diff --git a/flowey/flowey_lib_hvlite/src/_jobs/cfg_versions.rs b/flowey/flowey_lib_hvlite/src/_jobs/cfg_versions.rs
index fd3fc4ea90..c64044384f 100644
--- a/flowey/flowey_lib_hvlite/src/_jobs/cfg_versions.rs
+++ b/flowey/flowey_lib_hvlite/src/_jobs/cfg_versions.rs
@@ -30,8 +30,9 @@ pub const NODEJS: &str = "24.x";
 // N.B. Kernel version numbers for dev and stable branches are not directly
 //      comparable. They originate from separate branches, and the fourth digit
 //      increases with each release from the respective branch.
-pub const OPENHCL_KERNEL_DEV_VERSION: &str = "6.12.52.12";
-pub const OPENHCL_KERNEL_STABLE_VERSION: &str = "6.12.52.11";
+
+pub const OPENHCL_KERNEL_DEV_VERSION: &str = "6.18.0.2";
+pub const OPENHCL_KERNEL_STABLE_VERSION: &str = "6.18.0.2";
 pub const OPENVMM_DEPS: &str = "0.1.0-20260401.1";
 pub const PROTOC: &str = "27.1";
 
diff --git a/nix/openhcl_kernel.nix b/nix/openhcl_kernel.nix
index 0ff773fad5..063247bb16 100644
--- a/nix/openhcl_kernel.nix
+++ b/nix/openhcl_kernel.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 { system, stdenv, fetchzip, targetArch ? null, is_dev ? false, is_cvm ? false }:
-
 let
-  version = if is_dev then "6.12.52.12" else "6.12.52.11";
+  version = "6.18.0.100-savic_test";
   # Allow explicit override of architecture, otherwise derive from host system
   # Note: targetArch uses "x86_64"/"aarch64", but URLs use "x64"/"arm64"
   arch = if targetArch == "x86_64" then "x64"
diff --git a/vm/loader/manifests/openhcl-x64-cvm-release.json b/vm/loader/manifests/openhcl-x64-cvm-release.json
index dc3fca6c71..49a4ae1a41 100644
--- a/vm/loader/manifests/openhcl-x64-cvm-release.json
+++ b/vm/loader/manifests/openhcl-x64-cvm-release.json
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
             },
             "image": {
                 "openhcl": {
-                    "command_line": "",
+                    "command_line": "OPENHCL_CONFIDENTIAL_DEBUG=1",
                     "memory_page_count": 163840,
                     "memory_page_base": 32768,
                     "uefi": true
@@ -27,13 +27,13 @@
             "max_vtl": 2,
             "isolation_type": {
                 "tdx": {
-                    "enable_debug": false,
+                    "enable_debug": true,
                     "sept_ve_disable": true
                 }
             },
             "image": {
                 "openhcl": {
-                    "command_line": "",
+                    "command_line": "OPENHCL_CONFIDENTIAL_DEBUG=1",
                     "memory_page_count": 16384,
                     "memory_page_base": 32768,
                     "uefi": true
@@ -58,4 +58,4 @@
             }
         }
     ]
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}