diff --git a/config/boards/helios4.conf b/config/boards/helios4.conf
index 4580b7a05d42..efc958a48721 100644
--- a/config/boards/helios4.conf
+++ b/config/boards/helios4.conf
@@ -20,3 +20,23 @@ function post_family_config__helios4_extra_packages() {
 	add_packages_to_image "fancontrol"
 	add_packages_to_image "ethtool"
 }
+
+# J17 PWM on Helios4 depends on the out-of-tree timer-assignment patch, which
+# is currently .disabled from mvebu-6.18 onwards (needs porting to the
+# refactored pwm chip API). Comment out original J17 references in
+# /etc/fancontrol so the service starts with J10-only; drop this hook once
+# the patch is ported and re-enabled.
+function post_family_tweaks_bsp__helios4_j17_disable_until_patch_ported() {
+	linux-version compare "${KERNEL_MAJOR_MINOR}" ge 6.18 || return 0
+	[[ -s "${destination}/etc/fancontrol" ]] || return 0
+	display_alert "${BOARD}" "fancontrol: commenting out J17 (no >=6.18 timer patch)" "info"
+	awk '
+		BEGIN { print "# J17 PWM disabled: mvebu >=6.18 lacks the timer-assignment patch." }
+		/\/dev\/fan-j17\/pwm1/ {
+			print "# " $0
+			gsub(/ ?\/dev\/fan-j17\/pwm1=[^ ]+/, "")
+		}
+		{ print }
+	' "${destination}/etc/fancontrol" > "${destination}/etc/fancontrol.new"
+	mv "${destination}/etc/fancontrol.new" "${destination}/etc/fancontrol"
+}
diff --git a/config/sources/families/mvebu.conf b/config/sources/families/mvebu.conf
index 33e959c94fae..6248d784e455 100644
--- a/config/sources/families/mvebu.conf
+++ b/config/sources/families/mvebu.conf
@@ -31,7 +31,11 @@ case $BRANCH in
 
 	edge)
 
-		declare -g KERNEL_MAJOR_MINOR="6.15" # Major and minor versions of this kernel.
+		if [[ $BOARD == helios4 ]]; then
+			declare -g KERNEL_MAJOR_MINOR="6.18" # helios4: 6.18 LTS, restore orphaned mvebu patches
+		else
+			declare -g KERNEL_MAJOR_MINOR="6.15" # Major and minor versions of this kernel.
+		fi
 		;;
 
 esac
diff --git a/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/09-pci-link-retraining.patch.disabled b/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/09-pci-link-retraining.patch.disabled
similarity index 100%
rename from patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/09-pci-link-retraining.patch.disabled
rename to patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/09-pci-link-retraining.patch.disabled
diff --git a/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/91-01-libata-add-ledtrig-support.patch.disabled b/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/91-01-libata-add-ledtrig-support.patch.disabled
similarity index 100%
rename from patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/91-01-libata-add-ledtrig-support.patch.disabled
rename to patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/91-01-libata-add-ledtrig-support.patch.disabled
diff --git a/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/91-02-Enable-ATA-port-LED-trigger.patch.disabled b/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/91-02-Enable-ATA-port-LED-trigger.patch.disabled
similarity index 100%
rename from patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/91-02-Enable-ATA-port-LED-trigger.patch.disabled
rename to patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/91-02-Enable-ATA-port-LED-trigger.patch.disabled
diff --git a/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/92-mvebu-gpio-add_wake_on_gpio_support.patch b/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/92-mvebu-gpio-add_wake_on_gpio_support.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/92-mvebu-gpio-add_wake_on_gpio_support.patch
rename to patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/92-mvebu-gpio-add_wake_on_gpio_support.patch
diff --git a/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/92-mvebu-gpio-remove-hardcoded-timer-assignment.patch.disabled b/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/92-mvebu-gpio-remove-hardcoded-timer-assignment.patch.disabled
similarity index 100%
rename from patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/92-mvebu-gpio-remove-hardcoded-timer-assignment.patch.disabled
rename to patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/92-mvebu-gpio-remove-hardcoded-timer-assignment.patch.disabled
diff --git a/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/94-helios4-dts-add-wake-on-lan-support.patch b/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/94-helios4-dts-add-wake-on-lan-support.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/94-helios4-dts-add-wake-on-lan-support.patch
rename to patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/94-helios4-dts-add-wake-on-lan-support.patch
diff --git a/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/compile-dtb-with-symbol-support.patch.disabled b/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/compile-dtb-with-symbol-support.patch.disabled
similarity index 100%
rename from patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/compile-dtb-with-symbol-support.patch.disabled
rename to patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/compile-dtb-with-symbol-support.patch.disabled
diff --git a/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/dts-disable-spi-flash-on-a388-microsom.patch b/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/dts-disable-spi-flash-on-a388-microsom.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/dts-disable-spi-flash-on-a388-microsom.patch
rename to patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/dts-disable-spi-flash-on-a388-microsom.patch
diff --git a/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/general-increasing_DMA_block_memory_allocation_to_2048.patch b/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/general-increasing_DMA_block_memory_allocation_to_2048.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/general-increasing_DMA_block_memory_allocation_to_2048.patch
rename to patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/general-increasing_DMA_block_memory_allocation_to_2048.patch
diff --git a/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/unlock_atheros_regulatory_restrictions.patch b/patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/unlock_atheros_regulatory_restrictions.patch
similarity index 100%
rename from patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.12/unlock_atheros_regulatory_restrictions.patch
rename to patch/kernel/archive/mvebu-6.18/unlock_atheros_regulatory_restrictions.patch