diff --git a/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.16.rst b/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.16.rst
index 352b3feeb14..c95adf5cb5e 100644
--- a/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.16.rst
+++ b/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.16.rst
@@ -5,6 +5,22 @@ ansible-core 2.16 "All My Love" Release Notes
 .. contents:: Topics
 
 
+v2.16.2
+=======
+
+Release Summary
+---------------
+
+| Release Date: 2023-12-11
+| `Porting Guide <https://docs.ansible.com/ansible-core/2.16/porting_guides/porting_guide_core_2.16.html>`__
+
+
+Bugfixes
+--------
+
+- unsafe data - Address an incompatibility when iterating or getting a single index from ``AnsibleUnsafeBytes``
+- unsafe data - Address an incompatibility with ``AnsibleUnsafeText`` and ``AnsibleUnsafeBytes`` when pickling with ``protocol=0``
+
 v2.16.1
 =======
 
diff --git a/changelogs/changelog.yaml b/changelogs/changelog.yaml
index 93a3f517b50..04db290f98e 100644
--- a/changelogs/changelog.yaml
+++ b/changelogs/changelog.yaml
@@ -822,3 +822,20 @@ releases:
     - restore_role_param_precedence.yml
     - wait_for_mmap.yml
     release_date: '2023-11-27'
+  2.16.2:
+    changes:
+      bugfixes:
+      - unsafe data - Address an incompatibility when iterating or getting a single
+        index from ``AnsibleUnsafeBytes``
+      - unsafe data - Address an incompatibility with ``AnsibleUnsafeText`` and ``AnsibleUnsafeBytes``
+        when pickling with ``protocol=0``
+      release_summary: '| Release Date: 2023-12-11
+
+        | `Porting Guide <https://docs.ansible.com/ansible-core/2.16/porting_guides/porting_guide_core_2.16.html>`__
+
+        '
+    codename: All My Love
+    fragments:
+    - 2.16.2_summary.yaml
+    - unsafe-fixes-2.yml
+    release_date: '2023-12-11'
diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/2.16.2_summary.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/2.16.2_summary.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d580ee177a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/2.16.2_summary.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+release_summary: |
+   | Release Date: 2023-12-11
+   | `Porting Guide <https://docs.ansible.com/ansible-core/2.16/porting_guides/porting_guide_core_2.16.html>`__
diff --git a/lib/ansible/release.py b/lib/ansible/release.py
index d381cf62907..3d6aa4d10bd 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/release.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/release.py
@@ -19,6 +19,6 @@
 from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
 __metaclass__ = type
 
-__version__ = '2.16.1.post0'
+__version__ = '2.16.2'
 __author__ = 'Ansible, Inc.'
 __codename__ = "All My Love"