diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b82fba7a..70e05b53 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ Most of the nucleotide based commands and options in USEARCH version 7 are suppo
 
 ## Getting Help
 
-If you can't find an answer in the [VSEARCH documentation](https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.25.0/vsearch_manual.pdf), please visit the [VSEARCH Web Forum](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/vsearch-forum) to post a question or start a discussion.
+If you can't find an answer in the [VSEARCH documentation](https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.26.0/vsearch_manual.pdf), please visit the [VSEARCH Web Forum](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/vsearch-forum) to post a question or start a discussion.
 
 ## Example
 
@@ -50,9 +50,9 @@ In the example below, VSEARCH will identify sequences in the file database.fsa t
 **Source distribution** To download the source distribution from a [release](https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases) and build the executable and the documentation, use the following commands:
 
 ```
-wget https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/archive/v2.25.0.tar.gz
-tar xzf v2.25.0.tar.gz
-cd vsearch-2.25.0
+wget https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/archive/v2.26.0.tar.gz
+tar xzf v2.26.0.tar.gz
+cd vsearch-2.26.0
 ./autogen.sh
 ./configure CFLAGS="-O3" CXXFLAGS="-O3"
 make
@@ -81,48 +81,48 @@ Binary distributions are provided for x86-64 systems running GNU/Linux, macOS (v
 Download the appropriate executable for your system using the following commands if you are using a Linux x86_64 system:
 
 ```sh
-wget https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.25.0/vsearch-2.25.0-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
-tar xzf vsearch-2.25.0-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
+wget https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.26.0/vsearch-2.26.0-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
+tar xzf vsearch-2.26.0-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
 ```
 
 Or these commands if you are using a Linux ppc64le system:
 
 ```sh
-wget https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.25.0/vsearch-2.25.0-linux-ppc64le.tar.gz
-tar xzf vsearch-2.25.0-linux-ppc64le.tar.gz
+wget https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.26.0/vsearch-2.26.0-linux-ppc64le.tar.gz
+tar xzf vsearch-2.26.0-linux-ppc64le.tar.gz
 ```
 
 Or these commands if you are using a Linux aarch64 (arm64) system:
 
 ```sh
-wget https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.25.0/vsearch-2.25.0-linux-aarch64.tar.gz
-tar xzf vsearch-2.25.0-linux-aarch64.tar.gz
+wget https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.26.0/vsearch-2.26.0-linux-aarch64.tar.gz
+tar xzf vsearch-2.26.0-linux-aarch64.tar.gz
 ```
 
 Or these commands if you are using a Mac with an Apple Silicon CPU:
 
 ```sh
-wget https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.25.0/vsearch-2.25.0-macos-aarch64.tar.gz
-tar xzf vsearch-2.25.0-macos-aarch64.tar.gz
+wget https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.26.0/vsearch-2.26.0-macos-aarch64.tar.gz
+tar xzf vsearch-2.26.0-macos-aarch64.tar.gz
 ```
 
 Or these commands if you are using a Mac with an Intel CPU:
 
 ```sh
-wget https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.25.0/vsearch-2.25.0-macos-x86_64.tar.gz
-tar xzf vsearch-2.25.0-macos-x86_64.tar.gz
+wget https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.26.0/vsearch-2.26.0-macos-x86_64.tar.gz
+tar xzf vsearch-2.26.0-macos-x86_64.tar.gz
 ```
 
 Or if you are using Windows, download and extract (unzip) the contents of this file:
 
 ```
-https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.25.0/vsearch-2.25.0-win-x86_64.zip
+https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.26.0/vsearch-2.26.0-win-x86_64.zip
 ```
 
-Linux and Mac: You will now have the binary distribution in a folder called `vsearch-2.25.0-linux-x86_64` or `vsearch-2.25.0-macos-x86_64` in which you will find three subfolders `bin`, `man` and `doc`. We recommend making a copy or a symbolic link to the vsearch binary `bin/vsearch` in a folder included in your `$PATH`, and a copy or a symbolic link to the vsearch man page `man/vsearch.1` in a folder included in your `$MANPATH`. The PDF version of the manual is available in `doc/vsearch_manual.pdf`. Versions with statically compiled libraries are available for Linux systems. These have "-static" in their name, and could be used on systems that do not have all the necessary libraries installed.
+Linux and Mac: You will now have the binary distribution in a folder called `vsearch-2.26.0-linux-x86_64` or `vsearch-2.26.0-macos-x86_64` in which you will find three subfolders `bin`, `man` and `doc`. We recommend making a copy or a symbolic link to the vsearch binary `bin/vsearch` in a folder included in your `$PATH`, and a copy or a symbolic link to the vsearch man page `man/vsearch.1` in a folder included in your `$MANPATH`. The PDF version of the manual is available in `doc/vsearch_manual.pdf`. Versions with statically compiled libraries are available for Linux systems. These have "-static" in their name, and could be used on systems that do not have all the necessary libraries installed.
 
 **Windows**: You will now have the binary distribution in a folder
-called `vsearch-2.25.0-win-x86_64`. The vsearch executable is called
+called `vsearch-2.26.0-win-x86_64`. The vsearch executable is called
 `vsearch.exe`. The manual in PDF format is called
 `vsearch_manual.pdf`. If you want to be able to call `vsearch.exe`
 from any command prompt window, you can put the vsearch executable in
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ searching for it in the Start menu, `Edit` user variables, add
 your changes.
 
 
-**Documentation** The VSEARCH user's manual is available in the `man` folder in the form of a [man page](https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/blob/master/man/vsearch.1). A pdf version ([vsearch_manual.pdf](https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.25.0/vsearch_manual.pdf)) will be generated by `make`. To install the manpage manually, copy the `vsearch.1` file or a create a symbolic link to `vsearch.1` in a folder included in your `$MANPATH`. The manual in both formats is also available with the binary distribution. The manual in PDF form ([vsearch_manual.pdf](https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.25.0/vsearch_manual.pdf)) is also attached to the latest [release](https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases).
+**Documentation** The VSEARCH user's manual is available in the `man` folder in the form of a [man page](https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/blob/master/man/vsearch.1). A pdf version ([vsearch_manual.pdf](https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.26.0/vsearch_manual.pdf)) will be generated by `make`. To install the manpage manually, copy the `vsearch.1` file or a create a symbolic link to `vsearch.1` in a folder included in your `$MANPATH`. The manual in both formats is also available with the binary distribution. The manual in PDF form ([vsearch_manual.pdf](https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases/download/v2.26.0/vsearch_manual.pdf)) is also attached to the latest [release](https://github.com/torognes/vsearch/releases).
 
 
 ## Packages, plugins, and wrappers
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 74d9f6e6..fb8bd086 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # Process this file with autoconf to produce a configure script.
 
 AC_PREREQ([2.63])
-AC_INIT([vsearch], [2.25.0], [torognes@ifi.uio.no], [vsearch], [https://github.com/torognes/vsearch])
+AC_INIT([vsearch], [2.26.0], [torognes@ifi.uio.no], [vsearch], [https://github.com/torognes/vsearch])
 AC_CANONICAL_TARGET
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([subdir-objects])
 AC_LANG([C++])
diff --git a/man/vsearch.1 b/man/vsearch.1
index 899ab567..eb72dbe2 100644
--- a/man/vsearch.1
+++ b/man/vsearch.1
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 .\" ============================================================================
-.TH vsearch 1 "November 10, 2023" "version 2.25.0" "USER COMMANDS"
+.TH vsearch 1 "November 24, 2023" "version 2.26.0" "USER COMMANDS"
 .\" ============================================================================
 .SH NAME
 vsearch \(em a versatile open-source tool for microbiome analysis,
@@ -4834,6 +4834,11 @@ warnings for sha1.c. Compile for release (not debug) by default.
 .BR v2.25.0\~ "released November 10th, 2023"
 Allow a given percentage of mismatches between chimeras and parents
 for the experimental chimeras_denovo command.
+.TP
+.BR v2.26.0\~ "released November 24th, 2023"
+Enable the maxseqlength and minseqlength options for the chimera
+detection commands. When the usearch_global or search_exact commands
+are used, OTU tables will include samples and OTUs with no matches.
 .LP
 .\" ============================================================================
 .\" TODO: