diff --git a/.github/workflows/deps.yml b/.github/workflows/deps.yml
index e391216b90..f4f1c9405e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deps.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deps.yml
@@ -47,3 +47,13 @@ jobs:
         uses: golang/govulncheck-action@v1
         with:
           go-version-file: tests/e2e/go.mod
+  gomod-match-check:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: "Checkout Repository"
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          show-progress: false
+      - name: "All go.mod go directive must use version major.minor.patch that matches GOLANG_DIRECTIVE_VERSION"
+        run: |
+          make verify-go-directive
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f3b597fa59..e759caab4f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ OUTPUT ?= $(shell pwd)/_output
 INSTALL_PATH ?= $(OUTPUT)/bin
 LDFLAGS ?= -w -s -X k8s.io/component-base/version.gitVersion=$(VERSION) -X main.gitVersion=$(VERSION)
 
+GOLANG_DIRECTIVE_VERSION ?= 1.24.0
+CURL_RETRIES ?= 3
+
 # flags for ecr-credential-provider artifact promotion
 UPLOAD ?= $(OUTPUT)/upload
 GCS_LOCATION ?= gs://k8s-staging-provider-aws/releases/
@@ -120,7 +123,7 @@ e2e.test:
 	mv tests/e2e/e2e.test e2e.test
 
 .PHONY: check
-check: verify-fmt verify-lint vet
+check: verify-fmt verify-lint vet verify-go-directive
 
 .PHONY: develop
 develop: aws-cloud-controller-manager test update-fmt check
@@ -142,6 +145,12 @@ verify-lint:
 verify-codegen:
 	./hack/verify-codegen.sh
 
+.PHONY: verify-go-directive
+verify-go-directive:
+	# use the core Cluster API script directly to verify the go directive matches the desired one.
+	# ref: https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/cluster-api/blob/v1.10.7/hack/verify-go-directive.sh
+	curl --retry $(CURL_RETRIES) -fsL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes-sigs/cluster-api/refs/tags/v1.11.0/hack/verify-go-directive.sh | bash -s -- -g $(GOLANG_DIRECTIVE_VERSION)
+
 .PHONY: vet
 vet:
 	go vet ./...