diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-codegen.yml b/.github/workflows/check-codegen.yml
index feeeeab19..61f857ea6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-codegen.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-codegen.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ jobs:
     - uses: actions/setup-go@v5
       with:
         go-version-file: 'go.mod'
+    - name: Download k8s.io/code-generator
+      run: |
+          CODE_GEN_VERSION=$(go list -m -f '{{.Version}}' k8s.io/code-generator)
+          go get k8s.io/code-generator@$CODE_GEN_VERSION
+          echo "CODE_GEN_DIR=$(go list -m -f '{{.Dir}}' k8s.io/code-generator)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
     - name: Run make generate
       run: make generate
     - name: Compare the expected and actual generated/* directories
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 93b84db55..1112c1917 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -16,4 +16,10 @@ jobs:
     - uses: actions/setup-go@v5
       with:
         go-version-file: 'go.mod'
-    - run: make test
+    - name: Download k8s.io/code-generator
+      run: |
+          CODE_GEN_VERSION=$(go list -m -f '{{.Version}}' k8s.io/code-generator)
+          go get k8s.io/code-generator@$CODE_GEN_VERSION
+          echo "CODE_GEN_DIR=$(go list -m -f '{{.Dir}}' k8s.io/code-generator)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+    - name: Run make test
+      run: make test
diff --git a/hack/update-codegen.sh b/hack/update-codegen.sh
index 52e7622a1..b058d5aa5 100755
--- a/hack/update-codegen.sh
+++ b/hack/update-codegen.sh
@@ -7,15 +7,15 @@ set -o pipefail
 SCRIPT_DIR="$( cd -- "$( dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" &> /dev/null && pwd )"
 PROJECT_ROOT="$SCRIPT_DIR/.."
 
+CODE_GEN_DIR="${CODE_GEN_DIR:-$(go list -m -f '{{.Dir}}' k8s.io/code-generator)}"
+source "${CODE_GEN_DIR}/kube_codegen.sh"
+
 export TERM="xterm-256color"
 
 bold="$(tput bold)"
 blue="$(tput setaf 4)"
 normal="$(tput sgr0)"
 
-CODE_GEN_DIR=$(go list -m -f '{{.Dir}}' k8s.io/code-generator)
-source "${CODE_GEN_DIR}/kube_codegen.sh"
-
 function qualify-gvs() {
   APIS_PKG="$1"
   GROUPS_WITH_VERSIONS="$2"