diff --git a/.config/git-merge-flow-config.jsonc b/.config/git-merge-flow-config.jsonc
index 13efaeba878..1733ebd1d16 100644
--- a/.config/git-merge-flow-config.jsonc
+++ b/.config/git-merge-flow-config.jsonc
@@ -30,8 +30,12 @@
         "vs18.0": {
             "MergeToBranch": "vs18.3"
         },
-        // Automate opening PRs to merge msbuild's vs18.3 (SDK 10.0.2xx) into main
+        // Automate opening PRs to merge msbuild's vs18.3 (SDK 10.0.2xx) into vs18.4 (VS)
         "vs18.3": {
+            "MergeToBranch": "vs18.4"
+        },
+        // Automate opening PRs to merge msbuild's vs18.4 (VS) into main (VS canary, SDK main & next-feature-band)
+        "vs18.4": {
             "MergeToBranch": "main"
         }
     }
diff --git a/azure-pipelines/vs-insertion-experimental.yml b/azure-pipelines/vs-insertion-experimental.yml
index 5b05db87d14..c28ba2e8035 100644
--- a/azure-pipelines/vs-insertion-experimental.yml
+++ b/azure-pipelines/vs-insertion-experimental.yml
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ parameters:
     displayName: 'Insertion Target Branch (select for manual insertion)'
     values:
       - main
+      - rel/d18.5
       - rel/d18.4
       - rel/d18.3
       - rel/d18.0
diff --git a/azure-pipelines/vs-insertion.yml b/azure-pipelines/vs-insertion.yml
index 76f7ff3a5d1..e60fae499b9 100644
--- a/azure-pipelines/vs-insertion.yml
+++ b/azure-pipelines/vs-insertion.yml
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ parameters:
     values:
       - auto
       - main
+      - rel/d18.5
       - rel/d18.4
       - rel/d18.3
       - rel/d18.0
@@ -68,7 +69,9 @@ parameters:
 variables:
   # `auto` should work every time and selecting a branch in parameters is likely to fail due to incompatible versions in MSBuild and VS
   - name: AutoInsertTargetBranch
-    ${{ if eq(variables['Build.SourceBranchName'], 'vs18.4') }}:
+    ${{ if eq(variables['Build.SourceBranchName'], 'vs18.5') }}:
+      value: 'rel/d18.5'
+    ${{ elseif eq(variables['Build.SourceBranchName'], 'vs18.4') }}:
       value: 'rel/d18.4'
     ${{ elseif eq(variables['Build.SourceBranchName'], 'vs18.3') }}:
       value: 'rel/d18.3'
diff --git a/eng/Versions.props b/eng/Versions.props
index 118d568f08c..48a73f73a64 100644
--- a/eng/Versions.props
+++ b/eng/Versions.props
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   <Import Project="Version.Details.props" />
 
   <PropertyGroup>
-    <VersionPrefix>18.4.0</VersionPrefix>
+    <VersionPrefix>18.5.0</VersionPrefix>
     <PreReleaseVersionLabel>preview</PreReleaseVersionLabel>
     <PackageValidationBaselineVersion>18.0.2</PackageValidationBaselineVersion>
     <AssemblyVersion>15.1.0.0</AssemblyVersion>