diff --git a/.mergify.yml b/.mergify.yml
index f49144113..1c220045a 100644
--- a/.mergify.yml
+++ b/.mergify.yml
@@ -161,3 +161,14 @@ pull_request_rules:
         labels:
           - automatic backport
           - merge-queue
+
+  - name: backport patches to 2.31
+    conditions:
+      - label=backport 2.31-maintenance
+    actions:
+      backport:
+        branches:
+          - "2.31-maintenance"
+        labels:
+          - automatic backport
+          - merge-queue
diff --git a/.version b/.version
index bafceb320..7cca401c7 100644
--- a/.version
+++ b/.version
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2.31.0
+2.32.0
diff --git a/maintainers/release-process.md b/maintainers/release-process.md
index d2dba76d3..790618b7f 100644
--- a/maintainers/release-process.md
+++ b/maintainers/release-process.md
@@ -133,6 +133,8 @@ release:
 
   Commit and push this to the maintenance branch.
 
+* Create a backport label.
+
 * Bump the version of `master`:
 
   ```console
@@ -140,6 +142,7 @@ release:
   $ git pull
   $ NEW_VERSION=2.13.0
   $ echo $NEW_VERSION > .version
+  $ ... edit .mergify.yml to add the previous version ...
   $ git checkout -b bump-$NEW_VERSION
   $ git commit -a -m 'Bump version'
   $ git push --set-upstream origin bump-$NEW_VERSION
@@ -147,10 +150,6 @@ release:
 
   Make a pull request and auto-merge it.
 
-* Create a backport label.
-
-* Add the new backport label to `.mergify.yml`.
-
 * Post an [announcement on Discourse](https://discourse.nixos.org/c/announcements/8), including the contents of
   `rl-$VERSION.md`.