diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 0675fca35..0195cdaf1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -127,20 +127,17 @@ jobs:
   ## Build go modules
   build-go:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    # k8s codegen requires this to be set
-    env:
-      GOPATH: ${{ github.workspace }}
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        working-directory: ./bpfman-operator
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          path: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/github.com/bpfman/bpfman
-
       - uses: actions/setup-go@v4
         with:
-          go-version: "1.20"
+          go-version: "1.21"
 
       - name: Go mod check
-        working-directory: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/github.com/bpfman/bpfman
+        working-directory: ${{ github.workspace }}
         run: |
           go mod tidy
           git diff --exit-code go.mod go.sum
@@ -148,8 +145,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Lint
         uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@v3
         with:
-          # Keep this version synced with /bpfman/scripts/verify-golint.sh
-          working-directory: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/github.com/bpfman/bpfman
           version: v1.54.2
           skip-cache: true
           skip-pkg-cache: true
@@ -157,28 +152,23 @@ jobs:
           args: -v --timeout 5m --enable=gofmt
 
       - name: Build Examples
-        working-directory: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/github.com/bpfman/bpfman/examples
         run: |
           go build ./...
 
       - name: Build Operator
-        working-directory: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/github.com/bpfman/bpfman/bpfman-operator
         run: make build
 
-      # FIXME: This is currently failing due to a GOPATH weirdness
-      # - name: Verify Operator
-      #  working-directory: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/github.com/bpfman/bpfman/bpfman-operator
-      #  run: make verify
+      - name: Verify Operator
+        run: make verify
 
       - name: Run Tests
-        working-directory: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/github.com/bpfman/bpfman/bpfman-operator
         run: make test
 
       - name: Archive Go code coverage results
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
         with:
           name: coverage
-          path: ${{ env.GOPATH }}/src/github.com/bpfman/bpfman/bpfman-operator/cover.out
+          path: ./bpfman-operator/cover.out
           if-no-files-found: error
 
   basic-integration-tests:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/image-build.yaml b/.github/workflows/image-build.yaml
index eea08b04e..1e072048e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/image-build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/image-build.yaml
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/setup-go@v4
         if: ${{ matrix.image.bpf_build_wrapper == 'go' }}
         with:
-          go-version: "1.20"
+          go-version: "1.21"
 
       - uses: sigstore/cosign-installer@v3.2.0
 
diff --git a/bpfman-operator/Makefile b/bpfman-operator/Makefile
index a07f74d8e..d9dba9e4b 100644
--- a/bpfman-operator/Makefile
+++ b/bpfman-operator/Makefile
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ KIND_CLUSTER_NAME ?= bpfman-deployment
 
 # ENVTEST_K8S_VERSION refers to the version of kubebuilder assets to be downloaded by envtest binary.
 ENVTEST_K8S_VERSION = 1.25.0
+K8S_CODEGEN_VERSION = v0.25.0
 
 .DEFAULT_GOAL := help
 
@@ -100,6 +101,10 @@ $(LOCALBIN):
 ## Tool Binaries
 KUSTOMIZE ?= $(LOCALBIN)/kustomize
 CONTROLLER_GEN ?= $(LOCALBIN)/controller-gen
+REGISTER_GEN ?= $(LOCALBIN)/register-gen
+INFORMER_GEN ?= $(LOCALBIN)/informer-gen
+LISTER_GEN ?= $(LOCALBIN)/lister-gen
+CLIENT_GEN ?= $(LOCALBIN)/client-gen
 ENVTEST ?= $(LOCALBIN)/setup-envtest
 CM_VERIFIER ?= $(LOCALBIN)/cm-verifier
 OPERATOR_SDK ?= $(LOCALBIN)/operator-sdk
@@ -127,6 +132,26 @@ controller-gen: $(CONTROLLER_GEN) ## Download controller-gen locally if necessar
 $(CONTROLLER_GEN): $(LOCALBIN)
 	test -s $(LOCALBIN)/controller-gen || GOBIN=$(LOCALBIN) go install sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools/cmd/controller-gen@$(CONTROLLER_TOOLS_VERSION)
 
+.PHONY: register-gen
+register-gen: $(REGISTER_GEN) ## Download register-gen locally if necessary.
+$(REGISTER_GEN): $(LOCALBIN)
+	test -s $(LOCALBIN)/register-gen || GOBIN=$(LOCALBIN) go install k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/register-gen@$(K8S_CODEGEN_VERSION)
+
+.PHONY: informer-gen
+informer-gen: $(INFORMER_GEN) ## Download informer-gen locally if necessary.
+$(INFORMER_GEN): $(LOCALBIN)
+	test -s $(LOCALBIN)/informer-gen || GOBIN=$(LOCALBIN) go install k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/informer-gen@$(K8S_CODEGEN_VERSION)
+
+.PHONY: lister-gen
+lister-gen: $(LISTER_GEN) ## Download lister-gen locally if necessary.
+$(LISTER_GEN): $(LOCALBIN)
+	test -s $(LOCALBIN)/lister-gen || GOBIN=$(LOCALBIN) go install k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/lister-gen@$(K8S_CODEGEN_VERSION)
+
+.PHONY: client-gen
+client-gen: $(CLIENT_GEN) ## Download client-gen locally if necessary.
+$(CLIENT_GEN): $(LOCALBIN)
+	test -s $(LOCALBIN)/client-gen || GOBIN=$(LOCALBIN) go install k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/client-gen@$(K8S_CODEGEN_VERSION)
+
 .PHONY: envtest
 envtest: $(ENVTEST) ## Download envtest-setup locally if necessary.
 $(ENVTEST): $(LOCALBIN)
@@ -172,8 +197,8 @@ manifests: controller-gen ## Generate WebhookConfiguration, ClusterRole and Cust
 generate: manifests generate-register generate-deepcopy generate-typed-clients generate-typed-listers generate-typed-informers ## Generate ALL auto-generated code.
 
 .PHONY: generate-register
-generate-register: ## Generate register code see all `zz_generated.register.go` files.
-	go run k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/register-gen \
+generate-register: register-gen ## Generate register code see all `zz_generated.register.go` files.
+	$(REGISTER_GEN) \
 		--input-dirs "${APIS_PKG}/apis/v1alpha1" \
 		--output-package "${APIS_PKG}/apis/" \
 		${COMMON_FLAGS}
@@ -183,31 +208,31 @@ generate-deepcopy: ## Generate code containing DeepCopy, DeepCopyInto, and DeepC
 	$(CONTROLLER_GEN) object:headerFile="hack/boilerplate.go.txt" paths="./..."
 
 .PHONY: generate-typed-clients
-generate-typed-clients: ## Generate typed client code
-	go run k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/client-gen \
-	--clientset-name "${CLIENTSET_NAME}" \
-	--input-base "" \
-	--input "${APIS_PKG}/apis/v1alpha1" \
-	--output-package "${OUTPUT_PKG}/${CLIENTSET_PKG_NAME}" \
-	${COMMON_FLAGS}
+generate-typed-clients: client-gen ## Generate typed client code
+	$(CLIENT_GEN) \
+		--clientset-name "${CLIENTSET_NAME}" \
+		--input-base "" \
+		--input "${APIS_PKG}/apis/v1alpha1" \
+		--output-package "${OUTPUT_PKG}/${CLIENTSET_PKG_NAME}" \
+		${COMMON_FLAGS}
 
 
 .PHONY: generate-typed-listers
-generate-typed-listers: ## Generate typed listers code
-	go run k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/lister-gen \
-	--input-dirs "${APIS_PKG}/apis/v1alpha1" \
-	--output-package "${OUTPUT_PKG}/listers" \
-	${COMMON_FLAGS}
+generate-typed-listers: lister-gen ## Generate typed listers code
+	$(LISTER_GEN) \
+		--input-dirs "${APIS_PKG}/apis/v1alpha1" \
+		--output-package "${OUTPUT_PKG}/listers" \
+		${COMMON_FLAGS}
 
 
 .PHONY: generate-typed-informers
-generate-typed-informers: ## Generate typed informers code
-	go run k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/informer-gen \
-	--input-dirs "${APIS_PKG}/apis/v1alpha1" \
-	--versioned-clientset-package "${OUTPUT_PKG}/${CLIENTSET_PKG_NAME}/${CLIENTSET_NAME}" \
-	--listers-package "${OUTPUT_PKG}/listers" \
-	--output-package "${OUTPUT_PKG}/informers" \
-	${COMMON_FLAGS}
+generate-typed-informers: informer-gen ## Generate typed informers code
+	$(INFORMER_GEN) \
+		--input-dirs "${APIS_PKG}/apis/v1alpha1" \
+		--versioned-clientset-package "${OUTPUT_PKG}/${CLIENTSET_PKG_NAME}/${CLIENTSET_NAME}" \
+		--listers-package "${OUTPUT_PKG}/listers" \
+		--output-package "${OUTPUT_PKG}/informers" \
+		${COMMON_FLAGS}
 
 .PHONY: fmt
 fmt: ## Run go fmt against code.
diff --git a/bpfman-operator/hack/verify-codegen.sh b/bpfman-operator/hack/verify-codegen.sh
index d6034245a..05afa0ba4 100755
--- a/bpfman-operator/hack/verify-codegen.sh
+++ b/bpfman-operator/hack/verify-codegen.sh
@@ -29,5 +29,6 @@ if git status -s 2>&1 | grep -E -q '^\s+[MADRCU]'
 then
 	echo Uncommitted changes in generated sources:
 	git status -s
+	git diff
 	exit 1
 fi