Summarizing a discussion from #bitcoin-dev this morning:
The merge window for pull requests for a 0.6.1 release is now open.
This will be a bug-fix and code-cleanup only release, with the goal to have Release Candidate 1 binaries available for testing in three weeks: April 23'rd. We want this to be a quick release cycle so we can start pulling new features for a 0.7 release in a month or so.
The major issues I would like to get resolved:
# 1024 Correct passphrase crashed the client
# 1012 bitcoin-qt slow to shut down after recent commits
There are currently 189 open issues in our bug tracker; lets try to get that down to under 100.
I know this will frustrate some of you who think development is happening at a snail's pace; feel free to pull and test new features (IPv6 support and coin control) that are important to you. Adequate testing is still our biggest issue, if you want your favorite feature to get into bitcoin core faster please spend some time helping test other people's favorite features.