diff --git a/administrator/manifests/files/joomla.xml b/administrator/manifests/files/joomla.xml
index 16a7a99410033..62e9e58b0dcb4 100644
--- a/administrator/manifests/files/joomla.xml
+++ b/administrator/manifests/files/joomla.xml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 	<authorUrl>www.joomla.org</authorUrl>
 	<copyright>(C) 2019 Open Source Matters, Inc.</copyright>
 	<license>GNU General Public License version 2 or later; see LICENSE.txt</license>
-	<version>4.4.1-rc2</version>
+	<version>4.4.1</version>
 	<creationDate>2023-11</creationDate>
 	<description>FILES_JOOMLA_XML_DESCRIPTION</description>
 
diff --git a/libraries/src/Language/LanguageHelper.php b/libraries/src/Language/LanguageHelper.php
index 8dba582a12ab2..75e8157d250b4 100644
--- a/libraries/src/Language/LanguageHelper.php
+++ b/libraries/src/Language/LanguageHelper.php
@@ -420,11 +420,14 @@ public static function parseIniFile($fileName, $debug = false)
 
         if (!\function_exists('parse_ini_file') || $isParseIniFileDisabled) {
             $contents = file_get_contents($fileName);
-            $strings  = @parse_ini_string($contents);
+            $strings  = @parse_ini_string($contents, false, INI_SCANNER_RAW);
         } else {
-            $strings = @parse_ini_file($fileName);
+            $strings = @parse_ini_file($fileName, false, INI_SCANNER_RAW);
         }
 
+        // Ini files are processed in the "RAW" mode of parse_ini_string, leaving escaped quotes untouched - lets postprocess them
+        $strings = str_replace('\"', '"', $strings);
+
         // Restore error tracking to what it was before.
         if ($debug === true) {
             ini_set('track_errors', $trackErrors);
diff --git a/libraries/src/Version.php b/libraries/src/Version.php
index 8dc84e356f84a..86afe408750c3 100644
--- a/libraries/src/Version.php
+++ b/libraries/src/Version.php
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ final class Version
      * @var    string
      * @since  3.8.0
      */
-    public const EXTRA_VERSION = 'rc2';
+    public const EXTRA_VERSION = '';
 
     /**
      * Development status.
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ final class Version
      * @var    string
      * @since  3.5
      */
-    public const DEV_STATUS = 'Release Candidate';
+    public const DEV_STATUS = 'Stable';
 
     /**
      * Code name.