diff --git a/include/kernel.mk b/include/kernel.mk
index 6ef766388a9..7d09e90656e 100644
--- a/include/kernel.mk
+++ b/include/kernel.mk
@@ -213,8 +213,8 @@ define KernelPackage
     SECTION:=kernel
     CATEGORY:=Kernel modules
     DESCRIPTION:=$(DESCRIPTION)
-    EXTRA_DEPENDS:=kernel (=$(LINUX_VERSION)~$(LINUX_VERMAGIC)-r$(LINUX_RELEASE))
-    VERSION:=$(LINUX_VERSION)$(if $(PKG_VERSION),.$(PKG_VERSION))-r$(if $(PKG_RELEASE),$(PKG_RELEASE),$(LINUX_RELEASE))
+    EXTRA_DEPENDS:=kernel (=$(subst -rc,_rc,$(LINUX_VERSION))~$(LINUX_VERMAGIC)-r$(LINUX_RELEASE))
+    VERSION:=$(subst -rc,_rc,$(LINUX_VERSION))$(if $(PKG_VERSION),.$(PKG_VERSION))-r$(if $(PKG_RELEASE),$(PKG_RELEASE),$(LINUX_RELEASE))
     PKGFLAGS:=$(PKGFLAGS)
     $(call KernelPackage/$(1))
     $(call KernelPackage/$(1)/$(BOARD))
diff --git a/package/Makefile b/package/Makefile
index 097ee17151b..0fd3a5e8c80 100644
--- a/package/Makefile
+++ b/package/Makefile
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ ifneq ($(CONFIG_USE_APK),)
 		$$(cat $(TMP_DIR)/apk_install_list) \
 			"base-files=$(shell cat $(TMP_DIR)/base-files.version)" \
 			"libc=$(shell cat $(TMP_DIR)/libc.version)" \
-			"kernel=$(shell cat $(TMP_DIR)/kernel.version)"
+			"kernel=$(subst -rc,_rc,$(shell cat $(TMP_DIR)/kernel.version))"
 
 	rm -rf $(TARGET_DIR)/run
 else
diff --git a/package/kernel/linux/Makefile b/package/kernel/linux/Makefile
index 5ceb78d1281..2f4124b7040 100644
--- a/package/kernel/linux/Makefile
+++ b/package/kernel/linux/Makefile
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ define Package/kernel
   CATEGORY:=Kernel
   DEFAULT:=y
   TITLE:=Virtual kernel package
-  VERSION:=$(LINUX_VERSION)~$(LINUX_VERMAGIC)-r$(LINUX_RELEASE)
+  VERSION:=$(subst -rc,_rc,$(LINUX_VERSION))~$(LINUX_VERMAGIC)-r$(LINUX_RELEASE)
   URL:=http://www.kernel.org/
   PKG_FLAGS:=nonshared
 endef