diff --git a/base/README.md b/base/README.md
index 6827494f2..39b8fb7ad 100644
--- a/base/README.md
+++ b/base/README.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 The LaTeX kernel
 ================
 
-Release 2024-11-01 pre-release 1
+Release 2024-11-01 pre-release 2
 
 Overview
 --------
diff --git a/base/ltvers.dtx b/base/ltvers.dtx
index 9455c56be..d868143a0 100644
--- a/base/ltvers.dtx
+++ b/base/ltvers.dtx
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@
    {2024-11-01}
 %</2ekernel|latexrelease>
 %<*2ekernel>
-\def\patch@level{1}
+\def\patch@level{-2}
 %    \end{macrocode}
 %
 % \begin{macro}{\development@branch@name}
diff --git a/base/testfiles/github-0944.tlg b/base/testfiles/github-0944.tlg
index 3b1dc14f8..fb16e0a38 100644
--- a/base/testfiles/github-0944.tlg
+++ b/base/testfiles/github-0944.tlg
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ LaTeX Warning: Reference `unknown' on page 1 undefined on input line ....
 [1
 ] (github-0944.aux)
  ***********
--formatname- <-formatversion-> patch level -2
+-formatname- <-formatversion-> pre-release-2 (-release-version-test- branch)
 L3 programming layer <2024-07-20>
  ***********
  *File List*