diff --git a/.ci/release_check.py b/.ci/release_check.py
index d187c795b..5cd74022c 100644
--- a/.ci/release_check.py
+++ b/.ci/release_check.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 import urllib.request
 import json
 import warnings
+import sys
 
 project_dir = PurePath(__file__).parent.parent
 version_fn = project_dir / "src/iminuit/version.py"
@@ -17,27 +18,21 @@
         iminuit_version = parse_version(version["version"])
     if record:
         raise ValueError(record[0].message)
-    root_version = version["root_version"]
+    documented_root = version["root_version"]
 
 print("iminuit version:", iminuit_version)
-print("root    version:", root_version)
+print("root    version:", documented_root)
 
 # check that root version is up-to-date
-git_submodule = subp.check_output(
-    ["git", "submodule", "status"], cwd=project_dir
-).decode()
-for item in git_submodule.strip().split("\n"):
-    parts = item.split()
-    if PurePath(parts[1]) != PurePath("extern") / "root":
-        continue
-
-    assert len(parts) == 3, "module is not checked out"
-
-    this_root_version = parts[2][1:-1]  # strip braces
-
-    assert (
-        root_version == this_root_version
-    ), f"ROOT version does not match: {root_version} != {this_root_version}"
+actual_root = (
+    subp.check_output([sys.executable, project_dir / ".ci" / "root_version.py"])
+    .decode()
+    .strip()
+)
+
+assert (
+    documented_root == actual_root
+), f"ROOT version mismatch: {documented_root} != {actual_root}"
 
 # make sure that changelog was updated
 with open(changelog_fn) as f:
diff --git a/.ci/root_version.py b/.ci/root_version.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..38f3e0f13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.ci/root_version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import subprocess as subp
+from pathlib import PurePath
+
+project_dir = PurePath(__file__).parent.parent
+
+# check that root version is up-to-date
+git_submodule = subp.check_output(
+    ["git", "submodule", "status"], cwd=project_dir
+).decode()
+for item in git_submodule.strip().split("\n"):
+    parts = item.split()
+    if PurePath(parts[1]) != PurePath("extern") / "root":
+        continue
+
+    assert len(parts) == 3, "module is not checked out"
+
+    this_root_version = parts[2][1:-1]  # strip braces
+
+print(this_root_version)
diff --git a/doc/changelog.rst b/doc/changelog.rst
index c31779871..ac47843d7 100644
--- a/doc/changelog.rst
+++ b/doc/changelog.rst
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ Changelog
 
 2.16.0 (August 16, 2022)
 ------------------------
+- Root update (`#786 <https://github.com/scikit-hep/iminuit/pull/786>`_)
 - Fix corner case treatment of linear constraint (`#785 <https://github.com/scikit-hep/iminuit/pull/785>`_)
 - Comparison with broadcasting (`#784 <https://github.com/scikit-hep/iminuit/pull/784>`_)
 - Fix typing issues and enable mypy in pre-commit (`#783 <https://github.com/scikit-hep/iminuit/pull/783>`_)
diff --git a/src/iminuit/version.py b/src/iminuit/version.py
index cce12e696..72fd006e0 100644
--- a/src/iminuit/version.py
+++ b/src/iminuit/version.py
@@ -11,4 +11,4 @@
 version = "2.16.0"
 
 # We list the corresponding ROOT version of the C++ Minuit2 library here
-root_version = "v6-25-02-1013-ga4bb8f3342"
+root_version = "v6-25-02-2017-gd0b406db5e"