diff --git a/.github/mergify.yml b/.github/mergify.yml
index cb73f1690a..ae0329af67 100644
--- a/.github/mergify.yml
+++ b/.github/mergify.yml
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ pull_request_rules:
           - release/v0.23.x
           - release/v0.24.x
           - release/v0.25.x
+          - release/v0.26.x
 
   - name: Backport patches to the release/v0.17.x branch
     conditions:
@@ -89,3 +90,12 @@ pull_request_rules:
       backport:
         branches:
           - release/v0.25.x
+
+  - name: Backport patches to the release/v0.26.x branch
+    conditions:
+      - base=master
+      - label=A:backport/v0.26.x
+    actions:
+      backport:
+        branches:
+          - release/v0.26.x
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cd-reset-internal-testnet.yml b/.github/workflows/cd-reset-internal-testnet.yml
index 9df50d7a3f..738fd4c395 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cd-reset-internal-testnet.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cd-reset-internal-testnet.yml
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ jobs:
             --update-playbook-filename=$PLAYBOOK_NAME \
             --chain-id=$CHAIN_ID \
             --max-upgrade-batch-size=0 \
-            --node-states=Standby \
             --wait-for-node-sync-after-upgrade=false
         env:
           SSM_DOCUMENT_NAME: ${{ inputs.ssm-document-name }}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 22832a5bc9..d14a019f6f 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk v0.47.7
 	github.com/cosmos/go-bip39 v1.0.0
 	github.com/cosmos/gogoproto v1.4.10
-	github.com/cosmos/ibc-apps/middleware/packet-forward-middleware/v7 v7.1.2
+	github.com/cosmos/ibc-apps/middleware/packet-forward-middleware/v7 v7.1.3
 	github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v7 v7.3.1
 	github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum v1.10.26
 	github.com/evmos/ethermint v0.21.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index d234ebb879..1f27c1f01a 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -424,8 +424,8 @@ github.com/cosmos/gogoproto v1.4.10 h1:QH/yT8X+c0F4ZDacDv3z+xE3WU1P1Z3wQoLMBRJoK
 github.com/cosmos/gogoproto v1.4.10/go.mod h1:3aAZzeRWpAwr+SS/LLkICX2/kDFyaYVzckBDzygIxek=
 github.com/cosmos/iavl v1.0.0 h1:bw6t0Mv/mVCJvlMTOPHWLs5uUE3BRBfVWCRelOzl+so=
 github.com/cosmos/iavl v1.0.0/go.mod h1:CmTGqMnRnucjxbjduneZXT+0vPgNElYvdefjX2q9tYc=
-github.com/cosmos/ibc-apps/middleware/packet-forward-middleware/v7 v7.1.2 h1:6zjj+yIpMbCTRI2eJ2fXuflElENs3mrUSLH/TSWL8fk=
-github.com/cosmos/ibc-apps/middleware/packet-forward-middleware/v7 v7.1.2/go.mod h1:UvDmcGIWJPIytq+Q78/ff5NTOsuX/7IrNgEugTW5i0s=
+github.com/cosmos/ibc-apps/middleware/packet-forward-middleware/v7 v7.1.3 h1:MZGDMETv72suFpTAD6VPGqSIm1FJcChtk2HmVh9D+Bo=
+github.com/cosmos/ibc-apps/middleware/packet-forward-middleware/v7 v7.1.3/go.mod h1:UvDmcGIWJPIytq+Q78/ff5NTOsuX/7IrNgEugTW5i0s=
 github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v7 v7.3.1 h1:bil1IjnHdyWDASFYKfwdRiNtFP6WK3osW7QFEAgU4I8=
 github.com/cosmos/ibc-go/v7 v7.3.1/go.mod h1:wvx4pPBofe5ZdMNV3OFRxSI4auEP5Qfqf8JXLLNV04g=
 github.com/cosmos/ics23/go v0.10.0 h1:iXqLLgp2Lp+EdpIuwXTYIQU+AiHj9mOC2X9ab++bZDM=