diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index a763d686..072c1323 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -3103,7 +3103,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "dora-message"
-version = "0.4.4"
+version = "0.5.0-alpha"
 dependencies = [
  "aligned-vec",
  "arrow-data",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 2b863fe5..5080b5a7 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ dora-ros2-bridge = { version = "0.3.11", path = "libraries/extensions/ros2-bridg
 dora-ros2-bridge-msg-gen = { version = "0.3.11", path = "libraries/extensions/ros2-bridge/msg-gen" }
 dora-ros2-bridge-python = { path = "libraries/extensions/ros2-bridge/python" }
 # versioned independently from the other dora crates
-dora-message = { version = "0.4.4", path = "libraries/message" }
+dora-message = { version = "0.5.0-alpha", path = "libraries/message" }
 arrow = { version = "54.2.1" }
 arrow-schema = { version = "54.2.1" }
 arrow-data = { version = "54.2.1" }
diff --git a/libraries/message/Cargo.toml b/libraries/message/Cargo.toml
index 7e4e179f..3bcc71fe 100644
--- a/libraries/message/Cargo.toml
+++ b/libraries/message/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [package]
 name = "dora-message"
 # versioned separately from the other dora crates
-version = "0.4.4"
+version = "0.5.0-alpha"
 edition.workspace = true
 documentation.workspace = true
 description.workspace = true