diff --git a/target/linux/kirkwood/Makefile b/target/linux/kirkwood/Makefile
index 4f9fa4f06c..e0cdf66e32 100644
--- a/target/linux/kirkwood/Makefile
+++ b/target/linux/kirkwood/Makefile
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ FEATURES:=targz usb jffs2_nand nand ubifs squashfs dt
 CPU_TYPE:=xscale
 MAINTAINER:=Luka Perkov <luka@openwrt.org>
 
-KERNEL_PATCHVER:=3.18
+KERNEL_PATCHVER:=4.4
 
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/target.mk