diff --git a/collector/fixtures/proc/sys/kernel/tainted b/collector/fixtures/proc/sys/kernel/tainted
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..63fce6863a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collector/fixtures/proc/sys/kernel/tainted
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+12288
diff --git a/collector/tainted_linux.go b/collector/tainted_linux.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0ad98ee4ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collector/tainted_linux.go
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+// Copyright The Prometheus Authors
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package collector
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"log/slog"
+	"strconv"
+
+	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
+	"github.com/prometheus/procfs"
+)
+
+type taintedCollector struct {
+	logger *slog.Logger
+	desc   *prometheus.Desc
+}
+
+func init() {
+	registerCollector("tainted", defaultDisabled, NewTaintedCollector)
+}
+
+// NewTaintedCollector returns a Collector exposing kernel taint flags from
+// /proc/sys/kernel/tainted as a labelled gauge.
+// See https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/admin-guide/tainted-kernels.html
+func NewTaintedCollector(logger *slog.Logger) (Collector, error) {
+	return &taintedCollector{
+		logger: logger,
+		desc: prometheus.NewDesc(
+			prometheus.BuildFQName(namespace, "kernel", "tainted"),
+			"Taint flags set on the running Linux kernel, as reported by /proc/sys/kernel/tainted. "+
+				"Value is 1 if the flag is set, 0 otherwise. "+
+				"See https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/admin-guide/tainted-kernels.html for flag meanings.",
+			[]string{"bit", "flag"},
+			nil,
+		),
+	}, nil
+}
+
+func (c *taintedCollector) Update(ch chan<- prometheus.Metric) error {
+	fs, err := procfs.NewFS(*procPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to open procfs: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	tainted, err := fs.KernelTainted()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("couldn't read kernel tainted state: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	for _, b := range tainted.Bits {
+		var val float64
+		if b.Set {
+			val = 1.0
+		}
+		ch <- prometheus.MustNewConstMetric(
+			c.desc,
+			prometheus.GaugeValue,
+			val,
+			strconv.Itoa(b.Index),
+			b.Flag,
+		)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/collector/tainted_linux_test.go b/collector/tainted_linux_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0ce7e3b621
--- /dev/null
+++ b/collector/tainted_linux_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+// Copyright The Prometheus Authors
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+//go:build !notainted
+
+package collector
+
+import (
+	"io"
+	"log/slog"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/prometheus/client_golang/prometheus"
+)
+
+func TestTaintedCollector(t *testing.T) {
+	*procPath = "fixtures/proc"
+
+	logger := slog.New(slog.NewTextHandler(io.Discard, nil))
+	c, err := NewTaintedCollector(logger)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create tainted collector: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	reg := prometheus.NewPedanticRegistry()
+	reg.MustRegister(&taintedCollectorWrapper{c.(*taintedCollector)})
+
+	mfs, err := reg.Gather()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("gather failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(mfs) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 metric family, got %d", len(mfs))
+	}
+
+	mf := mfs[0]
+	if got := mf.GetName(); got != "node_kernel_tainted" {
+		t.Errorf("metric name: want node_kernel_tainted, got %s", got)
+	}
+
+	// Expect one series per known taint bit (20 defined by the kernel).
+	const wantBits = 20
+	if got := len(mf.GetMetric()); got != wantBits {
+		t.Errorf("metric count: want %d, got %d", wantBits, got)
+	}
+
+	// Build bit → value map for assertion.
+	// Fixture is 12288 = bit 12 (O) + bit 13 (E).
+	// Build flag → value map for assertion (labels: bit, flag).
+	flagVals := make(map[string]float64)
+	for _, m := range mf.GetMetric() {
+		// Each metric has exactly 2 labels: bit and flag.
+		for _, lp := range m.GetLabel() {
+			if lp.GetName() == "flag" {
+				flagVals[lp.GetValue()] = m.GetGauge().GetValue()
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Fixture is 12288 = bit 12 (O) + bit 13 (E).
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		flag string
+		want float64
+	}{
+		{"O", 1}, // Externally-built (out-of-tree) module — set
+		{"E", 1}, // Unsigned module — set
+		{"L", 0}, // Soft lockup — must be clear
+		{"P", 0},
+		{"T", 0},
+	} {
+		got, ok := flagVals[tc.flag]
+		if !ok {
+			t.Errorf("flag %q not found in metrics", tc.flag)
+			continue
+		}
+		if got != tc.want {
+			t.Errorf("flag %q: want %.0f, got %.0f", tc.flag, tc.want, got)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// taintedCollectorWrapper adapts taintedCollector to prometheus.Collector.
+type taintedCollectorWrapper struct {
+	c *taintedCollector
+}
+
+func (w *taintedCollectorWrapper) Describe(ch chan<- *prometheus.Desc) {
+	ch <- w.c.desc
+}
+
+func (w *taintedCollectorWrapper) Collect(ch chan<- prometheus.Metric) {
+	_ = w.c.Update(ch)
+}
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 7c4458e399..67147b838c 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/prometheus/client_model v0.6.2
 	github.com/prometheus/common v0.70.1
 	github.com/prometheus/exporter-toolkit v0.17.1
-	github.com/prometheus/procfs v0.21.1
+	github.com/prometheus/procfs v0.21.2-0.20260717070424-0cd18237af6e
 	github.com/safchain/ethtool v0.7.0
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.47.0
 	howett.net/plist v1.0.1
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 58c02fe429..295885f0ce 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ github.com/prometheus/common v0.70.1 h1:1HvjP4D5oL3t8RsPlwxA9onvvStjtIHYE5XuuwOi
 github.com/prometheus/common v0.70.1/go.mod h1:VdFUQDMZK3VLkurFUVhia6uys/0suUp86TJz5qbJRhc=
 github.com/prometheus/exporter-toolkit v0.17.1 h1:psKN4wM7shBL/BxZkDHgm6YZJ3fAVG36+r86An/+7q0=
 github.com/prometheus/exporter-toolkit v0.17.1/go.mod h1:dabwPJvxsC5+tsp2iolQrqBWZh+QlISKlYRpj9Hh5xk=
-github.com/prometheus/procfs v0.21.1 h1:GljZCt+zSTS+NZq88cyQ1LjZ+RCHp3uVuabBWA5+OJI=
-github.com/prometheus/procfs v0.21.1/go.mod h1:aB55Cww9pdSJVHk0hUf0inxWyyjPogFIjmHKYgMKmtY=
+github.com/prometheus/procfs v0.21.2-0.20260717070424-0cd18237af6e h1:sm1MuWauLFbQsFVJn/5vKTMrolG02N/DT10IPcCYJA4=
+github.com/prometheus/procfs v0.21.2-0.20260717070424-0cd18237af6e/go.mod h1:aB55Cww9pdSJVHk0hUf0inxWyyjPogFIjmHKYgMKmtY=
 github.com/safchain/ethtool v0.7.0 h1:rlJzfDetsVvT61uz8x1YIcFn12akMfuPulHtZjtb7Is=
 github.com/safchain/ethtool v0.7.0/go.mod h1:MenQKEjXdfkjD3mp2QdCk8B/hwvkrlOTm/FD4gTpFxQ=
 github.com/siebenmann/go-kstat v0.0.0-20210513183136-173c9b0a9973 h1:GfSdC6wKfTGcgCS7BtzF5694Amne1pGCSTY252WhlEY=