diff --git a/.github/workflows/latest_release.yaml b/.github/workflows/latest_release.yaml
index 7932371be0b..f261e061786 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/latest_release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/latest_release.yaml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+    - uses: ./tools/github-actions/setup-deps
 
     - name: Generate Release Manifests
       run: make generate-manifests IMAGE=envoyproxy/gateway-dev TAG=latest OUTPUT_DIR=release-artifacts
diff --git a/tools/src/controller-gen/go.mod b/tools/src/controller-gen/go.mod
index c2ca9583df5..ebafb3d2757 100644
--- a/tools/src/controller-gen/go.mod
+++ b/tools/src/controller-gen/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module local
 
-go 1.20
+go 1.21
 
 require sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools v0.13.0
 
diff --git a/tools/src/crd-ref-docs/go.mod b/tools/src/crd-ref-docs/go.mod
index 6b561c71ab7..6a27606ad34 100644
--- a/tools/src/crd-ref-docs/go.mod
+++ b/tools/src/crd-ref-docs/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module local
 
-go 1.20
+go 1.21
 
 require github.com/elastic/crd-ref-docs v0.0.9
 
diff --git a/tools/src/golangci-lint/go.mod b/tools/src/golangci-lint/go.mod
index 0f4db103723..35588a57d89 100644
--- a/tools/src/golangci-lint/go.mod
+++ b/tools/src/golangci-lint/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module local
 
-go 1.20
+go 1.21
 
 require github.com/golangci/golangci-lint v1.55.1
 
diff --git a/tools/src/helm-docs/go.mod b/tools/src/helm-docs/go.mod
index 82d55d2d43f..682bddcdc09 100644
--- a/tools/src/helm-docs/go.mod
+++ b/tools/src/helm-docs/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/tools/src/helm-docs
 
-go 1.20
+go 1.21
 
 require github.com/norwoodj/helm-docs v1.11.3
 
diff --git a/tools/src/kind/go.mod b/tools/src/kind/go.mod
index eaf6166439a..160b8d84b52 100644
--- a/tools/src/kind/go.mod
+++ b/tools/src/kind/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/tools/src/kind
 
-go 1.20
+go 1.21
 
 require sigs.k8s.io/kind v0.20.0
 
diff --git a/tools/src/protoc-gen-go-grpc/go.mod b/tools/src/protoc-gen-go-grpc/go.mod
index 7d3884774c6..079bab201a9 100644
--- a/tools/src/protoc-gen-go-grpc/go.mod
+++ b/tools/src/protoc-gen-go-grpc/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/tools/src/protoc-gen-go-grpc
 
-go 1.20
+go 1.21
 
 require google.golang.org/grpc/cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc v1.3.0
 
diff --git a/tools/src/protoc-gen-go/go.mod b/tools/src/protoc-gen-go/go.mod
index 112de585840..5cbba95aa00 100644
--- a/tools/src/protoc-gen-go/go.mod
+++ b/tools/src/protoc-gen-go/go.mod
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 module github.com/envoyproxy/gateway/tools/src/protoc-gen-go
 
-go 1.20
+go 1.21
 
 require google.golang.org/protobuf v1.30.0
diff --git a/tools/src/setup-envtest/go.mod b/tools/src/setup-envtest/go.mod
index 99b4fd7a633..7c22047aa6d 100644
--- a/tools/src/setup-envtest/go.mod
+++ b/tools/src/setup-envtest/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module local
 
-go 1.20
+go 1.21
 
 require sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/tools/setup-envtest v0.0.0-20220706173534-cd0058ad295c