diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 74a4c3d5e8..f09196c3e0 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+# Synapse 1.145.0rc3 (2026-01-07)
+
+No significant changes since 1.145.0rc2.
+
+This RC strips out unnecessary files from the wheels that were added when fixing the source distribution packaging in the previous RC.
+
+
+
 # Synapse 1.145.0rc2 (2026-01-07)
 
 No significant changes since 1.145.0rc1.
diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index b0870c798c..7d3961db63 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+matrix-synapse-py3 (1.145.0~rc3) stable; urgency=medium
+
+  * New Synapse release 1.145.0rc3.
+
+ -- Synapse Packaging team <packages@matrix.org>  Wed, 07 Jan 2026 15:32:07 -0700
+
 matrix-synapse-py3 (1.145.0~rc2) stable; urgency=medium
 
   * New Synapse release 1.145.0rc2.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 960d7891a8..ea512c5656 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "matrix-synapse"
-version = "1.145.0rc2"
+version = "1.145.0rc3"
 description = "Homeserver for the Matrix decentralised comms protocol"
 readme = "README.rst"
 authors = [
@@ -416,27 +416,27 @@ manifest-path = "rust/Cargo.toml"
 module-name = "synapse.synapse_rust"
 python-source = "."
 include = [
-    "AUTHORS.rst",
-    "book.toml",
-    "changelog.d/**/*",
-    "CHANGES.md",
-    "CONTRIBUTING.md",
-    "demo/**/*",
-    "docs/**/*",
-    "INSTALL.md",
-    "LICENSE-AGPL-3.0",
-    "LICENSE-COMMERCIAL",
-    "mypy.ini",
-    "scripts-dev/**/*",
-    "synmark/**/*",
-    "sytest-blacklist",
-    "tests/**/*",
-    "UPGRADE.rst",
-    "Cargo.toml",
-    "Cargo.lock",
-    "rust/Cargo.toml",
-    "rust/build.rs",
-    "rust/src/**",
+    { path = "AUTHORS.rst", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "book.toml", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "changelog.d/**/*", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "CHANGES.md", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "CONTRIBUTING.md", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "demo/**/*", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "docs/**/*", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "INSTALL.md", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "LICENSE-AGPL-3.0", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "LICENSE-COMMERCIAL", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "mypy.ini", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "scripts-dev/**/*", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "synmark/**/*", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "sytest-blacklist", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "tests/**/*", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "UPGRADE.rst", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "Cargo.toml", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "Cargo.lock", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "rust/Cargo.toml", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "rust/build.rs", format = "sdist" },
+    { path = "rust/src/**", format = "sdist" },
 ]
 exclude = ["synapse/*.so"]