diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8a22dbc71c..aee582ccbe 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ CLOUD_IMAGES_EXTRA_ARGS ?= ""
 
 ARTIFACTS := _out
 TOOLS ?= ghcr.io/siderolabs/tools:v1.6.0-alpha.0-1-gfa388de
-PKGS ?= v1.6.0-alpha.0-15-g847a9c3
+PKGS ?= v1.6.0-alpha.0-18-gacee18e
 PKG_KERNEL ?= ghcr.io/siderolabs/kernel:$(PKGS)
 EXTRAS ?= v1.6.0-alpha.0
 # renovate: datasource=github-tags depName=golang/go
diff --git a/hack/release.toml b/hack/release.toml
index d96da0e164..390f969124 100644
--- a/hack/release.toml
+++ b/hack/release.toml
@@ -18,15 +18,15 @@ preface = """\
         title = "Linux Firmware"
         description = """\
 Starting with Talos 1.6, there is no Linux firmware included in the initramfs.
-Customers who need Linux firmware can pull them as extension during install time using the image service.
-If the initial boot requires firmware, a custom iso can be built with the firmware included using the imager service.
+Customers who need Linux firmware can pull them as extension during install time using the image factory service.
+If the initial boot requires firmware, a custom iso can be built with the firmware included using the image factory service.
 This also ensures that the linux-firmware is not tied to a specific Talos version.
 """
 
     [notes.updates]
         title = "Component Updates"
         description = """\
-Linux: 6.1.51
+Linux: 6.1.54
 CoreDNS: v1.11.1
 Kubernetes: v1.28.2
 Flannel: v0.22.3
diff --git a/pkg/machinery/constants/constants.go b/pkg/machinery/constants/constants.go
index e9183bde56..b75d8353d7 100644
--- a/pkg/machinery/constants/constants.go
+++ b/pkg/machinery/constants/constants.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	// DefaultKernelVersion is the default Linux kernel version.
-	DefaultKernelVersion = "6.1.51-talos"
+	DefaultKernelVersion = "6.1.54-talos"
 
 	// KernelModulesPath is the default path to the kernel modules without the kernel version.
 	KernelModulesPath = "/lib/modules"
diff --git a/pkg/machinery/gendata/data/pkgs b/pkg/machinery/gendata/data/pkgs
index 8acc2f1e61..de312896a8 100644
--- a/pkg/machinery/gendata/data/pkgs
+++ b/pkg/machinery/gendata/data/pkgs
@@ -1 +1 @@
-v1.6.0-alpha.0-15-g847a9c3
\ No newline at end of file
+v1.6.0-alpha.0-18-gacee18e
\ No newline at end of file