diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 9e2f8259..111360b6 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Package: cpp11
 Title: A C++11 Interface for R's C Interface
-Version: 0.5.2.9000
+Version: 0.5.3
 Authors@R:
     c(
       person("Davis", "Vaughan", email = "davis@posit.co", role = c("aut", "cre"), comment = c(ORCID = "0000-0003-4777-038X")),
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 73ef971d..74c06422 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# cpp11 (development version)
+# cpp11 0.5.3
 
 * Removed non-API usage of `ATTRIB()` (#481).
 
diff --git a/cpp11test/src/test-matrix.cpp b/cpp11test/src/test-matrix.cpp
index 39e33938..9d23265a 100644
--- a/cpp11test/src/test-matrix.cpp
+++ b/cpp11test/src/test-matrix.cpp
@@ -24,37 +24,39 @@ context("matrix-C++") {
     expect_true(x[1].size() == 2);
     expect_true(x[1].stride() == 5);
   }
-  test_that("matrix dim attributes are correct for read only matrices") {
+
+  test_that("matrix<by_row> attributes are correct") {
+    auto getExportedValue = cpp11::package("base")["getExportedValue"];
+
+    cpp11::doubles_matrix<cpp11::by_row> x(getExportedValue("datasets", "volcano"));
+
+    expect_true(x.size() == 5307);
+    expect_true(x.nrow() == 87);
+    expect_true(x.ncol() == 61);
+    expect_true(x.nslices() == 87);
+    expect_true(x.slice_size() == 61);
+    expect_true(x.slice_stride() == 87);
+    expect_true(x.slice_offset(0) == 0);
+    expect_true(x.slice_offset(1) == 1);
+    expect_true(x[1].size() == 61);
+    expect_true(x[1].stride() == 87);
+  }
+
+  test_that("matrix<by_column> attributes are correct") {
     auto getExportedValue = cpp11::package("base")["getExportedValue"];
 
-    test_that("matrix<by_row> attributes are correct") {
-      cpp11::doubles_matrix<cpp11::by_row> x(getExportedValue("datasets", "volcano"));
-
-      expect_true(x.size() == 5307);
-      expect_true(x.nrow() == 87);
-      expect_true(x.ncol() == 61);
-      expect_true(x.nslices() == 87);
-      expect_true(x.slice_size() == 61);
-      expect_true(x.slice_stride() == 87);
-      expect_true(x.slice_offset(0) == 0);
-      expect_true(x.slice_offset(1) == 1);
-      expect_true(x[1].size() == 61);
-      expect_true(x[1].stride() == 87);
-    }
-    test_that("matrix<by_column> attributes are correct") {
-      cpp11::doubles_matrix<cpp11::by_column> x(getExportedValue("datasets", "volcano"));
-
-      expect_true(x.size() == 5307);
-      expect_true(x.nrow() == 87);
-      expect_true(x.ncol() == 61);
-      expect_true(x.nslices() == 61);
-      expect_true(x.slice_size() == 87);
-      expect_true(x.slice_stride() == 1);
-      expect_true(x.slice_offset(0) == 0);
-      expect_true(x.slice_offset(1) == 87);
-      expect_true(x[1].size() == 87);
-      expect_true(x[1].stride() == 1);
-    }
+    cpp11::doubles_matrix<cpp11::by_column> x(getExportedValue("datasets", "volcano"));
+
+    expect_true(x.size() == 5307);
+    expect_true(x.nrow() == 87);
+    expect_true(x.ncol() == 61);
+    expect_true(x.nslices() == 61);
+    expect_true(x.slice_size() == 87);
+    expect_true(x.slice_stride() == 1);
+    expect_true(x.slice_offset(0) == 0);
+    expect_true(x.slice_offset(1) == 87);
+    expect_true(x[1].size() == 87);
+    expect_true(x[1].stride() == 1);
   }
 
   test_that("row based subsetting works") {
diff --git a/cpp11test/src/test-strings.cpp b/cpp11test/src/test-strings.cpp
index 59fdb1eb..52ed18fb 100644
--- a/cpp11test/src/test-strings.cpp
+++ b/cpp11test/src/test-strings.cpp
@@ -251,9 +251,9 @@ context("strings-C++") {
 
   test_that("strings::operator=() and strings::at() do compile") {
     cpp11::writable::strings x(Rf_mkChar("foo"));
-
     x[0] = "bar";
     x.at(0) = "bar";
+    expect_true(x[0] == Rf_mkChar("bar"));
   }
 
   test_that("strings::operator=() works with std:strings") {