diff --git a/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.16.rst b/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.16.rst
index 6ef1026f52d..a2966d47be1 100644
--- a/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.16.rst
+++ b/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.16.rst
@@ -5,13 +5,13 @@ ansible-core 2.16 "All My Love" Release Notes
 .. contents:: Topics
 
 
-v2.16.5rc1
-==========
+v2.16.5
+=======
 
 Release Summary
 ---------------
 
-| Release Date: 2024-03-18
+| Release Date: 2024-03-25
 | `Porting Guide <https://docs.ansible.com/ansible-core/2.16/porting_guides/porting_guide_core_2.16.html>`__
 
 
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ Bugfixes
 
 - Fix an issue when setting a plugin name from an unsafe source resulted in ``ValueError: unmarshallable object`` (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/82708)
 - Harden python templates for respawn and ansiballz around str literal quoting
+- ansible-test - The ``libexpat`` package is automatically upgraded during remote bootstrapping to maintain compatibility with newer Python packages.
 - template - Fix error when templating an unsafe string which corresponds to an invalid type in Python (https://github.com/ansible/ansible/issues/82600).
 - winrm - does not hang when attempting to get process output when stdin write failed
 
diff --git a/changelogs/changelog.yaml b/changelogs/changelog.yaml
index f8142c285c5..3e2412280d5 100644
--- a/changelogs/changelog.yaml
+++ b/changelogs/changelog.yaml
@@ -933,6 +933,21 @@ releases:
     - fix-expect-indefinite-timeout.yml
     - fix-vars-plugins-in-roles.yml
     release_date: '2024-02-19'
+  2.16.5:
+    changes:
+      bugfixes:
+      - ansible-test - The ``libexpat`` package is automatically upgraded during remote
+        bootstrapping to maintain compatibility with newer Python packages.
+      release_summary: '| Release Date: 2024-03-25
+
+        | `Porting Guide <https://docs.ansible.com/ansible-core/2.16/porting_guides/porting_guide_core_2.16.html>`__
+
+        '
+    codename: All My Love
+    fragments:
+    - 2.16.5_summary.yaml
+    - ansible-test-alpine-libexpat.yml
+    release_date: '2024-03-25'
   2.16.5rc1:
     changes:
       bugfixes:
diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/2.16.5_summary.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/2.16.5_summary.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1f51c8547cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/2.16.5_summary.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+release_summary: |
+   | Release Date: 2024-03-25
+   | `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 fe4e4dd5262..f8530dc9e40 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__ = '2.16.5rc1.post0'
+__version__ = '2.16.5'
 __author__ = 'Ansible, Inc.'
 __codename__ = "All My Love"