diff --git a/include/kernel-build.mk b/include/kernel-build.mk
index e3c532cd1d7..71b9d8000fc 100644
--- a/include/kernel-build.mk
+++ b/include/kernel-build.mk
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ else
   )
 endif
 
+STAMP_PREPARED:=$(LINUX_DIR)/.prepared
+STAMP_CONFIGURED:=$(LINUX_DIR)/.configured
+include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/quilt.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/kernel-defaults.mk
 
 define Kernel/Prepare
@@ -82,13 +85,13 @@ define BuildKernel
 		$(SCRIPT_DIR)/download.pl $(DL_DIR) $(LINUX_SOURCE) $(LINUX_KERNEL_MD5SUM) $(LINUX_SITE)
   endif
 
-  $(LINUX_DIR)/.prepared: $(DL_DIR)/$(LINUX_SOURCE)
+  $(STAMP_PREPARED): $(DL_DIR)/$(LINUX_SOURCE)
 	-rm -rf $(KERNEL_BUILD_DIR)
 	-mkdir -p $(KERNEL_BUILD_DIR)
 	$(call Kernel/Prepare)
 	touch $$@
 
-  $(LINUX_DIR)/.configured: $(LINUX_DIR)/.prepared $(LINUX_CONFIG)
+  $(STAMP_CONFIGURED): $(LINUX_DIR)/.prepared $(LINUX_CONFIG)
 	$(call Kernel/Configure)
 	touch $$@
 
diff --git a/include/kernel-defaults.mk b/include/kernel-defaults.mk
index b9231a9bebd..529b3308511 100644
--- a/include/kernel-defaults.mk
+++ b/include/kernel-defaults.mk
@@ -27,12 +27,11 @@ KERNEL_MAKEOPTS := -C $(LINUX_DIR) \
 	ARCH="$(LINUX_KARCH)" \
 	CONFIG_SHELL="$(BASH)"
 
+# defined in quilt.mk
+Kernel/Patch:=$(Kernel/Patch/Default)
 define Kernel/Prepare/Default
 	bzcat $(DL_DIR)/$(LINUX_SOURCE) | tar -C $(KERNEL_BUILD_DIR) $(TAR_OPTIONS)
-	if [ -d $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/files ]; then $(CP) $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/files/* $(LINUX_DIR)/; fi
-	if [ -d $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/patches ]; then $(PATCH) $(LINUX_DIR) $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/patches; fi
-	if [ -d ./files ]; then $(CP) ./files/* $(LINUX_DIR)/; fi
-	if [ -d ./patches ]; then $(PATCH) $(LINUX_DIR) ./patches; fi
+	$(Kernel/Patch)
 endef
 
 define Kernel/Configure/2.4
diff --git a/include/quilt.mk b/include/quilt.mk
index beb0840c000..dbf0435f99e 100644
--- a/include/quilt.mk
+++ b/include/quilt.mk
@@ -5,22 +5,30 @@
 # See /LICENSE for more information.
 #
 
+ifeq ($(KERNEL_BUILD),1)
+  PKG_BUILD_DIR:=$(LINUX_DIR)
+endif
+
+define Quilt/Patch
+	@for patch in $$$$( (cd $(1) && ls) 2>/dev/null ); do ( \
+		cp "$(1)/$$$$patch" $(PKG_BUILD_DIR); \
+		cd $(PKG_BUILD_DIR); \
+		quilt import -P$(2)$$$$patch -p 1 "$$$$patch"; \
+		quilt push -f >/dev/null 2>/dev/null; \
+		rm -f "$$$$patch"; \
+	); done
+endef
+
 QUILT?=$(strip $(shell test -f $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/.quilt_used && echo y))
 ifneq ($(QUILT),)
   STAMP_PREPARED:=$(strip $(STAMP_PREPARED))_q
   STAMP_PATCHED:=$(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/.quilt_patched
   CONFIG_AUTOREBUILD=
-  PATCHES:=$(shell (cd ./patches && ls) 2>/dev/null)
+  PATCHES:=$(shell )
   define Build/Patch/Default
 	rm -rf $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches
 	mkdir -p $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches
-	@for patch in $(PATCHES); do ( \
-		cp "./patches/$$$$patch" $(PKG_BUILD_DIR); \
-		cd $(PKG_BUILD_DIR); \
-		quilt import -p 1 "$$$$patch"; \
-		quilt push -f >/dev/null 2>/dev/null; \
-		rm -f "$$$$patch"; \
-	); done
+	$(call Quilt/Patch,./patches,)
 	@echo
 	touch $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/.quilt_used
   endef
@@ -34,11 +42,46 @@ else
   endef
 endif
 
+define Kernel/Patch/Default
+	if [ -d $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/files ]; then $(CP) $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/files/* $(LINUX_DIR)/; fi
+	if [ -d ./files ]; then $(CP) ./files/* $(LINUX_DIR)/; fi
+	$(if $(strip $(QUILT)),$(call Quilt/Patch,$(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/patches,generic/), \
+		if [ -d $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/patches ]; then $(PATCH) $(LINUX_DIR) $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/patches; fi \
+	)
+	$(if $(strip $(QUILT)),$(call Quilt/Patch,./patches,platform/), \
+		if [ -d ./files ]; then $(CP) ./files/* $(LINUX_DIR)/; fi \
+	)
+	touch $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/.quilt_used
+endef
+
 $(STAMP_PATCHED): $(STAMP_PREPARED)
 	@cd $(PKG_BUILD_DIR); quilt pop -a -f >/dev/null 2>/dev/null || true
-	$(if $(strip $(PATCHES)),cd $(PKG_BUILD_DIR); quilt push -a)
+	[ -f "$(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches/series" ] && cd $(PKG_BUILD_DIR); quilt push -a
 	touch $@
 
+define Quilt/RefreshDir
+	mkdir -p $(1)
+	-rm -f $(1)/* 2>/dev/null >/dev/null
+	@( \
+		for patch in $$($(if $(2),grep "^$(2)",cat) $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches/series | awk '{print $$1}'); do \
+			$(CP) -v "$(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches/$$patch" $(1); \
+		done; \
+	)
+endef
+
+define Quilt/Refresh/Package
+	$(call Quilt/RefreshDir,./patches)
+endef
+
+define Quilt/Refresh/Kernel
+	@[ -z "$$(grep -v '^generic/' $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches/series | grep -v '^platform/')" ] || { \
+		echo "All kernel patches must start with either generic/ or platform/"; \
+		false; \
+	}
+	$(call Quilt/RefreshDir,$(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/patches,generic/)
+	$(call Quilt/RefreshDir,./patches,platform/)
+endef
+
 refresh: $(STAMP_PREPARED)
 	@[ -f "$(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/.quilt_used" ] || { \
 		echo "The source directory was not unpacked using quilt. Please rebuild with QUILT=1"; \
@@ -52,10 +95,5 @@ refresh: $(STAMP_PREPARED)
 		echo "The patches are not sorted in the right order. Please fix."; \
 		false; \
 	}
-	mkdir -p ./patches
-	rm -f ./patches/* 2>/dev/null >/dev/null
-	@( \
-		for patch in $$(cat $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches/series); do \
-			$(CP) -v "$(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/patches/$$patch" ./patches; \
-		done; \
-	)
+	$(if $(KERNEL_BUILD),$(Quilt/Refresh/Kernel),$(Quilt/Refresh/Package))
+
diff --git a/target/Makefile b/target/Makefile
index 9a7dff2a78d..438d268b5e9 100644
--- a/target/Makefile
+++ b/target/Makefile
@@ -51,5 +51,5 @@ image_install: image_compile
 imagebuilder_install: image_install
 	$(MAKE) -C imagebuilder install
 
-%-prereq %-prepare %-download %-clean %-compile %-install: FORCE
+%-prereq %-prepare %-download %-clean %-compile %-install %-refresh: FORCE
 	$(MAKE) -C $* $(patsubst $*-%,%,$@)
diff --git a/target/linux/Makefile b/target/linux/Makefile
index c15d81999f7..275085448f5 100644
--- a/target/linux/Makefile
+++ b/target/linux/Makefile
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ compile:
 install:
 	$(MAKE) -C $(BOARD)-$(KERNEL) install
 	
+refresh:
+	$(MAKE) -C $(BOARD)-$(KERNEL) refresh
+
 menuconfig:
 	$(MAKE) -C $(BOARD)-$(KERNEL) menuconfig