diff --git a/target/linux/orion/Makefile b/target/linux/orion/Makefile
index 5a541001f4..07583e485f 100644
--- a/target/linux/orion/Makefile
+++ b/target/linux/orion/Makefile
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ FEATURES:=broken rtc
 SUBTARGETS:=generic harddisk
 MAINTAINER:=Imre Kaloz <kaloz@openwrt.org>
 
-KERNEL_PATCHVER:=4.4
+KERNEL_PATCHVER:=4.9
 
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/target.mk