diff --git a/openpower/configs/palmetto_defconfig b/openpower/configs/palmetto_defconfig
index 15c3767..ee5146c 100644
--- a/openpower/configs/palmetto_defconfig
+++ b/openpower/configs/palmetto_defconfig
@@ -18,10 +18,6 @@
 # skiboot requirements
 BR2_TARGET_SKIBOOT=y
 BR2_TARGET_SKIBOOT_EMBED_PAYLOAD=y
-BR2_LINUX_KERNEL=y
-BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_USE_DEFCONFIG=y
-BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_DEFCONFIG="pseries"
-BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_ZIMAGE_EPAPR=y
 
 # petitboot requirements
 BR2_ENABLE_LOCALE_PURGE=y
@@ -30,16 +26,23 @@
 BR2_ROOTFS_DEVICE_CREATION_DYNAMIC_EUDEV=y
 BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_GETTY_PORT="hvc0"
 BR2_ROOTFS_OVERLAY="overlay"
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL=y
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_GIT=y
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_REPO_URL="git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/paulus/powerkvm.git"
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_CUSTOM_REPO_VERSION="71ca6744e118d6850bf47f58e872900f5f47b9ee"
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_USE_DEFCONFIG=y
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_DEFCONFIG="skiroot"
+BR2_LINUX_KERNEL_ZIMAGE_EPAPR=y
 BR2_PACKAGE_BUSYBOX_SHOW_OTHERS=y
 BR2_PACKAGE_LINUX_FIRMWARE=y
 BR2_PACKAGE_LINUX_FIRMWARE_BNX2X=y
 BR2_PACKAGE_LINUX_FIRMWARE_CXGB4=y
 BR2_PACKAGE_NCURSES_WCHAR=y
 BR2_PACKAGE_DROPBEAR=y
+# BR2_PACKAGE_DROPBEAR_SERVER is not set
 BR2_PACKAGE_ETHTOOL=y
 BR2_PACKAGE_NETCAT=y
 BR2_PACKAGE_RSYNC=y
 BR2_PACKAGE_PETITBOOT=y
-BR2_TARGET_ROOTFS_CPIO=y
 BR2_TARGET_ROOTFS_CPIO_XZ=y
 BR2_TARGET_ROOTFS_INITRAMFS=y