diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d2bc816d8..bf0c1ecac 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ endif()
 
 # Set default values for cache entries and set the MaxScale version
 include(cmake/defaults.cmake)
-include(VERSION.cmake)
+include(VERSION22.cmake)
 include(ExternalProject)
 
 set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "RelWithDebInfo" CACHE STRING "Choose the type of build, options are: None(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS or CMAKE_C_FLAGS used) Debug Release RelWithDebInfo MinSizeRel.")
diff --git a/VERSION.cmake b/VERSION20.cmake
similarity index 100%
rename from VERSION.cmake
rename to VERSION20.cmake
diff --git a/VERSION21.cmake b/VERSION21.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c79617932
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VERSION21.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# MaxScale version for CMake
+#
+# This file contains cache values for CMake which control MaxScale's version
+# number.
+
+set(MAXSCALE_VERSION_MAJOR "2" CACHE STRING "Major version")
+set(MAXSCALE_VERSION_MINOR "1" CACHE STRING "Minor version")
+set(MAXSCALE_VERSION_PATCH "3" CACHE STRING "Patch version")
+
+# This should only be incremented if a package is rebuilt
+set(MAXSCALE_BUILD_NUMBER 1 CACHE STRING "Release number")
+
+set(MAXSCALE_VERSION_NUMERIC "${MAXSCALE_VERSION_MAJOR}.${MAXSCALE_VERSION_MINOR}.${MAXSCALE_VERSION_PATCH}")
+set(MAXSCALE_VERSION "${MAXSCALE_VERSION_MAJOR}.${MAXSCALE_VERSION_MINOR}.${MAXSCALE_VERSION_PATCH}")
diff --git a/VERSION22.cmake b/VERSION22.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c79617932
--- /dev/null
+++ b/VERSION22.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# MaxScale version for CMake
+#
+# This file contains cache values for CMake which control MaxScale's version
+# number.
+
+set(MAXSCALE_VERSION_MAJOR "2" CACHE STRING "Major version")
+set(MAXSCALE_VERSION_MINOR "1" CACHE STRING "Minor version")
+set(MAXSCALE_VERSION_PATCH "3" CACHE STRING "Patch version")
+
+# This should only be incremented if a package is rebuilt
+set(MAXSCALE_BUILD_NUMBER 1 CACHE STRING "Release number")
+
+set(MAXSCALE_VERSION_NUMERIC "${MAXSCALE_VERSION_MAJOR}.${MAXSCALE_VERSION_MINOR}.${MAXSCALE_VERSION_PATCH}")
+set(MAXSCALE_VERSION "${MAXSCALE_VERSION_MAJOR}.${MAXSCALE_VERSION_MINOR}.${MAXSCALE_VERSION_PATCH}")
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/ccrfilter/ccrfilter.c b/server/modules/filter/ccrfilter/ccrfilter.c
index d85b66e3b..8dee80ade 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/ccrfilter/ccrfilter.c
+++ b/server/modules/filter/ccrfilter/ccrfilter.c
@@ -296,6 +296,7 @@ routeQuery(MXS_FILTER *instance, MXS_FILTER_SESSION *session, GWBUF *queue)
     CCR_INSTANCE *my_instance = (CCR_INSTANCE *)instance;
     CCR_SESSION  *my_session = (CCR_SESSION *)session;
     char *sql;
+    regmatch_t limits[] = {{0, 0}};
     time_t now = time(NULL);
 
     if (modutil_is_SQL(queue))
@@ -306,7 +307,7 @@ routeQuery(MXS_FILTER *instance, MXS_FILTER_SESSION *session, GWBUF *queue)
          */
         if (qc_query_is_type(qc_get_type_mask(queue), QUERY_TYPE_WRITE))
         {
-            if ((sql = modutil_get_SQL(queue)) != NULL)
+            if (modutil_extract_SQL(queue, &sql, &limits[0].rm_eo))
             {
                 bool trigger_ccr = true;
                 bool decided = false; // Set by hints to take precedence.
@@ -323,13 +324,13 @@ routeQuery(MXS_FILTER *instance, MXS_FILTER_SESSION *session, GWBUF *queue)
                 if (!decided)
                 {
                     if (my_instance->nomatch &&
-                        regexec(&my_instance->nore, sql, 0, NULL, 0) == 0)
+                        regexec(&my_instance->nore, sql, 0, limits, 0) == 0)
                     {
                         // Nomatch was present and sql matched it.
                         trigger_ccr = false;
                     }
                     else if (my_instance->match &&
-                             (regexec(&my_instance->re, sql, 0, NULL, 0) != 0))
+                             (regexec(&my_instance->re, sql, 0, limits, 0) != 0))
                     {
                         // Match was present but sql did *not* match it.
                         trigger_ccr = false;
@@ -351,7 +352,6 @@ routeQuery(MXS_FILTER *instance, MXS_FILTER_SESSION *session, GWBUF *queue)
 
                     my_instance->stats.n_modified++;
                 }
-                MXS_FREE(sql);
             }
         }
         else if (my_session->hints_left > 0)
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/hintfilter/hintparser.c b/server/modules/filter/hintfilter/hintparser.c
index 3881df8bb..f0dd24712 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/hintfilter/hintparser.c
+++ b/server/modules/filter/hintfilter/hintparser.c
@@ -96,7 +96,11 @@ static const char* token_get_keyword(
 {
     switch (token->token)
     {
-    case TOK_EOL:
+    case TOK_END:
+        return "End of hint";
+        break;
+
+    case TOK_LINEBRK:
         return "End of line";
         break;
 
@@ -107,14 +111,14 @@ static const char* token_get_keyword(
     default:
         {
             int i = 0;
-            while (i < TOK_EOL && keywords[i].token != token->token)
+            while (i < TOK_LINEBRK && keywords[i].token != token->token)
             {
                 i++;
             }
 
-            ss_dassert(i != TOK_EOL);
+            ss_dassert(i != TOK_LINEBRK);
 
-            if (i == TOK_EOL)
+            if (i == TOK_LINEBRK)
             {
                 return "Unknown token";
             }
@@ -147,7 +151,7 @@ hint_parser(HINT_SESSION *session, GWBUF *request)
     GWBUF *buf;
     HINT_TOKEN *tok;
     HINT_MODE mode = HM_EXECUTE;
-
+    bool multiline_comment = false;
     /* First look for any comment in the SQL */
     modutil_MySQL_Query(request, &ptr, &len, &residual);
     buf = request;
@@ -180,7 +184,9 @@ hint_parser(HINT_SESSION *session, GWBUF *request)
                 squoted = 0;
             }
             else if (quoted || squoted)
+            {
                 ;
+            }
             else if (escape)
             {
                 escape = 0;
@@ -197,6 +203,7 @@ hint_parser(HINT_SESSION *session, GWBUF *request)
             else if (*ptr == '*' && lastch == '/')
             {
                 found = 1;
+                multiline_comment = true;
                 break;
             }
             else if (*ptr == '-' && lastch == '-')
@@ -271,9 +278,24 @@ hint_parser(HINT_SESSION *session, GWBUF *request)
 
     state = HS_INIT;
 
-    while ((tok = hint_next_token(&buf, &ptr)) != NULL
-           && tok->token != TOK_EOL)
+    while (((tok = hint_next_token(&buf, &ptr)) != NULL) &&
+           (tok->token != TOK_END))
     {
+        if (tok->token == TOK_LINEBRK)
+        {
+            if (multiline_comment)
+            {
+                // Skip token
+                token_free(tok);
+                continue;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                // Treat as TOK_END
+                tok->token = TOK_END;
+                break;
+            }
+        }
         switch (state)
         {
         case HS_INIT:
@@ -365,6 +387,7 @@ hint_parser(HINT_SESSION *session, GWBUF *request)
             {
             case TOK_EQUAL:
                 pname = lvalue;
+                lvalue = NULL;
                 state = HS_PVALUE;
                 break;
             case TOK_PREPARE:
@@ -390,6 +413,8 @@ hint_parser(HINT_SESSION *session, GWBUF *request)
         case HS_PVALUE:
             /* Action: pname = tok->value */
             rval = hint_create_parameter(rval, pname, tok->value);
+            MXS_FREE(pname);
+            pname = NULL;
             state = HS_INIT;
             break;
         case HS_PREPARE:
@@ -418,7 +443,7 @@ hint_parser(HINT_SESSION *session, GWBUF *request)
         token_free(tok);
     } /*< while */
 
-    if (tok && tok->token == TOK_EOL)
+    if (tok && tok->token == TOK_END)
     {
         token_free(tok);
     }
@@ -536,8 +561,8 @@ hint_next_token(GWBUF **buf, char **ptr)
             inword = 0;
             break;
         }
-        /** found '=', move ptr and return with '=' */
-        else if (!inword && inquote == '\0' && **ptr == '=')
+        /** found '=' or '\n', move ptr and return with the char */
+        else if (!inword && inquote == '\0' && ((**ptr == '=') || (**ptr == '\n')))
         {
             *dest = **ptr;
             dest++;
@@ -590,7 +615,12 @@ hint_next_token(GWBUF **buf, char **ptr)
      */
     if (word[0] == '\0' || (word[0] == '*' && word[1] == '/'))
     {
-        tok->token = TOK_EOL;
+        tok->token = TOK_END;
+        return tok;
+    }
+    if (word[0] == '\n')
+    {
+        tok->token = TOK_LINEBRK;
         return tok;
     }
     found = 0;
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/hintfilter/mysqlhint.h b/server/modules/filter/hintfilter/mysqlhint.h
index 38004e6ef..7c0321510 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/hintfilter/mysqlhint.h
+++ b/server/modules/filter/hintfilter/mysqlhint.h
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ typedef enum
     TOK_MASTER,
     TOK_SLAVE,
     TOK_SERVER,
-    TOK_EOL
+    TOK_LINEBRK,
+    TOK_END
 } TOKEN_VALUE;
 
 /* The tokenising return type */
diff --git a/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c b/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c
index c8c00e498..8a0547c51 100644
--- a/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c
+++ b/server/modules/monitor/mysqlmon/mysql_mon.c
@@ -640,7 +640,7 @@ static MXS_MONITOR_SERVERS *build_mysql51_replication_tree(MXS_MONITOR *mon)
             (database->server->master_id <= 0 ||
             database->server->master_id != handle->master->server->node_id))
         {
-            monitor_clear_pending_status(database, SERVER_SLAVE);
+            monitor_set_pending_status(database, SERVER_SLAVE);
             monitor_set_pending_status(database, SERVER_SLAVE_OF_EXTERNAL_MASTER);
         }
         database = database->next;
@@ -1853,7 +1853,7 @@ static MXS_MONITOR_SERVERS *get_replication_tree(MXS_MONITOR *mon, int num_serve
                         /* this server is slave of another server not in MaxScale configuration
                          * we cannot use it as a real slave.
                          */
-                        monitor_clear_pending_status(ptr, SERVER_SLAVE);
+                        monitor_set_pending_status(ptr, SERVER_SLAVE);
                         monitor_set_pending_status(ptr, SERVER_SLAVE_OF_EXTERNAL_MASTER);
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/server/modules/protocol/examples/cdc_kafka_producer.py b/server/modules/protocol/examples/cdc_kafka_producer.py
index 8e78a1c42..f660ea781 100755
--- a/server/modules/protocol/examples/cdc_kafka_producer.py
+++ b/server/modules/protocol/examples/cdc_kafka_producer.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ while True:
       if len(buf) == 0:
          break
 
-      data = buf.encode().strip()
+      data = buf[:-1]
       producer.send(topic=opts.kafka_topic, value=data)
       producer.flush()