diff --git a/conf/machine/freedom-u540.conf b/conf/machine/freedom-u540.conf
index 607abe7..aa791c7 100644
--- a/conf/machine/freedom-u540.conf
+++ b/conf/machine/freedom-u540.conf
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ MACHINE_FEATURES = "screen keyboard ext2 ext3 serial"
 KERNEL_IMAGETYPE = "vmlinux"
 
 PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/kernel ?= "linux-riscv"
-PREFERRED_VERSION_linux-riscv ?= "4.17%"
+PREFERRED_VERSION_linux-riscv ?= "4.18%"
 
 GDBVERSION = "riscv"
 QEMUVERSION = "riscv"
diff --git a/conf/machine/qemuriscv64.conf b/conf/machine/qemuriscv64.conf
index 9fa422d..f5b6b5b 100644
--- a/conf/machine/qemuriscv64.conf
+++ b/conf/machine/qemuriscv64.conf
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #@DESCRIPTION: Machine configuration for running a generic riscv64
 
 PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/kernel ?= "linux-riscv"
-PREFERRED_VERSION_linux-riscv ?= "4.17%"
+PREFERRED_VERSION_linux-riscv ?= "4.18%"
 
 require conf/machine/include/qemu.inc
 require conf/machine/include/tune-riscv.inc
diff --git a/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-riscv_4.17.bb b/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-riscv_4.18.bb
similarity index 88%
rename from recipes-kernel/linux/linux-riscv_4.17.bb
rename to recipes-kernel/linux/linux-riscv_4.18.bb
index 25bbd85..5b9f456 100644
--- a/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-riscv_4.17.bb
+++ b/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-riscv_4.18.bb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ require recipes-kernel/linux/linux-riscv-common.inc
 
 LIC_FILES_CHKSUM = "file://${S}/COPYING;md5=bbea815ee2795b2f4230826c0c6b8814"
 
-LINUX_VERSION ?= "4.17"
+LINUX_VERSION ?= "4.18-rc7"
 
 BRANCH = "riscv-all"
 SRCREV = "aef7a9cf2530c4ebabc0c6d2a64ee2100fc6b854"