diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-if-new-kernel.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-if-new-kernel.yml
index 99704e6..9109fdc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-if-new-kernel.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-if-new-kernel.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ jobs:
     # Matrix build for maintenance of multiple kernels
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        branch: ['main', 'maint-6.6']
+        branch: ['main', 'maint-6.12', 'maint-6.6']
     permissions:
       pull-requests: write
       contents: write
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index babb8f5..f898513 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -27,9 +27,10 @@ In some cases, we need to make changes to those to get a working build.
 
 | branch | description |
 | ------------- | -------------- |
-| `main` | latest lts kernel we maintain (6.12 as of December 2025) |
+| `main` | latest lts kernel we maintain (6.18) |
+| `maint-6.12` | maintenance of source code for kernel 6.12 |
 | `maint-6.6` | maintenance of source code for kernel 6.6 | 
-| `rel-1877` | backport for 1877, merge code from `main` | 
+| `rel-1877` | backport for 1877, merge code from `maint-6.12` | 
 | `rel-1592` | backport for 1592, merge code from `maint-6.6` |
 
 
@@ -55,10 +56,10 @@ git push
 ```
 
 > [!Tip]
-> You can find out the correct `.container` file by copying it from the corresponding tag of the https://github.com/gardenlinux/repo branch, for example [1443.0](https://github.com/gardenlinux/repo/blob/1443.0/.container)
+> You can find out the correct `.container` file by copying it from the corresponding tag of the https://github.com/gardenlinux/repo branch, for example [1877.0](https://github.com/gardenlinux/repo/blob/1877.0/.container)
 
 > [!Note]
-> We must create rel- branches to include the respective `.container` file, and not use maint for backports. This is required because multiple releases can use the same kernel version (e.g. rel-1443 and rel-1592 both use maint-6.6) 
+> We must create `rel-*` branches to include the respective `.container` file, and not use `maint-*` for backports. This is required because multiple releases can use the same kernel version (e.g. `rel-1443` and `rel-1592` both use `maint-6.6`) 
 
 ## Automated kernel patch level upgrades 
 
diff --git a/config/amd64/defines.toml b/config/amd64/defines.toml
index d340a09..559064a 100644
--- a/config/amd64/defines.toml
+++ b/config/amd64/defines.toml
@@ -24,8 +24,6 @@ config = [
  'amd64/config.cloud-amd64',
  'config.gardenlinux'
 ]
-[flavour.defs]
-is_quick = true
 [flavour.description]
 hardware = 'x86-64 cloud'
 hardware_long = 'cloud platforms including Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure, and Google Compute Engine'
@@ -34,8 +32,8 @@ hardware_long = 'cloud platforms including Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure, and Goog
 name = 'none'
 
 [build]
+enable_rust = true
 enable_signed = false
-enable_vdso = true
 kernel_file = 'arch/x86/boot/bzImage'
 kernel_stem = 'vmlinuz'
 
diff --git a/config/arm64/defines.toml b/config/arm64/defines.toml
index 1b51e9d..a44f4ce 100644
--- a/config/arm64/defines.toml
+++ b/config/arm64/defines.toml
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@ config = [
  'arm64/config.cloud-arm64',
  'config.gardenlinux'
 ]
-[flavour.defs]
-is_quick = true
 [flavour.description]
 hardware = 'arm64 cloud'
 hardware_long = 'cloud platforms supporting arm64 virtual machines'
@@ -36,8 +34,8 @@ name = 'none'
 
 [build]
 compiler_gnutype_compat = 'arm-linux-gnueabihf'
+enable_rust = true
 enable_signed = false
-enable_vdso = true
 kernel_file = 'arch/arm64/boot/Image'
 kernel_stem = 'vmlinuz'
 
diff --git a/config/defines.toml b/config/defines.toml
index ee6ad3e..1f528a1 100644
--- a/config/defines.toml
+++ b/config/defines.toml
@@ -13,7 +13,12 @@ name = 'x86'
 name = 'none'
 
 [build]
-compiler = 'gcc'
+c_compiler = 'gcc'
+rust_build_depends = [
+  'rustc:native',
+  'bindgen:native',
+  'rust-src',
+]
 
 [relations.image]
 depends = [
diff --git a/config/riscv64/defines.toml b/config/riscv64/defines.toml
index 56e2a27..386d0fd 100644
--- a/config/riscv64/defines.toml
+++ b/config/riscv64/defines.toml
@@ -11,6 +11,6 @@ installer = true
 name = 'none'
 
 [build]
-enable_vdso = true
+enable_rust = true
 kernel_file = 'arch/riscv/boot/Image'
 kernel_stem = 'vmlinux'
diff --git a/finalize_source b/finalize_source
index 8fac27f..55a5e65 100644
--- a/finalize_source
+++ b/finalize_source
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 (
 	apt-get install --no-install-recommends -y kernel-wedge python3-jinja2 python3-dacite
 	cd "$dir/src"
-	{ PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1 make -f debian/rules debian/control-real || true; } | grep 'generated SUCCESSFULLY'
+	PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1 make -f debian/rules debian/control-real && echo "PASS" || echo "FAIL"
 )
diff --git a/fixes_debian/series b/fixes_debian/series
deleted file mode 100644
index 2d20a0c..0000000
--- a/fixes_debian/series
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-series.patch
diff --git a/fixes_debian/series.patch b/fixes_debian/series.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index edd0499..0000000
--- a/fixes_debian/series.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
---- a/debian/patches/series	2025-09-10 12:02:09.721924979 +0000
-+++ b/debian/patches/series	2025-09-10 14:50:59.976526194 +0000
-@@ -75,10 +75,6 @@
- bugfix/all/disable-some-marvell-phys.patch
- bugfix/all/fs-add-module_softdep-declarations-for-hard-coded-cr.patch
- bugfix/all/documentation-use-relative-source-paths-in-abi-documentation.patch
--bugfix/all/ext4-don-t-try-to-clear-the-orphan_present-feature-b.patch
--bugfix/all/proc-fix-missing-pde_set_flags-for-net-proc-files.patch
--bugfix/all/alloc_fdtable-change-calling-conventions.patch
--bugfix/all/net-ipv4-fix-regression-in-local-broadcast-routes.patch
-
- # Miscellaneous features
diff --git a/prepare_source b/prepare_source
index 47b942e..55c46b8 100755
--- a/prepare_source
+++ b/prepare_source
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 pkg=linux
-version_orig=6.12.63
-version="$version_orig-3"
+version_orig=6.18.3
+version="$version_orig-1"
 
 (
 	debian_repo=https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/linux.git
-	debian_ref="debian/6.12.43-1"
+	debian_ref="debian/6.18.3-1"
 
 	tmp_dir="$(mktemp -d)"
 	trap 'cd / && rm -rf "$tmp_dir"' EXIT
diff --git a/update-kernel.py b/update-kernel.py
index 9f05871..d74467d 100644
--- a/update-kernel.py
+++ b/update-kernel.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # Script to automate the process of selecting the latest patch version of linux
 
 # Update this when we base our kernel build on a newer lts branch
-current_lts = "6.12"
+current_lts = "6.18"
 
 
 def get_latest_kernel_version():
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ def get_latest_kernel_version():
             r["version"]
             for r in releases
             if r["version"].startswith(current_lts)
-            and r["moniker"] == "longterm"
+            # (not officially lts yet ) and r["moniker"] == "longterm"
             and r["iseol"] == False
         ]
         assert len(latest_current_lts) == 1