diff --git a/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.18.rst b/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.18.rst
index 2e57d533334..468affb8d70 100644
--- a/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.18.rst
+++ b/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.18.rst
@@ -4,6 +4,30 @@ ansible-core 2.18 "Fool in the Rain" Release Notes
 
 .. contents:: Topics
 
+v2.18.6rc1
+==========
+
+Release Summary
+---------------
+
+| Release Date: 2025-05-12
+| `Porting Guide <https://docs.ansible.com/ansible-core/2.18/porting_guides/porting_guide_core_2.18.html>`__
+
+Minor Changes
+-------------
+
+- ansible-test - Use the ``-t`` option to set the stop timeout when stopping a container. This avoids use of the ``--time`` option which was deprecated in Docker v28.0.
+
+Bugfixes
+--------
+
+- Ansible will now ensure predictable permissions on remote artifacts, until now it only ensured executable and relied on system masks for the rest.
+- ansible-doc - fix indentation for first line of descriptions of suboptions and sub-return values (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/84690).
+- ansible-doc - fix line wrapping for first line of description of options and return values (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/84690).
+- dnf5 - avoid generating excessive transaction entries in the dnf5 history (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/85046)
+- dnf5 - when ``bugfix`` and/or ``security`` is specified, skip packages that do not have any such updates, even for new versions of libdnf5 where this functionality changed and it is considered failure
+- script - Fix up become support for Windows scripts when become was set through host variables and not on the task directly - https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/85076
+
 v2.18.5
 =======
 
diff --git a/changelogs/changelog.yaml b/changelogs/changelog.yaml
index 0779b84216b..0880b09f6c6 100644
--- a/changelogs/changelog.yaml
+++ b/changelogs/changelog.yaml
@@ -819,3 +819,38 @@ releases:
     - gather_facts_smart_fix.yml
     - pin-wheel.yml
     release_date: '2025-04-14'
+  2.18.6rc1:
+    changes:
+      bugfixes:
+      - Ansible will now ensure predictable permissions on remote artifacts, until
+        now it only ensured executable and relied on system masks for the rest.
+      - ansible-doc - fix indentation for first line of descriptions of suboptions
+        and sub-return values (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/84690).
+      - ansible-doc - fix line wrapping for first line of description of options and
+        return values (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/pull/84690).
+      - dnf5 - avoid generating excessive transaction entries in the dnf5 history
+        (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/85046)
+      - dnf5 - when ``bugfix`` and/or ``security`` is specified, skip packages that
+        do not have any such updates, even for new versions of libdnf5 where this
+        functionality changed and it is considered failure
+      - script - Fix up become support for Windows scripts when become was set through
+        host variables and not on the task directly - https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/85076
+      minor_changes:
+      - ansible-test - Use the ``-t`` option to set the stop timeout when stopping
+        a container. This avoids use of the ``--time`` option which was deprecated
+        in Docker v28.0.
+      release_summary: '| Release Date: 2025-05-12
+
+        | `Porting Guide <https://docs.ansible.com/ansible-core/2.18/porting_guides/porting_guide_core_2.18.html>`__
+
+        '
+    codename: Fool in the Rain
+    fragments:
+    - 2.18.6rc1_summary.yaml
+    - 84690-ansible-doc-indent-wrapping.yml
+    - 85046-dnf5-history-entries.yml
+    - ansible-test-container-stop.yml
+    - dnf5-advisory-type.yml
+    - ensure_remote_perms.yml
+    - win-script-become.yml
+    release_date: '2025-05-12'
diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/2.18.6rc1_summary.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/2.18.6rc1_summary.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0a1e816eb90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/2.18.6rc1_summary.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+release_summary: |
+   | Release Date: 2025-05-12
+   | `Porting Guide <https://docs.ansible.com/ansible-core/2.18/porting_guides/porting_guide_core_2.18.html>`__
diff --git a/lib/ansible/release.py b/lib/ansible/release.py
index 7bee9f6cbce..b7feb731cba 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/release.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/release.py
@@ -17,6 +17,6 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-__version__ = '2.18.5.post0'
+__version__ = '2.18.6rc1'
 __author__ = 'Ansible, Inc.'
 __codename__ = "Fool in the Rain"
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index c5255ee8a4a..c8091ad03a4 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [build-system]
-requires = ["setuptools >= 66.1.0, <= 80.3.1", "wheel == 0.45.1"]  # lower bound to support controller Python versions, upper bound for latest version tested at release
+requires = ["setuptools >= 66.1.0, <= 80.4.0", "wheel == 0.45.1"]  # lower bound to support controller Python versions, upper bound for latest version tested at release
 build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]