diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 6ce75734..1bcc643c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ on:
 
 env:
   CGO_ENABLED: 0
-  GO_VERSION: '1.21'
+  GO_VERSION: '1.23'
   REGISTRY: ghcr.io
   # github.repository as <account>/<repo>
   IMAGE_NAME: ${{ github.repository }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index b4be25ac..b4669f93 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ on:
 env:
   REGISTRY: ghcr.io
   IMAGE_NAME: ${{ github.repository }}
-  GO_VERSION: '1.21'
+  GO_VERSION: '1.23'
 
 jobs:
   manager-image:
diff --git a/.golangci.yml b/.golangci.yml
index 77008864..cfe4df8b 100644
--- a/.golangci.yml
+++ b/.golangci.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ linters:
     - errorlint
     - exhaustive
     #   - exhaustivestruct
-    - exportloopref
+    - copyloopvar
     - forbidigo
     - forcetypeassert
     - funlen
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 8e19c009..85f5209f 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 # Build the manager binary
-ARG GOVER=1.21
+ARG GOVER=1.23
 FROM golang:${GOVER} as builder
 
 WORKDIR /workspace
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 04233abd..579bc4ea 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ GO_INSTALL = ./scripts/go_install.sh
 # Binaries.
 CONTROLLER_GEN := go run sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools/cmd/controller-gen@v0.14
 
-GOLANGCI_LINT_VER := v1.59.1
+GOLANGCI_LINT_VER := v1.61.0
 GOLANGCI_LINT_BIN := golangci-lint
 GOLANGCI_LINT := $(TOOLS_BIN_DIR)/$(GOLANGCI_LINT_BIN)-$(GOLANGCI_LINT_VER)
 
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ endif
 # Build time versioning details.
 LDFLAGS := $(shell hack/version.sh)
 
-GOLANG_VERSION := 1.21
+GOLANG_VERSION := 1.23
 
 ## --------------------------------------
 ## Help
diff --git a/controller/machine/hardware.go b/controller/machine/hardware.go
index 9dc21dec..3b340b21 100644
--- a/controller/machine/hardware.go
+++ b/controller/machine/hardware.go
@@ -251,8 +251,6 @@ func byHardwareAffinity(hardware []tinkv1.Hardware, preferred []infrastructurev1
 	scores := map[client.ObjectKey]int32{}
 	// compute scores for each item based on the preferred term weights
 	for _, term := range preferred {
-		term := term
-
 		selector, err := metav1.LabelSelectorAsSelector(&term.HardwareAffinityTerm.LabelSelector)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("constructing label selector: %w", err)
diff --git a/controller/machine/scope_test.go b/controller/machine/scope_test.go
index 98106cf7..7cfb9fb8 100644
--- a/controller/machine/scope_test.go
+++ b/controller/machine/scope_test.go
@@ -84,8 +84,6 @@ func Test_Machine(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for name, c := range cases {
-		name, c := name, c
-
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 			g := NewWithT(t)
diff --git a/controller/machine/template_test.go b/controller/machine/template_test.go
index 6acb42a8..9345a7d7 100644
--- a/controller/machine/template_test.go
+++ b/controller/machine/template_test.go
@@ -76,8 +76,6 @@ func Test_Cloud_config_template(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for name, c := range cases {
-		c := c
-
 		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
 			g := NewWithT(t)
diff --git a/controller/machine/tinkerbellmachine_test.go b/controller/machine/tinkerbellmachine_test.go
index 0bb17de5..bc2d7670 100644
--- a/controller/machine/tinkerbellmachine_test.go
+++ b/controller/machine/tinkerbellmachine_test.go
@@ -458,7 +458,7 @@ func Test_Machine_reconciliation_with_available_hardware(t *testing.T) {
 		g.Expect(client.Get(ctx, hardwareNamespacedName, updatedHardware)).To(Succeed())
 
 		if diff := cmp.Diff(updatedHardware.Spec.Interfaces[0].Netboot.AllowPXE, ptr.To(true)); diff != "" {
-			t.Errorf(diff)
+			t.Error(diff)
 		}
 	})
 }
@@ -593,7 +593,7 @@ func Test_Machine_reconciliation_workflow_complete(t *testing.T) {
 		g.Expect(client.Get(ctx, hardwareNamespacedName, updatedHardware)).To(Succeed())
 
 		if diff := cmp.Diff(updatedHardware.Spec.Interfaces[0].Netboot.AllowPXE, ptr.To(false)); diff != "" {
-			t.Errorf(diff)
+			t.Error(diff)
 		}
 	})
 }
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 048199da..a1a99746 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 module github.com/tinkerbell/cluster-api-provider-tinkerbell
 
-go 1.21.0
+go 1.23.0
 
-toolchain go1.21.2
+toolchain go1.23.1
 
 require (
 	github.com/go-logr/logr v1.4.1