diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index 9ff7281bc6..bb111c5f26 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -15,6 +15,39 @@ IN DEVELOPMENT
 
 Changes will be summarized here periodically.
 
+Changes:
+
+* ``PyGILState_Check()``'s in ``pybind11::handle``'s ``inc_ref()`` &
+  ``dec_ref()`` are now enabled by default again.
+  `#4246 <https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/pull/4246>`_
+
+Build system improvements:
+
+* Update clang-tidy to 15 in CI.
+  `#4387 <https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/pull/4387>`_
+
+
+Version 2.10.3 (Jan 3, 2023)
+----------------------------
+
+Changes:
+
+* Temporarily made our GIL status assertions (added in 2.10.2) disabled by
+  default (re-enable manually by defining
+  ``PYBIND11_ASSERT_GIL_HELD_INCREF_DECREF``, will be enabled in 2.11).
+  `#4432 <https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/pull/4432>`_
+
+* Improved error messages when ``inc_ref``/``dec_ref`` are called with an
+  invalid GIL state.
+  `#4427 <https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/pull/4427>`_
+  `#4436 <https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/pull/4436>`_
+
+Bug Fixes:
+
+* Some minor touchups found by static analyzers.
+  `#4440 <https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/pull/4440>`_
+
+
 Version 2.10.2 (Dec 20, 2022)
 -----------------------------
 
@@ -30,7 +63,7 @@ Changes:
 * ``PyGILState_Check()``'s  were integrated to ``pybind11::handle``
   ``inc_ref()`` & ``dec_ref()``. The added GIL checks are guarded by
   ``PYBIND11_ASSERT_GIL_HELD_INCREF_DECREF``, which is the default only if
-  ``NDEBUG`` is not defined.
+  ``NDEBUG`` is not defined. (Made non-default in 2.10.3, will be active in 2.11)
   `#4246 <https://github.com/pybind/pybind11/pull/4246>`_
 
 * Add option for enable/disable enum members in docstring.
diff --git a/include/pybind11/detail/common.h b/include/pybind11/detail/common.h
index 62bf521fb9..12bb173ad1 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/detail/common.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/detail/common.h
@@ -11,11 +11,11 @@
 
 #define PYBIND11_VERSION_MAJOR 2
 #define PYBIND11_VERSION_MINOR 10
-#define PYBIND11_VERSION_PATCH 2
+#define PYBIND11_VERSION_PATCH 3
 
 // Similar to Python's convention: https://docs.python.org/3/c-api/apiabiversion.html
 // Additional convention: 0xD = dev
-#define PYBIND11_VERSION_HEX 0x020A0200
+#define PYBIND11_VERSION_HEX 0x020A0300
 
 // Define some generic pybind11 helper macros for warning management.
 //
diff --git a/pybind11/_version.py b/pybind11/_version.py
index 4c814edfac..63078bbe67 100644
--- a/pybind11/_version.py
+++ b/pybind11/_version.py
@@ -8,5 +8,5 @@ def _to_int(s: str) -> Union[int, str]:
         return s
 
 
-__version__ = "2.10.2"
+__version__ = "2.10.3"
 version_info = tuple(_to_int(s) for s in __version__.split("."))
diff --git a/tools/make_changelog.py b/tools/make_changelog.py
index 839040a938..b5bd832940 100755
--- a/tools/make_changelog.py
+++ b/tools/make_changelog.py
@@ -31,8 +31,10 @@
 missing = []
 
 for issue in issues:
-    changelog = ENTRY.findall(issue.body)
-    if changelog:
+    changelog = ENTRY.findall(issue.body or "")
+    if not changelog or not changelog[0]:
+        missing.append(issue)
+    else:
         (msg,) = changelog
         if not msg.startswith("* "):
             msg = "* " + msg
@@ -44,9 +46,6 @@
         print(Syntax(msg, "rst", theme="ansi_light", word_wrap=True))
         print()
 
-    else:
-        missing.append(issue)
-
 if missing:
     print()
     print("[blue]" + "-" * 30)