diff --git a/openwrt/include/kernel.mk b/openwrt/include/kernel.mk
index c788bf1c49..bd558ceec7 100644
--- a/openwrt/include/kernel.mk
+++ b/openwrt/include/kernel.mk
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ else
   # check to see if .kernel.mk matches target.mk
   ifeq ($(CONFIG_BOARD)-$(CONFIG_KERNEL),$(BOARD)-$(KERNEL))
      LINUX_VERSION:=$(CONFIG_LINUX_VERSION)
-     RELEASE:=$(CONFIG_RELEASE)
+     LINUX_RELEASE:=$(CONFIG_LINUX_RELEASE)
   else
   # oops, old .kernel.config; rebuild it (hiding the misleading errors this produces)
     $(warning rebuilding .kernel.mk)
diff --git a/openwrt/package/kernel/Makefile b/openwrt/package/kernel/Makefile
index b59649ddac..f43f4fdf69 100644
--- a/openwrt/package/kernel/Makefile
+++ b/openwrt/package/kernel/Makefile
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/kernel.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=kernel
 PKG_VERSION:=$(LINUX_VERSION)-$(BOARD)
-PKG_RELEASE:=1
+PKG_RELEASE:=$(LINUX_RELEASE)
 
 PKG_BUILD_DIR:=$(KERNEL_BUILD_DIR)/packages