diff --git a/MAINTENANCE.md b/MAINTENANCE.md
index abd750341c1..138b398ad5b 100644
--- a/MAINTENANCE.md
+++ b/MAINTENANCE.md
@@ -6,35 +6,50 @@ This document outlines the maintenance strategy and version support for Fluent B
 
 | Branch     | Version            | Status              | Maintainer                                                  | Notes                                                              |
 |------------|--------------------|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| `master`   | v4.1 (development) | Active development  | [Eduardo Silva](https://github.com/edsiper)                 | All new features and bug fixes land here first                     |
-| `4.0`      | v4.0.x             | Maintenance only    | [Hiroshi Hatake (@cosmo0920)](https://github.com/cosmo0920) | Critical fixes and safe backports only. Maintained until **Dec 31, 2025** |
+| `master`   | v5.0 (development) | Active development  | [Eduardo Silva](https://github.com/edsiper)                 | All new features and bug fixes land here first                     |
+| `4.2`      | v4.2.x             | Stable              | [Eduardo Silva](https://github.com/edsiper) [Hiroshi Hatake (@cosmo0920)](https://github.com/cosmo0920) | Current stable release series. Active development and updates. May receive minor enhancements in addition to fixes.     |
+| `4.1`      | v4.1.x             | Maintenance only    | [Hiroshi Hatake (@cosmo0920)](https://github.com/cosmo0920) | Critical fixes and safe backports only. Maintained until **February 28, 2026** |
 
 ---
 
-## v4.0 Maintenance Policy
+## Maintenance Policy
 
-As of **July 2025**, active development has moved to Fluent Bit **v4.1** (tracked in the `master` branch).
+Active development is currently on Fluent Bit **v5.0** (tracked in the `master` branch). The **v4.2** branch is the current stable release series and receives active updates. Previous release lines enter **maintenance mode** after the next major/minor release.
 
-**v4.0** has entered **maintenance mode**, now maintained by [Hiroshi Hatake (@cosmo0920)](https://github.com/cosmo0920), a long-time Fluent Bit contributor and core developer.
+### Accepted Changes for Maintenance Branches
 
-Maintenance for v4.0 will continue until **December 31, 2025**, which is three months after the official v4.1 release.
-
-### Accepted Changes for v4.0
-
-- ✅ Security patches
+- ✅ Security patches (see [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md) for security update timelines)
 - ✅ Critical bug fixes
 - ✅ Low-risk enhancements that unblock adoption (e.g., OpenTelemetry improvements, performance tuning)
 
-> ⚠️ All changes must first be merged into `master` before being cherry-picked into the `4.0` branch by the maintainer.
+> ⚠️ All changes must first be merged into `master` before being cherry-picked into maintenance branches by the maintainer.
+
+Maintenance releases continue on an as-needed basis depending on urgency and impact.
+
+### v4.2 Stable Series
+
+**v4.2** is the current stable release series and receives active development, bug fixes, and security updates. This is the recommended version for production use.
 
-v4.0 releases will continue on an as-needed basis depending on urgency and impact.
+### v4.1 Maintenance
+
+**v4.1** has entered **maintenance mode**, now maintained by [Hiroshi Hatake (@cosmo0920)](https://github.com/cosmo0920), a long-time Fluent Bit contributor and core developer.
+
+**v4.1** will receive security updates and critical fixes until **February 28, 2026** (as specified in [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md)).
+
+### v4.0 Maintenance
+
+**v4.0** reached **End-of-Life (EOL)** on **December 23, 2025** and is no longer maintained. No further security patches or bug fixes will be provided for this version line.
 
 ---
 
 ## How to Contribute to Maintained Versions
 
-If you're submitting a fix or feature relevant to v4.0:
+If you're submitting a fix or feature relevant to a stable or maintenance branch (v4.2 or v4.1):
 
 - Open your PR against the `master` branch
-- Add a note in the PR or issue: `Target: v4.0`
-- Tag [@cosmo0920](https://github.com/cosmo0920) to request backport consideration
+- Add a note in the PR or issue: `Target: v4.2` or `Target: v4.1`
+- Tag the branch maintainer to request backport consideration:
+  - For v4.2: [@edsiper](https://github.com/edsiper) [@cosmo0920](https://github.com/cosmo0920)
+  - For v4.1: [@cosmo0920](https://github.com/cosmo0920)
+
+> **Note:** v4.0 is End-of-Life and no longer accepts backports. For security-related issues, please follow the process outlined in [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md).
diff --git a/SECURITY.md b/SECURITY.md
index c8de4a894c8..b68b443b108 100644
--- a/SECURITY.md
+++ b/SECURITY.md
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ Fluent Bit maintains active security support for a limited set of release lines.
 | Version   | Status     | Security Updates Until |
 |-----------|------------|------------------------|
 | **4.2.x** | ✅ Active  | **July 30, 2026**      |
-| **4.1.x** | ✅ Active  | **February 28, 2026**     |
-| **4.0.x** | ✅ Active  | **December 23, 2025**  |
+| **4.1.x** | ✅ Active  | **February 28, 2026**  |
+| **4.0.x** | ❌ EOL     | **December 23, 2025**  |
 | **3.2.x** | ❌ EOL     | —                      |
 | **< 3.2** | ❌ EOL     | —                      |