diff --git a/base/comps/kernel/6.18-x86_64-azl.config b/base/comps/kernel/6.18-x86_64-azl.config
index 75e193676e6..ac9d58d53d4 100644
--- a/base/comps/kernel/6.18-x86_64-azl.config
+++ b/base/comps/kernel/6.18-x86_64-azl.config
@@ -3582,7 +3582,45 @@ CONFIG_SLHC=y
 CONFIG_SLIP_COMPRESSED=y
 CONFIG_SLIP_SMART=y
 CONFIG_SLIP_MODE_SLIP6=y
-# CONFIG_USB_NET_DRIVERS is not set
+CONFIG_USB_NET_DRIVERS=m
+# CONFIG_USB_CATC is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_KAWETH is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_PEGASUS is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_RTL8150 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_RTL8152 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_LAN78XX is not set
+CONFIG_USB_USBNET=m
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_AX8817X is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_AX88179_178A is not set
+CONFIG_USB_NET_CDCETHER=m
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_CDC_EEM is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_CDC_NCM is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_HUAWEI_CDC_NCM is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_CDC_MBIM is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_DM9601 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_SR9700 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_SR9800 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_SMSC75XX is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_SMSC95XX is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_GL620A is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_NET1080 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_PLUSB is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_MCS7830 is not set
+CONFIG_USB_NET_RNDIS_HOST=m
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_CDC_SUBSET is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_ZAURUS is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_CX82310_ETH is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_KALMIA is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_QMI_WWAN is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_HSO is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_INT51X1 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_CDC_PHONET is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_IPHETH is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_SIERRA_NET is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_VL600 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_CH9200 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_AQC111 is not set
+CONFIG_USB_RTL8153_ECM=m
 # CONFIG_WLAN is not set
 CONFIG_WAN=y
 CONFIG_HDLC=m
diff --git a/base/comps/kernel/kernel.spec b/base/comps/kernel/kernel.spec
index f4471b82514..087fa19809e 100644
--- a/base/comps/kernel/kernel.spec
+++ b/base/comps/kernel/kernel.spec
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 # Azure Linux kernel build defines. These were previously injected via the
 # azldev-generated kernel.azl.macros file; they now live directly in the spec.
 # When rebuilding without a version change, bump azl_pkgrelease (manual release).
-%define azl_pkgrelease 15
+%define azl_pkgrelease 16
 # 4th version component from the AZL kernel source (6.18.31.1). Flows into
 # Release:, uname -r, and the /lib/modules/ path.
 %define kextraversion 1
@@ -4609,6 +4609,9 @@ fi\
 
 # AZL-KMOD-FILES-ANCHOR — do not remove (kmod overlays chain here)
 %changelog
+* Tue Aug 11 2026 Andreas Zaugg <azaugg@linkedin.com> - 6.18.31-1.16
+- feat(kernel): enable USB RNDIS host driver (USB_NET_RNDIS_HOST) as module on x86_64
+
 * Tue Aug 11 2026 Elaheh Dehghani <edehghani@microsoft.com> - 6.18.31-1.15
 - feat(kmod-nvidia-open): add opt-in kmod-nvidia-open-matched sentinel package for automatic kernel upgrade tracking
 
diff --git a/locks/kernel.lock b/locks/kernel.lock
index ac64d6d14aa..e60f6f9ebad 100644
--- a/locks/kernel.lock
+++ b/locks/kernel.lock
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # Managed by azldev component update. Do not edit manually.
 version = 1
-input-fingerprint = 'sha256:c855a11b58a08f8247ecccb7f9c91e4ce0942bb028ab95df98aa4e55db4ee3d6'
+input-fingerprint = 'sha256:f8379b98dd0fc3839c3be8bcff155b699c4af0ef6ce0ffb5b47298b083adaac5'
 resolution-input-hash = 'sha256:466421704711c4fd3c71f0b2ed715a0e61d49e3e26f3a2637fee755795849c8e'
diff --git a/scripts/ci/kernel/kernel-config-checker/kernel_config_checker/kernel_configs_json/azl4-os-required-kernel-configs.json b/scripts/ci/kernel/kernel-config-checker/kernel_config_checker/kernel_configs_json/azl4-os-required-kernel-configs.json
index d22f916bd99..b0189e432b7 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/kernel/kernel-config-checker/kernel_config_checker/kernel_configs_json/azl4-os-required-kernel-configs.json
+++ b/scripts/ci/kernel/kernel-config-checker/kernel_config_checker/kernel_configs_json/azl4-os-required-kernel-configs.json
@@ -3024,6 +3024,16 @@
           ],
           "justification": "Enable firmware-first hardware error reporting through ACPI APEI GHES on x86_64 - Work item: https://microsoft.visualstudio.com/OS/_workitems/edit/63295066"
         },
+        {
+          "name": "CONFIG_USB_NET_RNDIS_HOST",
+          "values": [
+            {
+              "architecture": "x86_64",
+              "value": "m"
+            }
+          ],
+          "justification": "https://microsoft.visualstudio.com/OS/_workitems/edit/62487471"
+        },
         {
           "name": "CONFIG_DRM_ACCEL_IVPU",
           "values": [
diff --git a/specs/k/kernel/6.18-x86_64-azl.config b/specs/k/kernel/6.18-x86_64-azl.config
index 75e193676e6..ac9d58d53d4 100644
--- a/specs/k/kernel/6.18-x86_64-azl.config
+++ b/specs/k/kernel/6.18-x86_64-azl.config
@@ -3582,7 +3582,45 @@ CONFIG_SLHC=y
 CONFIG_SLIP_COMPRESSED=y
 CONFIG_SLIP_SMART=y
 CONFIG_SLIP_MODE_SLIP6=y
-# CONFIG_USB_NET_DRIVERS is not set
+CONFIG_USB_NET_DRIVERS=m
+# CONFIG_USB_CATC is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_KAWETH is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_PEGASUS is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_RTL8150 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_RTL8152 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_LAN78XX is not set
+CONFIG_USB_USBNET=m
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_AX8817X is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_AX88179_178A is not set
+CONFIG_USB_NET_CDCETHER=m
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_CDC_EEM is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_CDC_NCM is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_HUAWEI_CDC_NCM is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_CDC_MBIM is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_DM9601 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_SR9700 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_SR9800 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_SMSC75XX is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_SMSC95XX is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_GL620A is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_NET1080 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_PLUSB is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_MCS7830 is not set
+CONFIG_USB_NET_RNDIS_HOST=m
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_CDC_SUBSET is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_ZAURUS is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_CX82310_ETH is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_KALMIA is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_QMI_WWAN is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_HSO is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_INT51X1 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_CDC_PHONET is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_IPHETH is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_SIERRA_NET is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_VL600 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_CH9200 is not set
+# CONFIG_USB_NET_AQC111 is not set
+CONFIG_USB_RTL8153_ECM=m
 # CONFIG_WLAN is not set
 CONFIG_WAN=y
 CONFIG_HDLC=m
diff --git a/specs/k/kernel/kernel.spec b/specs/k/kernel/kernel.spec
index 782c63e09fd..d760631be3f 100644
--- a/specs/k/kernel/kernel.spec
+++ b/specs/k/kernel/kernel.spec
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 # Azure Linux kernel build defines. These were previously injected via the
 # azldev-generated kernel.azl.macros file; they now live directly in the spec.
 # When rebuilding without a version change, bump azl_pkgrelease (manual release).
-%define azl_pkgrelease 15
+%define azl_pkgrelease 16
 # 4th version component from the AZL kernel source (6.18.31.1). Flows into
 # Release:, uname -r, and the /lib/modules/ path.
 %define kextraversion 1
@@ -4612,6 +4612,9 @@ fi\
 
 # AZL-KMOD-FILES-ANCHOR — do not remove (kmod overlays chain here)
 %changelog
+* Tue Aug 11 2026 Andreas Zaugg <azaugg@linkedin.com> - 6.18.31-1.16
+- feat(kernel): enable USB RNDIS host driver (USB_NET_RNDIS_HOST) as module on x86_64
+
 * Tue Aug 11 2026 Elaheh Dehghani <edehghani@microsoft.com> - 6.18.31-1.15
 - feat(kmod-nvidia-open): add opt-in kmod-nvidia-open-matched sentinel package for automatic kernel upgrade tracking