diff --git a/src/SolutionInfo.cs b/src/SolutionInfo.cs
index a81ccd1862..54e1aa629a 100644
--- a/src/SolutionInfo.cs
+++ b/src/SolutionInfo.cs
@@ -8,6 +8,13 @@ using System.Resources;
 
 [assembly: NeutralResourcesLanguage("en-US")]
 
+// versions
+// read https://stackoverflow.com/questions/64602/what-are-differences-between-assemblyversion-assemblyfileversion-and-assemblyin
+
+// this is the ONLY ONE the CLR cares about for compatibility
+// should change ONLY when "hard" breaking compatibility (manual change)
 [assembly: AssemblyVersion("8.0.0")]
-[assembly: AssemblyFileVersion("8.0.0.20")]
-[assembly: AssemblyInformationalVersion("8.0.0-alpha0020")]
\ No newline at end of file
+
+// these are FYI and changed automatically
+[assembly: AssemblyFileVersion("8.0.0")]
+[assembly: AssemblyInformationalVersion("8.0.0-alpha0021")]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoVersion.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoVersion.cs
index f0571572fb..1953b1c2b2 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoVersion.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoVersion.cs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration
         /// <summary>
         /// Gets the version comment of the executing code (eg "beta").
         /// </summary>
-        public static string CurrentComment => "alpha0020";
+        public static string CurrentComment => "alpha0021";
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Gets the assembly version of Umbraco.Code.dll.
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Migrations/Initial/DatabaseSchemaResult.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Migrations/Initial/DatabaseSchemaResult.cs
index 1090a4302a..b04d010570 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Migrations/Initial/DatabaseSchemaResult.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Migrations/Initial/DatabaseSchemaResult.cs
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Migrations.Initial
             if (ValidTables.Count == 0)
                 return new Version(0, 0, 0);
 
+            // FIXME - but the whole detection is borked really
+            return new Version(8, 0, 0);
+
             //If Errors is empty or if TableDefinitions tables + columns correspond to valid tables + columns then we're at current version
             if (Errors.Any() == false ||
                 (TableDefinitions.All(x => ValidTables.Contains(x.Name))
@@ -129,8 +132,8 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Migrations.Initial
                 return new Version(7, 2, 0);
             }
 
-            //if the error is for umbracoDeployChecksum it must be the previous version to 7.4 since that is when it is added
-            if (Errors.Any(x => x.Item1.Equals("Table") && (x.Item2.InvariantEquals("umbracoDeployChecksum"))))
+            //if the error is for cmsPropertyData.dataDecimal it must be the previous version to 7.4 since that is when it is added
+            if (Errors.Any(x => x.Item1.Equals("Column") && (x.Item2.InvariantEquals("cmsPropertyData,dataDecimal"))))
             {
                 return new Version(7, 3, 0);
             }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Migrations/Upgrades/TargetVersionEight/Seven1.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Migrations/Upgrades/TargetVersionEight/Seven1.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8010a5fe25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Persistence/Migrations/Upgrades/TargetVersionEight/Seven1.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+using Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Migrations.Upgrades.TargetVersionSevenFiveFive;
+using Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Migrations.Upgrades.TargetVersionSevenFiveZero;
+using Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Migrations.Upgrades.TargetVersionSevenSixZero;
+
+namespace Umbraco.Core.Persistence.Migrations.Upgrades.TargetVersionEight
+{
+    // catch-up with 7 migrations
+    // fixme - this is temp and should be removed!
+
+    [Migration("8.0.0", 100, Constants.System.UmbracoMigrationName)]
+    public class Seven1 : MigrationBase
+    {
+        public Seven1(IMigrationContext context)
+            : base(context)
+        { }
+
+        public override void Up()
+        {
+            var migrations = new MigrationBase[]
+            {
+                // 7.5.0
+                new RemoveStylesheetDataAndTablesAgain(Context),
+                new TargetVersionSevenFiveZero.UpdateUniqueIndexOnCmsPropertyData(Context),
+
+                // 7.5.5
+                new UpdateAllowedMediaTypesAtRoot(Context),
+
+                // 7.6.0
+                new AddIndexesToUmbracoRelationTables(Context),
+                new AddIndexToCmsMemberLoginName(Context), 
+                new AddIndexToUmbracoNodePath(Context), 
+                new AddMacroUniqueIdColumn(Context), 
+                new AddRelationTypeUniqueIdColumn(Context),
+                new NormalizeTemplateGuids(Context), 
+                new ReduceLoginNameColumnsSize(Context), 
+                new TargetVersionSevenSixZero.UpdateUniqueIndexOnCmsPropertyData(Context),
+                new RemoveUmbracoDeployTables(Context), 
+            };
+
+            foreach (var migration in migrations)
+                migration.Up();
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj b/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj
index e225ac0331..fadc09eaf8 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Umbraco.Core.csproj
@@ -961,6 +961,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Persistence\Migrations\Upgrades\TargetVersionEight\AddLockTable.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Persistence\Migrations\Upgrades\TargetVersionEight\AddRedirectUrlTable.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Persistence\Migrations\Upgrades\TargetVersionEight\RefactorXmlColumns.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Persistence\Migrations\Upgrades\TargetVersionEight\Seven1.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Persistence\Migrations\Upgrades\TargetVersionFourNineZero\RemoveUmbracoAppConstraints.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Persistence\Migrations\Upgrades\TargetVersionFourOneZero\AddPreviewXmlTable.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Persistence\Migrations\Upgrades\TargetVersionSevenFiveFive\AddLockObjects.cs" />