k3s v1.36.1+k3s1 released on 20-05-2026

k3s v1.36.1+k3s1 is out now. It updates the embedded Kubernetes to v1.36.1 and includes May 2026 backports, an upgrade to Go 1.26.2 and a set of container/image tag bumps to keep embedded components current and improve stability and compatibility.
See the Kubernetes v1.36.1 changelog and the k3s release page on GitHub for full upstream details and release artefacts; consult the k3s documentation for upgrade guidance.
What’s in this release
- Embedded Kubernetes updated to v1.36.1, bringing the upstream fixes and improvements listed in the Kubernetes changelog.
- k3s-specific changes: May 2026 backports, an update to Go 1.26.2, and container/image tag updates including rancher/local-path-provisioner and klipper-helm.
- Embedded component version bumps: Kine v0.15.0, SQLite 3.53.0, Etcd v3.6.7-k3s1, Containerd v2.2.3-k3s1, runc v1.4.2, Flannel v0.28.4, Metrics-server v0.8.1, Traefik v3.6.13, CoreDNS v1.14.3, Helm-controller v0.17.1 and Local-path-provisioner v0.0.36.
Upgrade notes
- No k3s-specific breaking changes are listed in the release notes; review the Kubernetes v1.36.1 changelog for any upstream behavioural or deprecation changes that might affect your clusters.
- If you need to revert, you can return to the previous k3s release (for example v1.36.0+k3s1) and follow the upgrade/installation guidance in the k3s documentation.
Share your experience or report problems via the project’s GitHub issues page or join the Rancher/k3s Slack channel to discuss the release with the community.



