diff --git a/IDMETA b/IDMETA
index bd2ec74..714b1d3 100644
--- a/IDMETA
+++ b/IDMETA
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 DEBIAN_DIST="bookworm bullseye"
 UBUNTU_DIST="noble jammy focal"
 CENTOS_DIST="centos7 centos8 centos9"
-VERSION=1.8.1
+VERSION=1.9.0
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index a8057a1..2abeb39 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ AC_PROG_EGREP
 
 LT_INIT
 
-YAZ_INIT([],[5.1.0])
+YAZ_INIT([],[5.35.0])
 if test -z "$YAZLIB"; then
 	AC_MSG_ERROR([YAZ development libraries missing])
 fi
diff --git a/debian/control b/debian/control
index 98126bf..4d8a67a 100644
--- a/debian/control
+++ b/debian/control
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ Standards-Version: 3.6.2
 Build-Depends: debhelper (>= 9.0.0),
 	libxml2-dev, libxslt1-dev,
 	pkg-config,
-	libyaz5-dev (>= 5.29.0)
+	libyaz5-dev (>= 5.35.0)
 
 Package: libyazpp7
 Section: libs
diff --git a/include/yazpp/cql2rpn.h b/include/yazpp/cql2rpn.h
index 6f4d820..5eb6fad 100644
--- a/include/yazpp/cql2rpn.h
+++ b/include/yazpp/cql2rpn.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* This file is part of the yazpp toolkit.
- * Copyright (C) Index Data 
+ * Copyright (C) Index Data
  * All rights reserved.
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
  * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ class YAZ_EXPORT Yaz_cql2rpn {
     ~Yaz_cql2rpn();
     void set_pqf_file(const char *fname);
     bool parse_spec_file(const char *fname, int *error);
+    int define_pattern(const char *pattern, const char *value);
     int query_transform(const char *cql, Z_RPNQuery **rpnquery, ODR o,
                         char **addinfop);
     int rpn2cql_transform(Z_RPNQuery *q, WRBUF cql, ODR o, char **addinfop);
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index fca2afc..e04526c 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ TESTS = $(check_PROGRAMS)
 AM_CXXFLAGS = -I$(srcdir)/../include $(YAZINC)
 
 lib_LTLIBRARIES = libyazpp.la
-libyazpp_la_LDFLAGS=-version-info 6:0:0
+libyazpp_la_LDFLAGS=-version-info 7:0:1
 
 DISTCLEANFILES = yazpp-config
 
diff --git a/src/test_query.cpp b/src/test_query.cpp
index 0367b4b..24bd5b0 100644
--- a/src/test_query.cpp
+++ b/src/test_query.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* This file is part of the yazpp toolkit.
- * Copyright (C) Index Data 
+ * Copyright (C) Index Data
  * See the file LICENSE for details.
  */
 
diff --git a/src/yaz-cql2rpn.cpp b/src/yaz-cql2rpn.cpp
index 54d0006..a946295 100644
--- a/src/yaz-cql2rpn.cpp
+++ b/src/yaz-cql2rpn.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* This file is part of the yazpp toolkit.
- * Copyright (C) Index Data 
+ * Copyright (C) Index Data
  * See the file LICENSE for details.
  */
 
@@ -32,13 +32,19 @@ void Yaz_cql2rpn::set_pqf_file(const char *fname)
         m_transform = cql_transform_open_fname(fname);
 }
 
-
 bool Yaz_cql2rpn::parse_spec_file(const char *fname, int *error)
 {
-    *error = 0;
-    cql_transform_close(m_transform);
-    m_transform = cql_transform_open_fname(fname);
-    return m_transform ? true : false;
+    if (!m_transform)
+        m_transform = cql_transform_create();
+    *error = cql_transform_define_fname(m_transform, fname);
+    return *error == 0 ? true : false;
+}
+
+int Yaz_cql2rpn::define_pattern(const char *pattern, const char *value)
+{
+    if (!m_transform)
+        m_transform = cql_transform_create();
+    return cql_transform_define_pattern(m_transform, pattern, value);
 }
 
 int Yaz_cql2rpn::rpn2cql_transform(Z_RPNQuery *q, WRBUF cql, ODR o,
diff --git a/yazpp.spec b/yazpp.spec
index 19d06cf..56b72e0 100644
--- a/yazpp.spec
+++ b/yazpp.spec
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ Vendor: Index Data ApS <info@indexdata.dk>
 Source: yazpp-%{version}.tar.gz
 BuildRoot: %{_tmppath}/%{name}-%{version}-root
 Prefix: %{_prefix}
-BuildRequires: pkgconfig, libyaz5-devel >= 5.29.0
+BuildRequires: pkgconfig, libyaz5-devel >= 5.35.0
 Packager: Adam Dickmeiss <adam@indexdata.dk>
 URL: http://www.indexdata.com/yazplusplus