diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9ad1006..173aef2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ The Python Shapefile Library (PyShp) reads and writes ESRI Shapefiles in pure Py
 
 - **Author**: [Joel Lawhead](https://github.com/GeospatialPython)
 - **Maintainers**: [James Parrott](https://github.com/JamesParrott) & [Karim Bahgat](https://github.com/karimbahgat)
-- **Version**: 3.1.5
+- **Version**: 3.1.6.dev
 - **Date**: 22nd July 2026
 - **License**: [MIT](https://github.com/GeospatialPython/pyshp/blob/master/LICENSE.TXT)
 
diff --git a/src/shapefile.py b/src/shapefile.py
index 718f2ef..88080f2 100644
--- a/src/shapefile.py
+++ b/src/shapefile.py
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-__version__ = "3.1.5"
+__version__ = "3.1.6.dev"
 
 import abc
 import array
diff --git a/tests/hypothesis_tests.py b/tests/hypothesis_tests.py
index 6ebc72e..d5157a7 100644
--- a/tests/hypothesis_tests.py
+++ b/tests/hypothesis_tests.py
@@ -613,8 +613,9 @@ def _exclude_chars() -> dict[str,list[str]]:
     for enc in aliases.values():
         if enc in exclude_chars:
             continue
-        # I'm not sure why any encoding would fail on an empty string,
-        # but I'd rather not have the tests get bogged by any that do exist.
+
+        # Weed out: base64_codec, bz2_codec, hex_codec,
+        # quopri_codec, rot_13, uu_codec & zlib_codec
         try:
             "".encode(enc)
         except (UnicodeEncodeError, LookupError):