diff --git a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/local-build/kata-deploy-binaries.sh b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/local-build/kata-deploy-binaries.sh
index 1eed6ae61a..eb73b7332a 100755
--- a/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/local-build/kata-deploy-binaries.sh
+++ b/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/local-build/kata-deploy-binaries.sh
@@ -151,8 +151,17 @@ get_kernel_modules_dir() {
 	local numeric_final_version=${version}
 
 	# Every first release of a kernel is x.y, while the resulting folder would be x.y.0
+	local rc=$(echo ${version} | grep -oE "\-rc[0-9]+$")
+	if [ -n "${rc}" ]; then
+		numeric_final_version="${numeric_final_version%"${rc}"}"
+	fi
+
 	local dots=$(echo ${version} | grep -o '\.' | wc -l)
-	[ "${dots}" == "1" ] && numeric_final_version="${version}.0"
+	[ "${dots}" == "1" ] && numeric_final_version="${numeric_final_version}.0"
+
+	if [ -n "${rc}" ]; then
+		numeric_final_version="${numeric_final_version}${rc}"
+	fi
 
 	local kernel_modules_dir="${repo_root_dir}/tools/packaging/kata-deploy/local-build/build/${kernel_name}/builddir/kata-linux-${version}-${kernel_kata_config_version}/lib/modules/${numeric_final_version}"
 	case ${kernel_name} in
@@ -534,16 +543,18 @@ install_cached_kernel_tarball_component() {
 
 #Install kernel asset
 install_kernel_helper() {
-	local kernel_version_yaml_path="${1}"
+	local kernel_yaml_path="${1}"
 	local kernel_name="${2}"
 	local extra_cmd="${3:-}"
 	local extra_tarballs=""
 
-	export kernel_version="$(get_from_kata_deps .${kernel_version_yaml_path})"
+	export kernel_version="$(get_from_kata_deps .${kernel_yaml_path}.version)"
+	export kernel_url="$(get_from_kata_deps .${kernel_yaml_path}.url)"
 	export kernel_kata_config_version="$(cat ${repo_root_dir}/tools/packaging/kernel/kata_config_version)"
 
 	if [[ "${kernel_name}" == "kernel"*"-confidential" ]]; then
 		kernel_version="$(get_from_kata_deps .assets.kernel.confidential.version)"
+		kernel_url="$(get_from_kata_deps .assets.kernel.confidential.url)"
 	fi
 
 	if [[ "${kernel_name}" == "kernel"*"-confidential" ]]; then
@@ -564,60 +575,54 @@ install_kernel_helper() {
 
 	info "build ${kernel_name}"
 	info "Kernel version ${kernel_version}"
-	DESTDIR="${destdir}" PREFIX="${prefix}" "${kernel_builder}" -v "${kernel_version}" ${extra_cmd}
+	DESTDIR="${destdir}" PREFIX="${prefix}" "${kernel_builder}" -v "${kernel_version}" -f -u "${kernel_url}" "${extra_cmd}"
 }
 
 #Install kernel asset
 install_kernel() {
 	install_kernel_helper \
-		"assets.kernel.version" \
+		"assets.kernel" \
 		"kernel" \
-		"-f"
+		""
 }
 
 install_kernel_confidential() {
-	local kernel_url="$(get_from_kata_deps .assets.kernel.confidential.url)"
-
 	export MEASURED_ROOTFS=yes
 
 	install_kernel_helper \
-		"assets.kernel.confidential.version" \
+		"assets.kernel.confidential" \
 		"kernel-confidential" \
-		"-x -u ${kernel_url}"
+		"-x"
 }
 
 install_kernel_dragonball_experimental() {
 	install_kernel_helper \
-		"assets.kernel-dragonball-experimental.version" \
+		"assets.kernel-dragonball-experimental" \
 		"kernel-dragonball-experimental" \
 		"-e -t dragonball"
 }
 
 install_kernel_nvidia_gpu_dragonball_experimental() {
 	install_kernel_helper \
-		"assets.kernel-dragonball-experimental.version" \
+		"assets.kernel-dragonball-experimental" \
 		"kernel-dragonball-experimental" \
 		"-e -t dragonball -g nvidia -H deb"
 }
 
 #Install GPU enabled kernel asset
 install_kernel_nvidia_gpu() {
-	local kernel_url="$(get_from_kata_deps .assets.kernel.url)"
-
 	install_kernel_helper \
-		"assets.kernel.version" \
+		"assets.kernel" \
 		"kernel-nvidia-gpu" \
-		"-g nvidia -u ${kernel_url} -H deb"
+		"-g nvidia -H deb"
 }
 
 #Install GPU and TEE enabled kernel asset
 install_kernel_nvidia_gpu_confidential() {
-	local kernel_url="$(get_from_kata_deps .assets.kernel.confidential.url)"
-
 	install_kernel_helper \
-		"assets.kernel.confidential.version" \
+		"assets.kernel.confidential" \
 		"kernel-nvidia-gpu-confidential" \
-		"-x -g nvidia -u ${kernel_url} -H deb"
+		"-x -g nvidia -H deb"
 }
 
 install_qemu_helper() {
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kernel/build-kernel.sh b/tools/packaging/kernel/build-kernel.sh
index 5cc0bb1139..e908e2c240 100755
--- a/tools/packaging/kernel/build-kernel.sh
+++ b/tools/packaging/kernel/build-kernel.sh
@@ -134,28 +134,6 @@ check_initramfs_or_die() {
 		die "Initramfs for measured rootfs not found at ${default_initramfs}"
 }
 
-get_tee_kernel() {
-	local version="${1}"
-	local kernel_path="${2}"
-	local tee="${3}"
-
-	mkdir -p ${kernel_path}
-
-	if [ -z "${kernel_url}" ]; then
-		kernel_url=$(get_from_kata_deps ".assets.kernel.${tee}.url")
-	fi
-
-	local kernel_tarball="${version}.tar.gz"
-
-	# Depending on where we're getting the tarball from it may have a
-	# different name, such as linux-${version}.tar.gz or simply
-	# ${version}.tar.gz.  Let's try both before failing.
-	curl --fail -L "${kernel_url}/linux-${kernel_tarball}" -o ${kernel_tarball} || curl --fail -OL "${kernel_url}/${kernel_tarball}"
-
-	mkdir -p ${kernel_path}
-	tar --strip-components=1 -xf ${kernel_tarball} -C ${kernel_path}
-}
-
 get_kernel() {
 	local version="${1:-}"
 
@@ -163,44 +141,57 @@ get_kernel() {
 	[ -n "${kernel_path}" ] || die "kernel_path not provided"
 	[ ! -d "${kernel_path}" ] || die "kernel_path already exist"
 
-	if [ "${conf_guest}" != "" ]; then
-		get_tee_kernel ${version} ${kernel_path} ${conf_guest}
-		return
-	fi
-
 	#Remove extra 'v'
 	version=${version#v}
 
-	major_version=$(echo "${version}" | cut -d. -f1)
-	kernel_tarball="linux-${version}.tar.xz"
+	local major_version=$(echo "${version}" | cut -d. -f1)
+	local rc=$(echo "${version}" | grep -oE "\-rc[0-9]+$")
 
-	if [[ -f "${kernel_tarball}.sha256" ]] && (grep -qF "${kernel_tarball}" "${kernel_tarball}.sha256"); then
-		info "Restore valid ${kernel_tarball}.sha256 to sha256sums.asc"
-		cp -f "${kernel_tarball}.sha256" sha256sums.asc
-	else
-		shasum_url="https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v${major_version}.x/sha256sums.asc"
-		info "Download kernel checksum file: sha256sums.asc from ${shasum_url}"
-		curl --fail -OL "${shasum_url}"
-		if (grep -F "${kernel_tarball}" sha256sums.asc >"${kernel_tarball}.sha256"); then
-			info "sha256sums.asc is valid, ${kernel_tarball}.sha256 generated"
+	local tar_suffix="tar.xz"
+	if [ -n "${rc}" ]; then
+		tar_suffix="tar.gz"
+	fi
+	kernel_tarball="linux-${version}.${tar_suffix}"
+
+	if [ -z "${rc}" ]; then
+		if [[ -f "${kernel_tarball}.sha256" ]] && (grep -qF "${kernel_tarball}" "${kernel_tarball}.sha256"); then
+			info "Restore valid ${kernel_tarball}.sha256 to sha256sums.asc"
+			cp -f "${kernel_tarball}.sha256" sha256sums.asc
 		else
-			die "sha256sums.asc is invalid"
+			shasum_url="https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v${major_version}.x/sha256sums.asc"
+			info "Download kernel checksum file: sha256sums.asc from ${shasum_url}"
+			curl --fail -OL "${shasum_url}"
+			if (grep -F "${kernel_tarball}" sha256sums.asc >"${kernel_tarball}.sha256"); then
+				info "sha256sums.asc is valid, ${kernel_tarball}.sha256 generated"
+			else
+				die "sha256sums.asc is invalid"
+			fi
+		fi
+	else
+		info "Release candidate kernels are not part of the official sha256sums.asc -- skipping sha256sum validation"
+	fi
+
+	if [ -f "${kernel_tarball}" ]; then
+	       	if [ -n "${rc}" ] && ! sha256sum -c "${kernel_tarball}.sha256"; then
+			info "invalid kernel tarball ${kernel_tarball} removing "
+			rm -f "${kernel_tarball}"
 		fi
 	fi
-
-	if [ -f "${kernel_tarball}" ] && ! sha256sum -c "${kernel_tarball}.sha256"; then
-		info "invalid kernel tarball ${kernel_tarball} removing "
-		rm -f "${kernel_tarball}"
-	fi
 	if [ ! -f "${kernel_tarball}" ]; then
+		kernel_tarball_url="https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v${major_version}.x/${kernel_tarball}"
+		if [ -n "${kernel_url}" ]; then
+			kernel_tarball_url="${kernel_url}${kernel_tarball}"
+		fi
 		info "Download kernel version ${version}"
-		info "Download kernel"
-		curl --fail -OL "https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v${major_version}.x/${kernel_tarball}"
+		info "Download kernel from: ${kernel_tarball_url}"
+		curl --fail -OL "${kernel_tarball_url}"
 	else
 		info "kernel tarball already downloaded"
 	fi
 
-	sha256sum -c "${kernel_tarball}.sha256"
+	if [ -z "${rc}" ]; then
+		sha256sum -c "${kernel_tarball}.sha256"
+	fi
 
 	tar xf "${kernel_tarball}"
 
diff --git a/tools/packaging/kernel/kata_config_version b/tools/packaging/kernel/kata_config_version
index 93e7803245..897bdc8200 100644
--- a/tools/packaging/kernel/kata_config_version
+++ b/tools/packaging/kernel/kata_config_version
@@ -1 +1 @@
-138
+139
diff --git a/versions.yaml b/versions.yaml
index 5798e4339e..0691915e6a 100644
--- a/versions.yaml
+++ b/versions.yaml
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ assets:
 
   kernel-dragonball-experimental:
     description: "Linux kernel with Dragonball VMM optimizations like upcall"
-    url: "https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v5.x/"
+    url: "https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v6.x/"
     version: "v6.1.62"
 
 externals: