diff --git a/meta-arm/conf/machine/generic-arm64.conf b/meta-arm/conf/machine/generic-arm64.conf
index dc411f67..2ee78056 100644
--- a/meta-arm/conf/machine/generic-arm64.conf
+++ b/meta-arm/conf/machine/generic-arm64.conf
@@ -6,9 +6,6 @@
 require conf/machine/include/arm/arch-armv8a.inc
 
 PREFERRED_PROVIDER_virtual/kernel ?= "linux-yocto"
-# Newer versions of the kernel are not booting on QEMU.  Hold it back to a
-#  known working version until it is determined why
-PREFERRED_VERSION_linux-yocto ?= "5.10%"
 KBUILD_DEFCONFIG = "defconfig"
 KCONFIG_MODE = "--alldefconfig"
 KERNEL_IMAGETYPE = "Image"
diff --git a/meta-arm/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-yocto/defconfig.patch b/meta-arm/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-yocto/defconfig.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index 2b7cbbb7..00000000
--- a/meta-arm/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-yocto/defconfig.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,81 +0,0 @@
-Upstream-Status: Submitted
-Signed-off-by: Ross Burton <ross.burton@arm.com>
-
-From 976241eed25267bae5a535c01971c7c81ddcf38b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
-From: Ross Burton <ross.burton@arm.com>
-Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2021 15:32:22 +0000
-Subject: [PATCH 2/5] arm64: defconfig: drop unused POWER_AVS option
-
-Commit 785b5bb41b0a ("PM: AVS: Drop the avs directory and the
-corresponding Kconfig") moved AVS code to SOC-specific folders, and
-removed corresponding Kconfig from drivers/power, leaving original
-POWER_AVS config option enabled in some defconfigs.
-
-Remove the options, which have no references in the tree anymore.
-
-Fixes: 785b5bb41b0a ("PM: AVS: Drop the avs directory and the corresponding Kconfig")
-
-Signed-off-by: Ross Burton <ross.burton@arm.com>
----
- arch/arm64/configs/defconfig | 1 -
- 1 file changed, 1 deletion(-)
-
-diff --git a/arch/arm64/configs/defconfig b/arch/arm64/configs/defconfig
-index 6d84761d1285..9bb5a97d24f0 100644
---- a/arch/arm64/configs/defconfig
-+++ b/arch/arm64/configs/defconfig
-@@ -514,7 +514,6 @@ CONFIG_GPIO_PCA953X_IRQ=y
- CONFIG_GPIO_BD9571MWV=m
- CONFIG_GPIO_MAX77620=y
- CONFIG_GPIO_SL28CPLD=m
--CONFIG_POWER_AVS=y
- CONFIG_QCOM_CPR=y
- CONFIG_ROCKCHIP_IODOMAIN=y
- CONFIG_POWER_RESET_MSM=y
--- 
-2.25.1
-
-
-From 07fbdbcb768d70ccd8e7fe66aee9f4705a60400b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
-From: Ross Burton <ross.burton@arm.com>
-Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2021 16:05:56 +0100
-Subject: [PATCH 3/5] arm64: defconfig: set CONFIG_USB_CONN_GPIO=y
-
-Since 10a7b37b5b ("arm64: Update default configuration") PHY_TEGRA_XUSB
-is set to y. That option needs USB_CONN_GPIO to also be y not m, so
-set USB_CONN_GPIO explicitly to y to reflect reality.
-
-Signed-off-by: Ross Burton <ross.burton@arm.com>
----
- arch/arm64/configs/defconfig | 2 +-
- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
-
-diff --git a/arch/arm64/configs/defconfig b/arch/arm64/configs/defconfig
-index 6d84761d1285..84a75ed7e167 100644
---- a/arch/arm64/configs/defconfig
-+++ b/arch/arm64/configs/defconfig
-@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ CONFIG_SND_SOC_WSA881X=m
- CONFIG_SND_SIMPLE_CARD=m
- CONFIG_SND_AUDIO_GRAPH_CARD=m
- CONFIG_I2C_HID=m
--CONFIG_USB_CONN_GPIO=m
-+CONFIG_USB_CONN_GPIO=y
- CONFIG_USB=y
- CONFIG_USB_OTG=y
- CONFIG_USB_XHCI_HCD=y
--- 
-2.25.1
-
-
-diff --git a/arch/arm64/configs/defconfig b/arch/arm64/configs/defconfig
-index 6d84761d1285..0f45921cf5b2 100644
---- a/arch/arm64/configs/defconfig
-+++ b/arch/arm64/configs/defconfig
-@@ -683,7 +683,6 @@ CONFIG_DRM_PANFROST=m
- CONFIG_FB=y
- CONFIG_FB_MODE_HELPERS=y
- CONFIG_FB_EFI=y
--CONFIG_BACKLIGHT_GENERIC=m
- CONFIG_BACKLIGHT_PWM=m
- CONFIG_BACKLIGHT_LP855X=m
- CONFIG_LOGO=y
diff --git a/meta-arm/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-yocto_%.bbappend b/meta-arm/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-yocto_%.bbappend
index 957cc3f1..f12dc7cb 100644
--- a/meta-arm/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-yocto_%.bbappend
+++ b/meta-arm/recipes-kernel/linux/linux-yocto_%.bbappend
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ ARMFILESPATHS := "${THISDIR}/${PN}:"
 COMPATIBLE_MACHINE:generic-arm64 = "generic-arm64"
 FILESEXTRAPATHS:prepend:generic-arm64 = "${ARMFILESPATHS}"
 SRC_URI:append:generic-arm64 = " \
-    file://defconfig.patch \
     file://tcpci.cfg \
     "