diff --git a/.release-please-manifest.json b/.release-please-manifest.json
index 537ed8324..e7968acf6 100644
--- a/.release-please-manifest.json
+++ b/.release-please-manifest.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "hooks/open-telemetry": "3.3.1",
-  "providers/flagd": "0.11.20",
+  "providers/flagd": "0.12.0",
   "providers/go-feature-flag": "1.1.1",
   "providers/flagsmith": "0.0.13",
   "providers/env-var": "0.0.12",
diff --git a/providers/flagd/CHANGELOG.md b/providers/flagd/CHANGELOG.md
index cb75e576d..03c5e9faf 100644
--- a/providers/flagd/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/providers/flagd/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,18 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [0.12.0](https://github.com/open-feature/java-sdk-contrib/compare/dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagd-v0.11.20...dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagd-v0.12.0) (2026-03-11)
+
+
+### ⚠ BREAKING CHANGES
+
+* graceful fallback to code default when no default variant resolved ([#1707](https://github.com/open-feature/java-sdk-contrib/issues/1707))
+
+### ✨ New Features
+
+* Add VMLens Tests ([#1661](https://github.com/open-feature/java-sdk-contrib/issues/1661)) ([0856ee9](https://github.com/open-feature/java-sdk-contrib/commit/0856ee955dc8341414dc0a4930fb886e840f24f5))
+* extract core flagd evaluation and API modules ([#1696](https://github.com/open-feature/java-sdk-contrib/issues/1696)) ([fe98d88](https://github.com/open-feature/java-sdk-contrib/commit/fe98d88361a5c42ea6753e0828b66e0c6356c81a))
+* graceful fallback to code default when no default variant resolved ([#1707](https://github.com/open-feature/java-sdk-contrib/issues/1707)) ([71fd7d0](https://github.com/open-feature/java-sdk-contrib/commit/71fd7d052c87da24a657cc39bd91ae9be64245b9))
+
 ## [0.11.20](https://github.com/open-feature/java-sdk-contrib/compare/dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagd-v0.11.19...dev.openfeature.contrib.providers.flagd-v0.11.20) (2026-02-10)
 
 
diff --git a/providers/flagd/README.md b/providers/flagd/README.md
index 8be9cb8fe..63957cdfd 100644
--- a/providers/flagd/README.md
+++ b/providers/flagd/README.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ This provider is designed to use flagd's [evaluation protocol](https://github.co
 <dependency>
   <groupId>dev.openfeature.contrib.providers</groupId>
   <artifactId>flagd</artifactId>
-  <version>0.11.20</version>
+  <version>0.12.0</version>
 </dependency>
 ```
 <!-- x-release-please-end-version -->
diff --git a/providers/flagd/pom.xml b/providers/flagd/pom.xml
index a9978f6a3..12a985933 100644
--- a/providers/flagd/pom.xml
+++ b/providers/flagd/pom.xml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
     </parent>
     <groupId>dev.openfeature.contrib.providers</groupId>
     <artifactId>flagd</artifactId>
-    <version>0.11.20</version> <!--x-release-please-version -->
+    <version>0.12.0</version> <!--x-release-please-version -->
 
     <properties>
         <!-- exclusion expression for e2e tests -->
diff --git a/providers/flagd/version.txt b/providers/flagd/version.txt
index 7809b80a4..ac454c6a1 100644
--- a/providers/flagd/version.txt
+++ b/providers/flagd/version.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.11.20
+0.12.0