diff --git a/kubernetes-1.35.yaml b/kubernetes-1.35.yaml
index 94654fe5eef..766a656ec9d 100644
--- a/kubernetes-1.35.yaml
+++ b/kubernetes-1.35.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package:
   name: kubernetes-1.35
   version: "1.35.0"
-  epoch: 0
+  epoch: 1
   description: Production-Grade Container Scheduling and Management
   copyright:
     - license: Apache-2.0
@@ -350,6 +350,74 @@ subpackages:
       pipeline:
         - uses: test/metapackage
 
+  - range: components
+    name: "${{range.key}}-latest"
+    dependencies:
+      runtime:
+        - ${{range.key}}-${{vars.kubernetes-version}}
+    pipeline:
+      - runs: |
+          mkdir -p ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin
+          ln -s ${{range.key}}-${{vars.kubernetes-version}} ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin/${{range.key}}
+    test:
+      pipeline:
+        - uses: test/tw/help-check
+          with:
+            bins: ${{range.key}}
+        - name: "Version check"
+          runs: |
+            case "${{range.key}}" in
+              kubectl) ${{range.key}} version --client ;;
+              kubeadm) ${{range.key}} version ;;
+              *) ${{range.key}} --version ;;
+            esac
+
+  # Backward compatibility: this replaces the standalone kubernetes-latest.yaml package
+  - name: kubernetes-latest
+    description: "Backward compatibility meta package for latest Kubernetes components"
+    dependencies:
+      runtime:
+        - kubectl-latest
+        - kubeadm-latest
+        - kubelet-latest
+        - kube-scheduler-latest
+        - kube-proxy-latest
+        - kube-controller-manager-latest
+        - kube-apiserver-latest
+    checks:
+      disabled:
+        - empty
+    test:
+      environment:
+        contents:
+          packages:
+            - kubectl-latest
+            - kubeadm-latest
+            - kubelet-latest
+            - kube-scheduler-latest
+            - kube-proxy-latest
+            - kube-controller-manager-latest
+            - kube-apiserver-latest
+      pipeline:
+        - name: "Help checks"
+          runs: |
+            kubectl --help
+            kubeadm --help
+            kubelet --help
+            kube-scheduler --help
+            kube-proxy --help
+            kube-controller-manager --help
+            kube-apiserver --help
+        - name: "Version checks"
+          runs: |
+            kubectl version --client
+            kubeadm version
+            kubelet --version
+            kube-scheduler --version
+            kube-proxy --version
+            kube-controller-manager --version
+            kube-apiserver --version
+
 data:
   - name: components
     items:
diff --git a/kubernetes-latest.yaml b/kubernetes-latest.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index df409f98cb6..00000000000
--- a/kubernetes-latest.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,128 +0,0 @@
-package:
-  name: kubernetes-latest
-  version: 0
-  epoch: 11
-  description: "Compatibility infrastructure for Kubernetes components"
-  copyright:
-    - license: GPL-2.0-or-later
-
-environment:
-  contents:
-    packages:
-      - busybox
-
-vars:
-  components: "kubectl kubeadm kubelet kube-scheduler kube-proxy kube-controller-manager kube-apiserver"
-  kubernetes-version: 1.34
-
-pipeline:
-  - runs: |
-      mkdir -p "${{targets.destdir}}"/usr/bin
-      for c in ${{vars.components}}; do
-        ln -sf $c-${{vars.kubernetes-version}} "${{targets.destdir}}"/usr/bin/$c
-      done
-
-subpackages:
-  - name: kubectl-latest
-    dependencies:
-      runtime:
-        - kubectl-${{vars.kubernetes-version}}
-    pipeline:
-      - runs: |
-          mkdir -p ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin
-          ln -s kubectl-${{vars.kubernetes-version}} ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin/kubectl
-    test:
-      pipeline:
-        - runs: |
-            kubectl version --client
-            kubectl --help
-
-  - name: kubeadm-latest
-    dependencies:
-      runtime:
-        - kubeadm-${{vars.kubernetes-version}}
-    pipeline:
-      - runs: |
-          mkdir -p ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin
-          ln -s kubeadm-${{vars.kubernetes-version}} ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin/kubeadm
-    test:
-      pipeline:
-        - runs: |
-            kubeadm version
-            kubeadm --help
-
-  - name: kubelet-latest
-    dependencies:
-      runtime:
-        - kubelet-${{vars.kubernetes-version}}
-    pipeline:
-      - runs: |
-          mkdir -p ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin
-          ln -s kubelet-${{vars.kubernetes-version}} ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin/kubelet
-    test:
-      pipeline:
-        - runs: |
-            kubelet --version
-            kubelet --help
-
-  - name: kube-scheduler-latest
-    dependencies:
-      runtime:
-        - kube-scheduler-${{vars.kubernetes-version}}
-    pipeline:
-      - runs: |
-          mkdir -p ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin
-          ln -s kube-scheduler-${{vars.kubernetes-version}} ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin/kube-scheduler
-    test:
-      pipeline:
-        - runs: |
-            kube-scheduler --version
-            kube-scheduler --help
-
-  - name: kube-proxy-latest
-    dependencies:
-      runtime:
-        - kube-proxy-${{vars.kubernetes-version}}
-    pipeline:
-      - runs: |
-          mkdir -p ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin
-          ln -s kube-proxy-${{vars.kubernetes-version}} ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin/kube-proxy
-    test:
-      pipeline:
-        - runs: |
-            kube-proxy --version
-            kube-proxy --help
-
-  - name: kube-controller-manager-latest
-    dependencies:
-      runtime:
-        - kube-controller-manager-${{vars.kubernetes-version}}
-    pipeline:
-      - runs: |
-          mkdir -p ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin
-          ln -s kube-controller-manager-${{vars.kubernetes-version}} ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin/kube-controller-manager
-    test:
-      pipeline:
-        - runs: |
-            kube-controller-manager --version
-            kube-controller-manager --help
-
-  - name: kube-apiserver-latest
-    dependencies:
-      runtime:
-        - kube-apiserver-${{vars.kubernetes-version}}
-    pipeline:
-      - runs: |
-          mkdir -p ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin
-          ln -s kube-apiserver-${{vars.kubernetes-version}} ${{targets.subpkgdir}}/usr/bin/kube-apiserver
-    test:
-      pipeline:
-        - runs: |
-            kube-apiserver --version
-            kube-apiserver --help
-
-update:
-  enabled: false
-  exclude-reason: >
-    This package and it's references to "latest" must be bumped manually when a new latest is dropped.
-