diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.md b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
index 66e3aaf740..b7027d5ce8 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES.md
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Eclipse m2e - Release notes
 
-## 2.5.1
+## 2.6.0
 
 * 📅 Release Date: _expected_ end February 2024
 
@@ -8,7 +8,16 @@
 
 Updated the embedded Maven from version 3.9.5 to 3.9.6; [Maven 3.9.6 Release Notes](https://maven.apache.org/docs/3.9.6/release-notes.html).
 
-### New project preference for automated Maven project configuration updates
+### Improved toolchain.xml handling
+
+In the Preferences under `Maven -> User Settings` the user `toolchain.xml` used in workspace builds can now be specified explicitly.
+At the same time the `maven-toolchains-plugin` is now disabled by default for workspace builds.
+
+### Improved resource linking
+
+Source or resource folders of Maven-projects outside of the project's base directory are now considered in the workspace and are added to the project as linked resources.
+
+### Project preference for automated Maven project configuration updates
 
 Automatic configuration updates for Maven projects can now be disabled the in the project preferences.
 This allows to disable these updates individually per project and to store the setting in a preference-file under version control,
diff --git a/org.eclipse.m2e.core/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF b/org.eclipse.m2e.core/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
index fa858aaa37..75a779490c 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.m2e.core/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
+++ b/org.eclipse.m2e.core/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ Manifest-Version: 1.0
 Bundle-ManifestVersion: 2
 Bundle-Name: %Bundle-Name
 Bundle-SymbolicName: org.eclipse.m2e.core;singleton:=true
-Bundle-Version: 2.4.2.qualifier
+Bundle-Version: 2.6.0.qualifier
 Bundle-Activator: org.eclipse.m2e.core.internal.MavenPluginActivator
 Bundle-Vendor: %Bundle-Vendor
 Bundle-Localization: plugin
diff --git a/org.eclipse.m2e.core/pom.xml b/org.eclipse.m2e.core/pom.xml
index 2d0e3c50ae..da28175d6e 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.m2e.core/pom.xml
+++ b/org.eclipse.m2e.core/pom.xml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 	</parent>
 
 	<artifactId>org.eclipse.m2e.core</artifactId>
-	<version>2.4.2-SNAPSHOT</version>
+	<version>2.6.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
 	<packaging>eclipse-plugin</packaging>
 
 	<name>Maven Integration for Eclipse Core Plug-in</name>
diff --git a/org.eclipse.m2e.feature/feature.xml b/org.eclipse.m2e.feature/feature.xml
index e0c179007d..97f0d2ca9b 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.m2e.feature/feature.xml
+++ b/org.eclipse.m2e.feature/feature.xml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 <feature
       id="org.eclipse.m2e.feature"
       label="%featureName"
-      version="2.4.300.qualifier"
+      version="2.6.0.qualifier"
       provider-name="%providerName"
       plugin="org.eclipse.m2e.core"
       license-feature="org.eclipse.license"
diff --git a/org.eclipse.m2e.logback.feature/feature.xml b/org.eclipse.m2e.logback.feature/feature.xml
index b1e0f5eff9..e83cd286ee 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.m2e.logback.feature/feature.xml
+++ b/org.eclipse.m2e.logback.feature/feature.xml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 <feature
       id="org.eclipse.m2e.logback.feature"
       label="%featureName"
-      version="2.2.1.qualifier"
+      version="2.6.0.qualifier"
       provider-name="%providerName"
       plugin="org.eclipse.m2e.core"
       license-feature="org.eclipse.license"
diff --git a/org.eclipse.m2e.logback/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF b/org.eclipse.m2e.logback/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
index 441886193d..693f563e40 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.m2e.logback/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
+++ b/org.eclipse.m2e.logback/META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 Manifest-Version: 1.0
 Bundle-ManifestVersion: 2
 Bundle-SymbolicName: org.eclipse.m2e.logback;singleton:=true
-Bundle-Version: 2.2.1.qualifier
+Bundle-Version: 2.6.0.qualifier
 Bundle-Name: M2E Logback Appender and Configuration
 Bundle-Vendor: Eclipse.org - m2e
 Bundle-RequiredExecutionEnvironment: JavaSE-17
-Fragment-Host: ch.qos.logback.classic;bundle-version="[1.3.0,1.5.0)"
+Fragment-Host: ch.qos.logback.classic;bundle-version="[1.3.0,1.6.0)"
 Require-Bundle: org.eclipse.core.runtime,
  org.eclipse.jface,
  org.eclipse.ui.console,
diff --git a/org.eclipse.m2e.sdk.feature/feature.xml b/org.eclipse.m2e.sdk.feature/feature.xml
index bbdc130e2d..f9cac7af21 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.m2e.sdk.feature/feature.xml
+++ b/org.eclipse.m2e.sdk.feature/feature.xml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 <feature
       id="org.eclipse.m2e.sdk.feature"
       label="%featureName"
-      version="2.5.1.qualifier"
+      version="2.6.0.qualifier"
       provider-name="%providerName"
       license-feature="org.eclipse.license"
       license-feature-version="0.0.0">
diff --git a/target-platform/target-platform.target b/target-platform/target-platform.target
index 1c1f821ee1..f2730674ef 100644
--- a/target-platform/target-platform.target
+++ b/target-platform/target-platform.target
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@
 		</location>
 		<location includeAllPlatforms="false" includeConfigurePhase="false" includeMode="planner" includeSource="true" type="InstallableUnit">
 			<repository location="https://download.eclipse.org/wildwebdeveloper/releases/1.3.3/"/>
-			<repository location="https://download.eclipse.org/tm4e/releases/0.8.1/"/>
-			<repository location="https://download.eclipse.org/lsp4e/releases/0.24.5/"/>
-			<repository location="https://download.eclipse.org/lsp4j/updates/releases/0.21.1/"/>
+			<repository location="https://download.eclipse.org/tm4e/releases/0.9.0/"/>
+			<repository location="https://download.eclipse.org/lsp4e/releases/0.24.8/"/>
+			<repository location="https://download.eclipse.org/lsp4j/updates/releases/0.22.0/"/>
 			<unit id="org.eclipse.wildwebdeveloper.xml.feature.feature.group" version="0.0.0"/>
 			<unit id="org.eclipse.lsp4e" version="0.0.0"/>
 		</location>
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 				<dependency>
 					<groupId>ch.qos.logback</groupId>
 					<artifactId>logback-classic</artifactId>
-					<version>1.4.14</version>
+					<version>1.5.0</version>
 					<type>jar</type>
 				</dependency>
 				<dependency>
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
 				<dependency>
 					<groupId>commons-codec</groupId>
 					<artifactId>commons-codec</artifactId>
-					<version>1.16.0</version>
+					<version>1.16.1</version>
 					<type>jar</type>
 				</dependency>
 				<dependency>