diff --git a/nixos/tests/rancher/auto-deploy.nix b/nixos/tests/rancher/auto-deploy.nix
index b9c2a80cbd5a..3da2fa7f1f9a 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/rancher/auto-deploy.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/rancher/auto-deploy.nix
@@ -275,9 +275,16 @@ in
             k3s = ''
               machine.wait_until_succeeds("kubectl -n kube-system rollout status deployment traefik")
             '';
-            rke2 = ''
-              machine.wait_until_succeeds("kubectl -n kube-system rollout status daemonset rke2-ingress-nginx-controller")
-            '';
+            rke2 =
+              # Starting from v1.36, RKE2 also uses traefik as default load balancer
+              if lib.versionAtLeast rancherPackage.version "1.36" then
+                ''
+                  machine.wait_until_succeeds("kubectl -n kube-system rollout status daemonset rke2-traefik")
+                ''
+              else
+                ''
+                  machine.wait_until_succeeds("kubectl -n kube-system rollout status daemonset rke2-ingress-nginx-controller")
+                '';
           }
           .${rancherDistro}
         }
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/rke2/1_36/images-versions.json b/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/rke2/1_36/images-versions.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b82d9e141d76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/rke2/1_36/images-versions.json
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+{
+  "images-calico-linux-amd64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-calico.linux-amd64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "bc9fb1ba72af6185de90e4e0f8a384993657c4b0fdedbb14e7ca5cf93bf2303d"
+  },
+  "images-calico-linux-amd64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-calico.linux-amd64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "38fc5ecd017e9a66e3831ece42efedcfedaafc000759eaa4fb9f19a68122ec51"
+  },
+  "images-calico-linux-arm64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-calico.linux-arm64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "e86ac7f4cf14e4f02fcdd0e3d74e832fa43654f592068c2b5d8c044c69e2b749"
+  },
+  "images-calico-linux-arm64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-calico.linux-arm64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "03df93db61bc54f351bb6131c632279c265d4b71af0a90e2a6898f9b99b453f4"
+  },
+  "images-canal-linux-amd64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-canal.linux-amd64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "5cce5314ed6ff237c646723456c81876e89517b9164368728a9df00697655858"
+  },
+  "images-canal-linux-amd64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-canal.linux-amd64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "3a7828ce0143c3eb91cae940cebdfa0145960e91be056e88a8b077ee39ccc54d"
+  },
+  "images-canal-linux-arm64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-canal.linux-arm64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "e8346348137747fbd626846e5b71d182c49e8a1dcb997ea9e91f50e7bd907129"
+  },
+  "images-canal-linux-arm64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-canal.linux-arm64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "ede6d29451a99d7f4663b6a2b8eb0cfa093f83b7b025fd5c4899fb02edac703d"
+  },
+  "images-cilium-linux-amd64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-cilium.linux-amd64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "8c52261340b4af54186f83d2913c676a2dcef820f25a1b42b8c51cfef1dcdbc6"
+  },
+  "images-cilium-linux-amd64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-cilium.linux-amd64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "865913456dc55b2ba4748b0fe76489e4960a60990f207341c66bcbf9e93e95b3"
+  },
+  "images-cilium-linux-arm64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-cilium.linux-arm64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "4170bfc7d0ebf9167a94d24e393fbff0fc7dce4da1443257709fdbe603ffc579"
+  },
+  "images-cilium-linux-arm64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-cilium.linux-arm64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "016caf748e5c39460b9618d998d261c7db8fe8348f9fa43d35693a47d4913b86"
+  },
+  "images-core-linux-amd64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-core.linux-amd64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "03a72f2c228131b7cb616c5b7758cd1c00b7f3e7d589573c5faf837e4e2ab764"
+  },
+  "images-core-linux-amd64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-core.linux-amd64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "37acd15d183693fb0bb465840590593ed78d72415752a052d282a418fdb905cf"
+  },
+  "images-core-linux-arm64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-core.linux-arm64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "4798bf3293e7b5b62e694bee8a811c3ace86bb5c7516c9f196a4ba48dc947c3f"
+  },
+  "images-core-linux-arm64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-core.linux-arm64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "ff8c770fa2b17151e333a0a4449bc4dc3cd5c65662ec88b2ffc31fde6a40d0ed"
+  },
+  "images-flannel-linux-amd64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-flannel.linux-amd64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "0e5c71c9ecd89f11bb1cc0ea72a0297090e7a44395efe5fd74e14af3db3581a8"
+  },
+  "images-flannel-linux-amd64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-flannel.linux-amd64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "23695fd8c2a77f043a089c44437d12b5bde88422dbcd1d70edcda7a78f651137"
+  },
+  "images-flannel-linux-arm64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-flannel.linux-arm64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "d9f75aaace63bcba2cbaeba2662d9877d39ec822621fd96824e9ec3fbe62a79c"
+  },
+  "images-flannel-linux-arm64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-flannel.linux-arm64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "8aa8e19b739bc3fd897115f92d54acd081453441ee4dae8ca694ec47662838a7"
+  },
+  "images-harvester-linux-amd64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-harvester.linux-amd64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "c9442d489c4170fc515d04c2c5c7c76ff3ca2fb4093a94aea0d0a6fb1719c5d3"
+  },
+  "images-harvester-linux-amd64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-harvester.linux-amd64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "9551558d7baba1a78de7954f4801cf4329b5fb5ffd0cc3566b9fa32732ff950c"
+  },
+  "images-harvester-linux-arm64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-harvester.linux-arm64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "11ea150625fc1a4700cec2859367692d533f7f9288f7196b331a77682766d742"
+  },
+  "images-harvester-linux-arm64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-harvester.linux-arm64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "045db3938a0a11f6d5b4936f63471fec48fd76d29ef85e9cfe6bae5bddd8525e"
+  },
+  "images-ingress-nginx-linux-amd64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-ingress-nginx.linux-amd64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "0af77531d170d30b844518bb4665b29f3f386cf160f7c2b955467516f4d04dc3"
+  },
+  "images-ingress-nginx-linux-amd64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-ingress-nginx.linux-amd64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "d5b7d3f12de0799cebf84fc6260fc4f093f2837c5fef6fc84849d8f1da5cbc22"
+  },
+  "images-ingress-nginx-linux-arm64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-ingress-nginx.linux-arm64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "8c5d5eea216102e5dd07621671f2e462dfade184f20c81adb8facbaa58e59c2c"
+  },
+  "images-ingress-nginx-linux-arm64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-ingress-nginx.linux-arm64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "363f42d83118e3398e72996f6b42477230000ffd50d93fdda570140ea020539b"
+  },
+  "images-multus-linux-amd64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-multus.linux-amd64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "ec3d8557e36db43acd9a76c38242de6feea354e41ae3ff8b9ab55de82ee19026"
+  },
+  "images-multus-linux-amd64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-multus.linux-amd64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "8be7075092a5e179e50fb526ea730018103d9f8a609f22f0d1431482690a9d7f"
+  },
+  "images-multus-linux-arm64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-multus.linux-arm64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "caebabf77d9d3190d76156990d8eaa0c2df5cb563a8447f1e506b50f4104e1a0"
+  },
+  "images-multus-linux-arm64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-multus.linux-arm64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "39bd89d250894254f7c1f9b061401a574716574ab3f51cc3a82c03eb4e804825"
+  },
+  "images-vsphere-linux-amd64-tar-gz": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-vsphere.linux-amd64.tar.gz",
+    "sha256": "d07ed8b72db67fae9024540fca3eed7990b4a4b3a7ba6eef78a2eae8e6b3b4d3"
+  },
+  "images-vsphere-linux-amd64-tar-zst": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/rancher/rke2/releases/download/v1.36.1%2Brke2r1/rke2-images-vsphere.linux-amd64.tar.zst",
+    "sha256": "4cd43197b21bd1344c0a7e87a7f28c8766b3edfab8e2fb2bb6954d144f3b44a7"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/rke2/1_36/versions.nix b/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/rke2/1_36/versions.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0df94c7d70dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/rke2/1_36/versions.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+{
+  rke2Version = "1.36.1+rke2r1";
+  rke2Commit = "b4a8e78038f35eb282a8d6e3c29797a1181fa961";
+  rke2TarballHash = "sha256-SD7+lNYu6/5iMxEmHEpkD8g9UCgN6gjkFsGdQn9o1Cc=";
+  rke2VendorHash = "sha256-gUgRAC9yKDa8JYb/jdCxZdP6500XxjqHprmYlPv5A8c=";
+  k8sImageTag = "v1.36.1-rke2r1-build20260512";
+  etcdVersion = "v3.6.7-k3s1-build20260512";
+  pauseVersion = "3.6";
+  ccmVersion = "v1.36.0-rc2.0.20260427154526-d239025e2a23-build20260429";
+  dockerizedVersion = "v1.36.1-rke2r1";
+  helmJobVersion = "v0.10.0-build20260513";
+  imagesVersions = with builtins; fromJSON (readFile ./images-versions.json);
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/rke2/builder.nix b/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/rke2/builder.nix
index c7d65fac7374..29b42d02e6b0 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/rke2/builder.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/rke2/builder.nix
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ lib:
   nixosTests,
 }:
 buildGoModule (finalAttrs: {
+  __structuredAttrs = true;
   pname = "rke2";
   version = rke2Version;
 
diff --git a/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/rke2/default.nix b/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/rke2/default.nix
index e48b0b94f63c..d0f035cc2fd1 100644
--- a/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/rke2/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/applications/networking/cluster/rke2/default.nix
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ rec {
 
   rke2_1_35 = common (import ./1_35/versions.nix) extraArgs;
 
+  rke2_1_36 = common (import ./1_36/versions.nix) extraArgs;
+
   # Automatically set by update script, changes shouldn't be backported
   rke2_stable = rke2_1_35;
-  rke2_latest = rke2_1_35;
+  rke2_latest = rke2_1_36;
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index d4acd1311fbe..b8e2d1280902 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -9770,6 +9770,7 @@ with pkgs;
     rke2_1_33
     rke2_1_34
     rke2_1_35
+    rke2_1_36
     rke2_stable
     rke2_latest
     ;