diff --git a/.github/workflows/kernel-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/kernel-ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e385e72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/kernel-ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+name: Kernel CI
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [krunfw]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+concurrency:
+  group: kernel-ci-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  freshness:
+    name: Check stable kernel version
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    steps:
+      - name: Code checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v7
+
+      - name: Check pinned kernel
+        run: scripts/check-kernel-version.sh
+
+  source:
+    name: Fetch kernel source
+    needs: freshness
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    steps:
+      - name: Code checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v7
+
+      - name: Download kernel source
+        run: |
+          kernel_version=$(awk '$1 == "KERNEL_VERSION" { print $3; exit }' Makefile)
+          make "tarballs/${kernel_version}.tar.gz"
+
+      - name: Verify kernel source archive
+        run: tar tzf tarballs/*.tar.gz >/dev/null
+
+      - name: Upload kernel source
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
+        with:
+          name: kernel-source
+          path: tarballs/*.tar.gz
+          compression-level: 0
+          retention-days: 1
+
+  build:
+    name: Build ${{ matrix.name }}
+    needs: source
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.runner }}
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        include:
+          - name: Linux x86_64
+            runner: ubuntu-24.04
+            packages: ""
+            make_args: ""
+          - name: Windows x86_64
+            runner: ubuntu-24.04
+            packages: ""
+            make_args: OS=Windows
+          - name: SEV x86_64
+            runner: ubuntu-24.04
+            packages: ""
+            make_args: SEV=1
+          - name: TDX x86_64
+            runner: ubuntu-24.04
+            packages: ""
+            make_args: TDX=1
+          - name: Linux aarch64
+            runner: ubuntu-24.04-arm
+            packages: ""
+            make_args: ""
+          - name: Linux riscv64
+            runner: ubuntu-24.04
+            packages: gcc-riscv64-linux-gnu
+            make_args: ARCH=riscv CROSS_COMPILE=riscv64-linux-gnu-
+    steps:
+      - name: Code checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v7
+
+      - name: Download kernel source
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
+        with:
+          name: kernel-source
+          path: tarballs
+
+      - name: Install build dependencies
+        env:
+          EXTRA_PACKAGES: ${{ matrix.packages }}
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get update
+          sudo apt-get install -y make gcc bc bison flex elfutils python3-pyelftools curl patch libelf-dev cpio xz-utils $EXTRA_PACKAGES
+
+      - name: Build kernel configuration
+        env:
+          MAKE_ARGS: ${{ matrix.make_args }}
+        run: make -j"$(nproc)" $MAKE_ARGS kernel.c
diff --git a/.github/workflows/kernel-version-monitor.yml b/.github/workflows/kernel-version-monitor.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0ae390
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/kernel-version-monitor.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+name: Kernel version monitor
+
+on:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: "17 7 * * *"
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+  issues: write
+
+jobs:
+  check:
+    name: Check stable kernel version
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    steps:
+      - name: Code checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v7
+
+      - name: Check pinned kernel
+        id: kernel
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          set +e
+          output=$(scripts/check-kernel-version.sh)
+          status=$?
+          set -e
+          printf '%s\n' "$output"
+          while IFS='=' read -r key value; do
+            if [[ $key == "current" || $key == "latest" ]]; then
+              echo "$key=$value" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            fi
+          done <<< "$output"
+          echo "status=$status" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Open kernel update issue
+        if: steps.kernel.outputs.status == '1'
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+          CURRENT_VERSION: ${{ steps.kernel.outputs.current }}
+          LATEST_VERSION: ${{ steps.kernel.outputs.latest }}
+        run: |
+          issue_title="Kernel stable update available"
+          issue_number=$(gh api "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/issues?state=open&per_page=100" --jq ".[] | select((has(\"pull_request\") | not) and .title == \"$issue_title\") | .number" | head -n 1)
+          if [[ -n $issue_number ]]; then
+            echo "Issue #$issue_number already tracks the available update"
+            exit 0
+          fi
+          printf -v issue_body 'libkrunfw pins Linux %s, but Linux %s is now available in the same stable series. Update `KERNEL_VERSION`, apply every common and TEE patch, and let Kernel CI build all six configurations before merging.\n\nDetected by [this scheduled run](%s/%s/actions/runs/%s).' "$CURRENT_VERSION" "$LATEST_VERSION" "$GITHUB_SERVER_URL" "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" "$GITHUB_RUN_ID"
+          gh issue create \
+            --title "$issue_title" \
+            --body "$issue_body"
+
+      - name: Close resolved kernel update issue
+        if: steps.kernel.outputs.status == '0'
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+        run: |
+          issue_title="Kernel stable update available"
+          issue_number=$(gh api "repos/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/issues?state=open&per_page=100" --jq ".[] | select((has(\"pull_request\") | not) and .title == \"$issue_title\") | .number" | head -n 1)
+          if [[ -n $issue_number ]]; then
+            gh issue close "$issue_number" --comment "The pinned kernel now matches the latest stable release in its series."
+          fi
+
+      - name: Fail when the kernel check did not pass
+        if: steps.kernel.outputs.status != '0'
+        env:
+          CHECK_STATUS: ${{ steps.kernel.outputs.status }}
+        run: |
+          echo "Kernel version check failed with status $CHECK_STATUS" >&2
+          exit 1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index fd62865..9f3907b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -15,10 +15,10 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Code checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
       - name: Install dependencies
-        run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y make gcc bc bison flex elfutils python3-pyelftools curl patch libelf-dev
+        run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y make gcc bc bison flex elfutils python3-pyelftools curl patch libelf-dev cpio xz-utils
 
       - name: Extract version from Makefile
         id: version
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ jobs:
         run: make -j"$(nproc)"
 
       - name: Upload kernel.c as job artifact
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         with:
           name: kernel-c-x86_64
           path: kernel.c
@@ -50,10 +50,10 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04-arm
     steps:
       - name: Code checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
       - name: Install dependencies
-        run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y make gcc bc bison flex elfutils python3-pyelftools curl patch libelf-dev
+        run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y make gcc bc bison flex elfutils python3-pyelftools curl patch libelf-dev cpio xz-utils
 
       - name: Extract version from Makefile
         id: version
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ jobs:
         run: make -j"$(nproc)"
 
       - name: Upload kernel.c as job artifact
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         with:
           name: kernel-c-aarch64
           path: kernel.c
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: build-linux-aarch64
     steps:
       - name: Code checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
       - name: Extract version from Makefile
         id: version
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ jobs:
           echo "full=$(grep '^FULL_VERSION' Makefile | awk '{print $3}')" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
       - name: Download kernel.c artifact
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
         with:
           name: kernel-c-aarch64
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: build-linux-x86_64
     steps:
       - name: Code checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
       - name: Extract version from Makefile
         id: version
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ jobs:
           echo "full=$(grep '^FULL_VERSION' Makefile | awk '{print $3}')" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
       - name: Download kernel.c artifact
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
         with:
           name: kernel-c-x86_64
 
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ jobs:
     needs: build-linux-x86_64
     steps:
       - name: Code checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
       - name: Configure MSVC
         uses: ilammy/msvc-dev-cmd@v1
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ jobs:
           echo "full=$(grep '^FULL_VERSION' Makefile | awk '{print $3}')" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
       - name: Download kernel.c artifact
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
         with:
           name: kernel-c-x86_64
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index fe9bdf5..b2b39d9 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ $(KERNEL_TARBALL):
 
 $(KERNEL_SOURCES): $(KERNEL_TARBALL)
 	tar xf $(KERNEL_TARBALL)
-	for patch in $(KERNEL_PATCHES); do patch -p1 -d $(KERNEL_SOURCES) < "$$patch"; done
+	./scripts/apply-kernel-patches.sh $(KERNEL_SOURCES) $(KERNEL_PATCHES)
 	cp config-libkrunfw$(VARIANT)_$(GUESTARCH) $(KERNEL_SOURCES)/.config
 	cd $(KERNEL_SOURCES) ; $(MAKE) olddefconfig
 
diff --git a/scripts/apply-kernel-patches.sh b/scripts/apply-kernel-patches.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..08ba4a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/apply-kernel-patches.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if (( $# < 2 )); then
+    echo "Usage: $0 SOURCE_DIR PATCH..." >&2
+    exit 2
+fi
+
+source_dir=$1
+shift
+
+for patch_file in "$@"; do
+    # Force non-interactive behavior so a rejected or reversed patch fails the build immediately.
+    patch -f -p1 -d "$source_dir" < "$patch_file"
+done
diff --git a/scripts/check-kernel-version.sh b/scripts/check-kernel-version.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..5f3f2fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check-kernel-version.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+makefile=${1:-Makefile}
+stable_repo=${KERNEL_STABLE_REPO:-https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git}
+
+current=$(awk '$1 == "KERNEL_VERSION" && $2 == "=" { sub(/^linux-/, "", $3); print $3; exit }' "$makefile")
+if [[ ! $current =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+    echo "Could not read a stable kernel version from $makefile" >&2
+    exit 2
+fi
+
+series=${current%.*}
+if ! tags=$(git ls-remote --refs --tags "$stable_repo" "v${series}.*"); then
+    echo "Could not query stable kernel tags from $stable_repo" >&2
+    exit 2
+fi
+
+# Ignore release candidates and non-stable suffixes, then compare patch numbers numerically.
+latest=$(awk -v series="$series" '
+    {
+        tag = $2
+        sub(/^refs\/tags\/v/, "", tag)
+        count = split(tag, part, ".")
+        if (count == 3 && part[1] "." part[2] == series && part[3] ~ /^[0-9]+$/) {
+            patch = part[3] + 0
+            if (!found || patch > newest) {
+                newest = patch
+                found = 1
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    END {
+        if (found) {
+            printf "%s.%d\n", series, newest
+        }
+    }
+' <<< "$tags")
+
+if [[ -z $latest ]]; then
+    echo "No stable v${series}.y tags were found in $stable_repo" >&2
+    exit 2
+fi
+
+echo "current=$current"
+echo "latest=$latest"
+
+if [[ $current != "$latest" ]]; then
+    echo "Kernel $current is not the latest ${series}.y release; update to $latest" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi