diff --git a/etc/refcards/orgcard.tex b/etc/refcards/orgcard.tex
index 8b38b98897e..300af8d9d8c 100644
--- a/etc/refcards/orgcard.tex
+++ b/etc/refcards/orgcard.tex
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 % Reference Card for Org Mode
-\def\orgversionnumber{9.8.5}
+\def\orgversionnumber{9.8.6}
 \def\versionyear{2026}          % latest update
 \input emacsver.tex
 
diff --git a/lisp/org/ob-core.el b/lisp/org/ob-core.el
index a8ca1ccd080..13fa3a2c236 100644
--- a/lisp/org/ob-core.el
+++ b/lisp/org/ob-core.el
@@ -2976,6 +2976,7 @@ used as a string to be appended to #+begin_example line."
 		   (forward-line 0) (insert ": ") (forward-line 1)))
 		(t
 		 (goto-char beg)
+		 (unless (bolp) (insert "\n"))
 		 (insert (if results-switches
 			     (format "%s%s\n"
 				     (funcall maybe-cap "#+begin_example")
@@ -2984,7 +2985,9 @@ used as a string to be appended to #+begin_example line."
 		 (let ((p (point)))
 		   (if (markerp end) (goto-char end) (forward-char (- end beg)))
 		   (org-escape-code-in-region p (point)))
-		 (insert (funcall maybe-cap "#+end_example\n")))))))))
+		 (unless (bolp) (insert "\n"))
+		 (insert (funcall maybe-cap "#+end_example"))
+		 (unless (eolp) (insert "\n")))))))))
 
 (defun org-babel-update-block-body (new-body)
   "Update the body of the current code block to NEW-BODY."
diff --git a/lisp/org/org-version.el b/lisp/org/org-version.el
index f0a212f2ef0..25cbd97621b 100644
--- a/lisp/org/org-version.el
+++ b/lisp/org/org-version.el
@@ -5,13 +5,13 @@
 (defun org-release ()
   "The release version of Org.
 Inserted by installing Org mode or when a release is made."
-   (let ((org-release "9.8.5"))
+   (let ((org-release "9.8.6"))
      org-release))
 ;;;###autoload
 (defun org-git-version ()
   "The Git version of Org mode.
 Inserted by installing Org or when a release is made."
-   (let ((org-git-version "release_9.8.5"))
+   (let ((org-git-version "release_9.8.6"))
      org-git-version))
 
 (provide 'org-version)
diff --git a/lisp/org/org.el b/lisp/org/org.el
index ba31ad67bd1..be9f31ecc9e 100644
--- a/lisp/org/org.el
+++ b/lisp/org/org.el
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 ;; URL: https://orgmode.org
 ;; Package-Requires: ((emacs "28.2"))
 
-;; Version: 9.8.5
+;; Version: 9.8.6
 
 ;; This file is part of GNU Emacs.
 ;;
@@ -9551,6 +9551,7 @@ When foo is written as FOO, upcase the #+BEGIN/END as well."
 	  (goto-char region-end)
 	  ;; Ignore empty lines at the end of the region.
 	  (skip-chars-backward " \r\t\n")
+	  (unless (eolp) (insert "\n") (forward-line -1))
 	  (end-of-line))
 	(unless (bolp) (insert "\n"))
 	(indent-to column)
@@ -9877,7 +9878,8 @@ When called through Elisp, arg is also interpreted in the following way:
 	      (org-update-parent-todo-statistics))
 	    (when (bound-and-true-p org-clock-out-when-done)
 	      (org-clock-out-if-current))
-	    (run-hooks 'org-after-todo-state-change-hook)
+            (save-excursion
+	      (run-hooks 'org-after-todo-state-change-hook))
 	    (when (and arg (not (member org-state org-done-keywords)))
 	      (setq head (org-get-todo-sequence-head org-state)))
             (put-text-property (line-beginning-position)
@@ -10583,7 +10585,8 @@ enough to shift date past today.  Continue? "
 		  (org-timestamp-change n (cdr (assoc what whata)) nil t))
 		(setq msg
 		      (concat msg type " " org-last-changed-timestamp " ")))))))
-      (run-hooks 'org-todo-repeat-hook)
+      (save-excursion
+        (run-hooks 'org-todo-repeat-hook))
       (setq org-log-post-message msg)
       (message msg))))
 
diff --git a/lisp/org/ox-latex.el b/lisp/org/ox-latex.el
index 1feddac37cd..d07af9e63ad 100644
--- a/lisp/org/ox-latex.el
+++ b/lisp/org/ox-latex.el
@@ -1712,7 +1712,7 @@ Return the new header."
 	 ;; exclusively through ini files, return HEADER as-is.
 	 (header (if (or language-ini-only
 			 (not (stringp language-code))
-			 (not (string-match "\\\\usepackage\\[\\(.*\\)\\]{babel}" header)))
+			 (not (string-match "\\\\usepackage\\[\\([^]]*\\)\\]{babel}" header)))
 		     header
 		   (let ((options (save-match-data
 				    (org-split-string (match-string 1 header) ",[ \t]*"))))