diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 977afb3cb6b..678ae179fb6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -18,3 +18,4 @@ TestResult.xml
 .idea/
 .vs/
 /build-common/NHibernate.dev.props
+/doc/reference/master.xml
diff --git a/ReleaseProcedure.txt b/ReleaseProcedure.txt
index 82ebcc510db..994d3d66f2c 100644
--- a/ReleaseProcedure.txt
+++ b/ReleaseProcedure.txt
@@ -25,9 +25,8 @@ Tools\gitreleasemanager\0.7.0\tools\GitReleaseManager.exe create -o nhibernate -
     If the release tag does not match the released version with major.minor.release
     formalism, the NuGet package will have an invalid link to release notes.
 
-  * Check/update version number in common.xml and NHibernate.props under
-    build-common folder, in master.xml under doc\reference folder, and in
-    appveyor.yml in the NHibernate root.
+  * Check/update version number in NHibernate.props under build-common folder.
+    Clear VersionSuffix if present.
 
   * Don't forget to commit the above.
 
@@ -55,3 +54,10 @@ Tools\gitreleasemanager\0.7.0\tools\GitReleaseManager.exe create -o nhibernate -
   * If this was a stable branch, merge it forward to master. Perhaps some
     changes need to be edited out in the merge, but this will reduce the
     risk of some issue being left unfixed on master.
+ 
+  * If this was the master branch, create the stable branch for the new release, named
+    according to its version with "x" instead of its patch number. By example, "5.3.x".
+    
+  * If next version is decided set it in NHibernate.props under build-common folder
+    (in most cases - increment minor version) and set VersionSuffix to "dev".
+    Commit it directly (without going through a PR).
diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index 16e62c4e3be..771cd069dbc 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-version: 5.2.7.{build}
+version: '{build}'
 image: Visual Studio 2017
 environment:
   matrix:
diff --git a/build-common/NHibernate.props b/build-common/NHibernate.props
index e8b47ec9e69..38203a38b82 100644
--- a/build-common/NHibernate.props
+++ b/build-common/NHibernate.props
@@ -2,14 +2,16 @@
   <Import Condition="Exists('NHibernate.dev.props')" Project="NHibernate.dev.props"/>
 
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <VersionMajor Condition="'$(VersionMajor)' == ''">5</VersionMajor>
-    <VersionMinor Condition="'$(VersionMinor)' == ''">2</VersionMinor>
-    <VersionPatch Condition="'$(VersionPatch)' == ''">7</VersionPatch>
-    <VersionSuffix Condition="'$(VersionSuffix)' == ''"></VersionSuffix>
+    <NhVersion     Condition="'$(NhVersion)' == ''"    >5.3</NhVersion>
+    <VersionPatch  Condition="'$(VersionPatch)'  == ''">0</VersionPatch>
+    <!-- Clear VersionSuffix for making release and set it to dev for making development builds -->
+    <VersionSuffix Condition="'$(VersionSuffix)' == ''">dev</VersionSuffix>
 
-    <VersionPrefix>$(VersionMajor).$(VersionMinor).$(VersionPatch)</VersionPrefix>
-    <AssemblyVersion>$(VersionMajor).$(VersionMinor).0.0</AssemblyVersion>
-    <FileVersion>$(VersionPrefix).0</FileVersion>
+    <VersionPrefix Condition="'$(VersionPrefix)' == ''">$(NhVersion).$(VersionPatch)</VersionPrefix>
+    <VersionSuffix Condition="'$(VersionSuffix)' != '' AND '$(BuildNumber)' != ''">$(VersionSuffix).$(BuildNumber)</VersionSuffix>
+    <AssemblyVersion>$(NhVersion).0.0</AssemblyVersion>
+    <FileVersion Condition="'$(VersionSuffix)' != '' AND '$(BuildNumber)' != ''">$(VersionPrefix).$(BuildNumber)</FileVersion>
+    <FileVersion Condition="'$(FileVersion)' == ''">$(VersionPrefix).0</FileVersion>
 
     <NhAppTargetFrameworks Condition ="$(NhAppTargetFrameworks) == ''">net461;netcoreapp2.0</NhAppTargetFrameworks>
     <NhLibTargetFrameworks Condition ="$(NhLibTargetFrameworks) == ''">net461;netcoreapp2.0;netstandard2.0</NhLibTargetFrameworks>
@@ -27,7 +29,8 @@
     <PackageIconUrl>https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nhibernate/nhibernate-core/master/logo/NHibernate-NuGet.png</PackageIconUrl>
     <PackageRequireLicenseAcceptance>false</PackageRequireLicenseAcceptance>
     <PackageLicenseExpression>LGPL-2.1-only</PackageLicenseExpression>
-    <PackageReleaseNotes>https://github.com/nhibernate/nhibernate-core/blob/$(VersionPrefix)/releasenotes.txt</PackageReleaseNotes>
+    <PackageReleaseNotes Condition="'$(VersionSuffix)' == ''">https://github.com/nhibernate/nhibernate-core/blob/$(VersionPrefix)/releasenotes.txt</PackageReleaseNotes>
+    <PackageReleaseNotes Condition="'$(PackageReleaseNotes)' == ''">This is development version for testing purposes only</PackageReleaseNotes>
     <PublishRepositoryUrl>true</PublishRepositoryUrl>
     <IncludeSymbols>true</IncludeSymbols>
     <SymbolPackageFormat>snupkg</SymbolPackageFormat>
diff --git a/build-common/common.xml b/build-common/common.xml
index 21ad81ae444..43af878ff95 100644
--- a/build-common/common.xml
+++ b/build-common/common.xml
@@ -11,15 +11,31 @@
 	<!-- Path to the folder that contain the external assemblies -->
 	<property name="lib.dir" value="lib" dynamic="true" />
 
-	<!-- This is used only for build folder -->
-	<!-- TODO: Either remove or refactor to use NHibernate.props -->
-	<property name="project.version" value="5.2.7" overwrite="false" />
-	<property name="project.version.numeric" value="5.2.7" overwrite="false" />
+  <!-- This is used for build folder and also for "API Reference" docs (not active task, see doc/NHibernate.shfbproj.template) -->
+  <target name="get-project-version">
+    <xmlpeek
+      file="${root.dir}/build-common/NHibernate.props"
+      xpath="/Project/PropertyGroup/NhVersion"
+      property="version.short" />
+    <xmlpeek
+      file="${root.dir}/build-common/NHibernate.props"
+      xpath="/Project/PropertyGroup/VersionPatch"
+      property="version.patch" />
+    <property name="project.version" value="${version.short}.${version.patch}" />
+  </target>
+  
+  <target name="set-doc-version">
+    <copy file="${root.dir}/doc/reference/master.template.xml" tofile="${root.dir}/doc/reference/master.xml" overwrite="true" />
+    <xmlpoke
+      file="${root.dir}/doc/reference/master.xml"
+      xpath="/book/bookinfo/releaseinfo"
+      value="${version.short}" />
+  </target>
 
 	<!-- properties used to connect to database for testing -->
 	<include buildfile="nhibernate-properties.xml" />
 
-	<target name="common.init" description="Initializes build properties">
+	<target name="common.init" depends="get-project-version" description="Initializes build properties">
 		<property name="project.config" value="debug" overwrite="false" />
 		<property name="build.name" value="NHibernate-${project.version}" if="${project.config == 'release'}"/>
 		<property name="build.name" value="NHibernate-${project.version}-${project.config}" unless="${project.config == 'release'}" />
diff --git a/default.build b/default.build
index a65ecd04d78..01c9b8f4a65 100644
--- a/default.build
+++ b/default.build
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 <project 
 	name="NHibernate" 
 	default="build"
-	xmlns="http://nant.sf.net/release/0.85-rc3/nant.xsd"
+	xmlns="http://nant.sf.net/release/0.90/nant.xsd"
 >
 
 	<property name="root.dir" value="." />
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 	<target name="build"
 		depends="init prepare-build-directory nuget.set-properties"
 		description="Builds NHibernate in the current configuration">
+		<property name="build.counter" value="" overwrite="false" />
 
 		<exec program="dotnet" verbose="true">
 			<arg value="msbuild" />
@@ -39,6 +40,8 @@
 			<arg value="/p:IncludeSymbols=&quot;True&quot;" />
 			<arg value="/p:IncludeSource=&quot;True&quot;" />
 			<arg value="/p:PackageOutputPath=&quot;${path::get-full-path(nuget.nupackages.dir)}&quot;" />
+			<!-- build.counter is not available by default. It needs to be exposed in Team City as system parameter system.build.counter with value %build.counter% -->
+			<arg value="/p:BuildNumber=&quot;${build.counter}&quot;" unless="${build.counter == ''}" />
 			<arg value="/t:Restore" />
 			<arg value="/t:Rebuild" />
 			<arg value="/v:q" />
diff --git a/doc/NHibernate.shfbproj.template b/doc/NHibernate.shfbproj.template
index 3e8e83d2363..de6d308eba5 100644
--- a/doc/NHibernate.shfbproj.template
+++ b/doc/NHibernate.shfbproj.template
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@
     <HtmlHelpName>NHibernateAPI</HtmlHelpName>
     <HelpFileFormat>HtmlHelp1x</HelpFileFormat>
     <CopyrightText>NHibernate</CopyrightText>
-    <CopyrightHref>nhibernate.info</CopyrightHref>
-    <FeedbackEMailAddress>http://groups.google.com/group/nhibernate-development</FeedbackEMailAddress>
+    <CopyrightHref>https://nhibernate.info</CopyrightHref>
+    <FeedbackEMailAddress>https://groups.google.com/group/nhibernate-development</FeedbackEMailAddress>
     <FeedbackEMailLinkText>nhibernate team</FeedbackEMailLinkText>
     <HelpTitle>NHibernate API Reference</HelpTitle>
     <IndentHtml>False</IndentHtml>
-    <HelpFileVersion>${project.version.numeric}</HelpFileVersion>
+    <HelpFileVersion>${project.version}</HelpFileVersion>
     <DocumentationSources>
       <DocumentationSource sourceFile="${root.dir}/src/NHibernate/bin/${build.config}/net461/NHibernate.dll" />
       <DocumentationSource sourceFile="${root.dir}/src/NHibernate/bin/${build.config}/net461/Nhibernate.xml" />
diff --git a/doc/reference/master.xml b/doc/reference/master.template.xml
similarity index 98%
rename from doc/reference/master.xml
rename to doc/reference/master.template.xml
index 25d73df2047..23df7a16535 100644
--- a/doc/reference/master.xml
+++ b/doc/reference/master.template.xml
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 	<bookinfo>
 		<title>NHibernate - Relational Persistence for Idiomatic .NET</title>
 		<subtitle>NHibernate Reference Documentation</subtitle>
-		<releaseinfo>5.2</releaseinfo>
+		<releaseinfo></releaseinfo>
 	</bookinfo>
 
 	<toc />
diff --git a/doc/reference/reference.build b/doc/reference/reference.build
index 9a07ff295bb..2a4c52aa851 100644
--- a/doc/reference/reference.build
+++ b/doc/reference/reference.build
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 	<property name="root.dir" value="../.." />
 	<include buildfile="${root.dir}/build-common/common.xml" />
 
-	<target name="init" depends="common.init">
+	<target name="init" depends="common.init set-doc-version">
 		<property name="lang" value="en" />
 
 		<property name="output.dir" value="${build.dir}/doc" />