is time create a PR to have the
@@ -269,6 +271,13 @@ so try to keep the commit history tidy from the start in the RC branch.
 Create a PR for the RC branch and add team mates as reviewers and wait for
 review approval.
 
+**RELEASE ITERATION:**
+
+Same as the _CANDIDATE ITERATION_ plus:
+
+Update `tests/soak/setup_all_versions.py` with the released version
+to be tested in the soak test.
+
 
 ### 5.5.3. CANDIDATE ITERATION: Merge PR
 
diff --git a/tools/source-package-verification.sh b/tools/source-package-verification.sh
index 9d3662337..0081d584e 100755
--- a/tools/source-package-verification.sh
+++ b/tools/source-package-verification.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,20 @@ set -e
 pip install -r requirements/requirements-tests-install.txt
 pip install -U build
 
+# Cache trivup Apache Kafka versions
+
+BASE=$PWD
+for version in 3.9.0 4.0.0; do
+    artifact pull project kafka_2.13-$version.tgz || true
+    if [[ ! -f  ./kafka_2.13-$version.tgz ]]; then
+        wget -O ./kafka_2.13-$version.tgz "https://archive.apache.org/dist/kafka/$version/kafka_2.13-$version.tgz"
+        artifact push project ./kafka_2.13-$version.tgz || true
+    fi
+    mkdir -p tmp-KafkaCluster/KafkaCluster/KafkaBrokerApp/kafka/$version
+    (cd tmp-KafkaCluster/KafkaCluster/KafkaBrokerApp/kafka/$version && \
+     tar -xvf $BASE/kafka_2.13-$version.tgz --strip-components=1)
+done
+
 lib_dir=dest/runtimes/$OS_NAME-$ARCH/native
 tools/wheels/install-librdkafka.sh "${LIBRDKAFKA_VERSION#v}" dest
 export CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -I${PWD}/dest/build/native/include"