diff --git a/.custom-gcl.yaml b/.custom-gcl.yaml
index afbb2f623..6f0028874 100644
--- a/.custom-gcl.yaml
+++ b/.custom-gcl.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
-version: v2.4.0
-name: golangci-lint-kube-api-linter
+version: v2.5.0
+name: golangci-lint-custom
 destination: ./bin
 plugins:
   - module: 'sigs.k8s.io/kube-api-linter'
     version: v0.0.0-20250819121536-a575e84f4ce8
+  - module: "go.uber.org/nilaway"
+    import: "go.uber.org/nilaway/cmd/gclplugin"
+    version: "v0.0.0-20250821055425-361559d802f0"
diff --git a/.golangci-nilaway.yml b/.golangci-nilaway.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..12de6f138
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.golangci-nilaway.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+version: "2"
+run:
+  issues-exit-code: 1
+output:
+  formats:
+    text:
+      path: stdout
+linters:
+  default: none
+  enable:
+    - nilaway
+  settings:
+    custom:
+      nilaway:
+        type: "module"
+        description: Static analysis tool to detect potential nil panics in Go code.
+        settings:
+          include-pkgs: ""
+          exclude-file-docstrings: ignore_autogenerated
+issues:
+  max-issues-per-linter: 0
+  max-same-issues: 0
+  new: false
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index fcf8d91ee..db136bc42 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -131,12 +131,12 @@ lint: ## Run lint against code.
 	$(GOLANGCI_LINT) run -c .golangci.yml
 
 .PHONY: lint
-lint-api: golangci-lint-kal ## Run lint against code.
-	$(GOLANGCI_LINT_KAL) run -c .golangci-kal.yml
+lint-api: golangci-lint-custom ## Run lint against code.
+	$(GOLANGCI_LINT_CUSTOM) run -c .golangci-kal.yml
 
 .PHONY: nilcheck
-nilcheck: nilaway ## Run nil check against code.
-	go list ./... | xargs -I {} -d '\n' nilaway -include-pkgs {} -exclude-file-docstrings "ignore_autogenerated" ./...
+nilcheck: golangci-lint-custom ## Run nil check against code.
+	$(GOLANGCI_LINT_CUSTOM) run -c .golangci-nilaway.yml
 
 .PHONY: vulncheck
 vulncheck: govulncheck ## Run vulnerability check against code.
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ GOVULNC        ?= $(LOCALBIN)/govulncheck
 MOCKGEN        ?= $(LOCALBIN)/mockgen
 GOWRAP         ?= $(CACHE_BIN)/gowrap
 GOLANGCI_LINT  ?= $(LOCALBIN)/golangci-lint
-GOLANGCI_LINT_KAL ?= $(CACHE_BIN)/golangci-lint-kube-api-linter
+GOLANGCI_LINT_CUSTOM ?= $(CACHE_BIN)/golangci-lint-custom
 S5CMD          ?= $(CACHE_BIN)/s5cmd
 
 ## Tool Versions
@@ -458,9 +458,9 @@ golangci-lint: $(GOLANGCI_LINT)
 $(GOLANGCI_LINT): # Build golangci-lint from tools folder.
 	GOBIN=$(LOCALBIN)  go install  github.com/golangci/golangci-lint/v2/cmd/golangci-lint@$(GOLANGCI_LINT_VERSION)
 
-.phony: golangci-lint-kal
-golangci-lint-kal: $(GOLANGCI_LINT_KAL)
-$(GOLANGCI_LINT_KAL): $(GOLANGCI_LINT) # Build golangci-lint-kal from custom configuration.
+.phony: golangci-lint-custom
+golangci-lint-custom: $(GOLANGCI_LINT_CUSTOM)
+$(GOLANGCI_LINT_CUSTOM): $(GOLANGCI_LINT) # Build golangci-lint-custom from custom configuration.
 	$(GOLANGCI_LINT) custom
 
 .PHONY: nilaway