diff --git a/.github/pull_request_template.md b/.github/pull_request_template.md
index d75661a8a..0c4fe2765 100644
--- a/.github/pull_request_template.md
+++ b/.github/pull_request_template.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Fixes <issue-or-jira-number>
 
-<!-- Make sure to target release-51 branch if this PR is intended to fix the issues for the release candidate. -->
+<!-- Make sure to target release-52 branch if this PR is intended to fix the issues for the release candidate. -->
 
 ## Summary
 copilot:summary
diff --git a/.github/workflows/_push-entrypoint.yaml b/.github/workflows/_push-entrypoint.yaml
index 32f3ae15a..9ef517ab9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/_push-entrypoint.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/_push-entrypoint.yaml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ on:
     branches:
       - 'master'
       - 'release-51'
+      - 'release-52'
       - 'ci/**'
 
 env:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_packages_cron.yaml b/.github/workflows/build_packages_cron.yaml
index b245078da..f9a0c70a1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_packages_cron.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_packages_cron.yaml
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ jobs:
         profile:
           - ['emqx', 'master']
           - ['emqx-enterprise', 'release-51']
+          - ['emqx-enterprise', 'release-52']
         otp:
           - 25.3.2-1
         arch:
diff --git a/apps/emqx/include/emqx_release.hrl b/apps/emqx/include/emqx_release.hrl
index d76c02d78..e0601cc7f 100644
--- a/apps/emqx/include/emqx_release.hrl
+++ b/apps/emqx/include/emqx_release.hrl
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 -define(EMQX_RELEASE_CE, "5.1.5-build.3").
 
 %% Enterprise edition
--define(EMQX_RELEASE_EE, "5.1.1").
+-define(EMQX_RELEASE_EE, "5.2.0-alpha.1").
 
 %% The HTTP API version
 -define(EMQX_API_VERSION, "5.0").
diff --git a/deploy/charts/emqx-enterprise/Chart.yaml b/deploy/charts/emqx-enterprise/Chart.yaml
index 626436517..971817e10 100644
--- a/deploy/charts/emqx-enterprise/Chart.yaml
+++ b/deploy/charts/emqx-enterprise/Chart.yaml
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ type: application
 
 # This is the chart version. This version number should be incremented each time you make changes
 # to the chart and its templates, including the app version.
-version: 5.1.1
+version: 5.2.0-alpha.1
 
 # This is the version number of the application being deployed. This version number should be
 # incremented each time you make changes to the application.
-appVersion: 5.1.1
+appVersion: 5.2.0-alpha.1
diff --git a/scripts/rel/cut.sh b/scripts/rel/cut.sh
index b44acd03f..f779a12b9 100755
--- a/scripts/rel/cut.sh
+++ b/scripts/rel/cut.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ options:
 
   -b|--base:         Specify the current release base branch, can be one of
                      release-51
+                     release-52
                      NOTE: this option should be used when --dryrun.
 
   --dryrun:          Do not actually create the git tag.
@@ -31,14 +32,16 @@ options:
   --prev-tag <tag>:  Provide the prev tag to automatically generate changelogs
                      If this option is absent, the tag found by git describe will be used
 
-  --docker-latest:   Set this option to assign :latest tag on the corresponding docker image
-                     in addition to regular :<version> one
 
-
-NOTE: For 5.1 series the current working branch must be 'release-51'
+For 5.1 series the current working branch must be 'release-51'
       --.--[  master  ]---------------------------.-----------.---
          \\                                      /
           \`---[release-51]----(v5.1.1 | e5.1.1)
+
+For 5.2 series the current working branch must be 'release-52'
+      --.--[  master  ]---------------------------.-----------.---
+         \\                                      /
+          \`---[release-52]----(v5.2.1 | e5.2.1)
 EOF
 }
 
@@ -55,21 +58,18 @@ logmsg() {
 }
 
 TAG="${1:-}"
-DOCKER_LATEST_TAG=
 
 case "$TAG" in
     v*)
         TAG_PREFIX='v'
         PROFILE='emqx'
         SKIP_APPUP='yes'
-        DOCKER_LATEST_TAG='docker-latest-ce'
         ;;
     e*)
         TAG_PREFIX='e'
         PROFILE='emqx-enterprise'
         #TODO change to no when we are ready to support hot-upgrade
         SKIP_APPUP='yes'
-        DOCKER_LATEST_TAG='docker-latest-ee'
         ;;
     -h|--help)
         usage
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ esac
 shift 1
 
 DRYRUN='no'
-DOCKER_LATEST='no'
 while [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; do
     case $1 in
         -h|--help)
@@ -113,10 +112,6 @@ while [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; do
             PREV_TAG="$1"
             shift
             ;;
-        --docker-latest)
-            DOCKER_LATEST='yes'
-            shift
-            ;;
         *)
             logerr "Unknown option $1"
             exit 1
@@ -133,6 +128,12 @@ rel_branch() {
         e5.1.*)
             echo 'release-51'
             ;;
+        v5.2.*)
+            echo 'release-52'
+            ;;
+        e5.2.*)
+            echo 'release-52'
+            ;;
         *)
             logerr "Unsupported version tag $TAG"
             exit 1
@@ -254,9 +255,6 @@ generate_changelog () {
 
 if [ "$DRYRUN" = 'yes' ]; then
     logmsg "Release tag is ready to be created with command: git tag $TAG"
-    if [ "$DOCKER_LATEST" = 'yes' ]; then
-        logmsg "Docker latest tag is ready to be created with command: git tag --force $DOCKER_LATEST_TAG"
-    fi
 else
     case "$TAG" in
         *rc*)
@@ -274,14 +272,6 @@ else
     esac
     git tag "$TAG"
     logmsg "$TAG is created OK."
-    if [ "$DOCKER_LATEST" = 'yes' ]; then
-        git tag --force "$DOCKER_LATEST_TAG"
-        logmsg "$DOCKER_LATEST_TAG is created OK."
-    fi
-    logwarn "Don't forget to push the tags!"
-    if [ "$DOCKER_LATEST" = 'yes' ]; then
-        echo "git push --atomic --force origin $TAG $DOCKER_LATEST_TAG"
-    else
-        echo "git push origin $TAG"
-    fi
+    logwarn "Don't forget to push the tag!"
+    echo "git push origin $TAG"
 fi
diff --git a/scripts/rel/sync-remotes.sh b/scripts/rel/sync-remotes.sh
index f4cbadfa1..dddc10638 100755
--- a/scripts/rel/sync-remotes.sh
+++ b/scripts/rel/sync-remotes.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ set -euo pipefail
 # ensure dir
 cd -P -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../.."
 
-BASE_BRANCHES=( 'release-51' 'master' )
+BASE_BRANCHES=( 'release-52' 'release-51' 'master' )
 
 usage() {
     cat <<EOF
@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@ options:
     It tries to merge (by default with --ff-only option)
     upstreams branches for the current working branch.
     The uppstream branch of the current branch are as below:
-    * release-51: []        # no upstream for 5.0 opensource edition
-    * master: [release-51]  # sync release-51 to master
+    * release-52: []        # no upstream for 5.2 opensource edition
+    * release-51: []        # no upstream for 5.1 opensource edition
+    * master: [release-52]  # sync release-52 to master
 
   -b|--base:
     The base branch of current working branch if currently is not
@@ -151,11 +152,14 @@ remote_refs() {
 upstream_branches() {
     local base="$1"
     case "$base" in
+        release-52)
+            remote_ref "$base"
+            ;;
         release-51)
             remote_ref "$base"
             ;;
         master)
-            remote_refs "$base" 'release-51'
+            remote_refs "$base" 'release-52'
             ;;
     esac
 }
diff --git a/scripts/shelltest/parse-git-ref.test b/scripts/shelltest/parse-git-ref.test
index 37bc9a560..35a8efac1 100644
--- a/scripts/shelltest/parse-git-ref.test
+++ b/scripts/shelltest/parse-git-ref.test
@@ -93,6 +93,11 @@ Unrecognized tag: refs/tags/v5.2.0-alpha-1
 {"profile": "emqx-enterprise", "release": false, "latest": false}
 >>>= 0
 
+./parse-git-ref.sh refs/heads/release-52
+>>>
+{"profile": "emqx-enterprise", "release": false, "latest": false}
+>>>= 0
+
 ./parse-git-ref.sh refs/heads/ci/foobar
 >>>
 {"profile": "emqx", "release": false, "latest": false}