diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index a24f20a20c..82f0b0b609 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ on:
       - "!deploy/iso/**"
 env:
   GOPROXY: https://proxy.golang.org
-  GO_VERSION: '1.16.6'
+  GO_VERSION: '1.16.4'
 jobs:
   build_minikube:
     runs-on: ubuntu-18.04
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docs.yml b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
index 7ca895ee57..a77355c20a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ on:
       - master  
 env:
   GOPROXY: https://proxy.golang.org
-  GO_VERSION: '1.16.6'
+  GO_VERSION: '1.16.4'
 jobs:
   generate-docs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-18.04
diff --git a/.github/workflows/leaderboard.yml b/.github/workflows/leaderboard.yml
index deee9681cc..ab8bf6b5d4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/leaderboard.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/leaderboard.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ on:
   release:
     types: [published]
 env:
-  GO_VERSION: '1.16.6'
+  GO_VERSION: '1.16.4'
 jobs:
   update-leaderboard:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/master.yml b/.github/workflows/master.yml
index 6dddc2eea1..839b6720a6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/master.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/master.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ on:
       - "!deploy/iso/**"
 env:
   GOPROXY: https://proxy.golang.org
-  GO_VERSION: '1.16.6'
+  GO_VERSION: '1.16.4'
 jobs:
   # Runs before all other jobs
   # builds the minikube binaries
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr.yml b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
index ad8b8cd1c7..2385d09043 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ on:
       - "!deploy/iso/**"
 env:
   GOPROXY: https://proxy.golang.org
-  GO_VERSION: '1.16.6'
+  GO_VERSION: '1.16.4'
 jobs:
   # Runs before all other jobs
   # builds the minikube binaries
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr_verified.yaml b/.github/workflows/pr_verified.yaml
index 40692f470e..a54ff3396e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr_verified.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr_verified.yaml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ on:
       - deleted
 env:
   GOPROXY: https://proxy.golang.org
-  GO_VERSION: '1.16.6'
+  GO_VERSION: '1.16.4'
 
 jobs:
   # Runs before all other jobs
diff --git a/.github/workflows/time-to-k8s-public-chart.yml b/.github/workflows/time-to-k8s-public-chart.yml
index f1521149fb..dc82f93d20 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/time-to-k8s-public-chart.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/time-to-k8s-public-chart.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ on:
     - cron: "0 2,14 * * *"
 env:
   GOPROXY: https://proxy.golang.org
-  GO_VERSION: '1.16.6'
+  GO_VERSION: '1.16.4'
 jobs:
   time-to-k8s-public-chart:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/time-to-k8s.yml b/.github/workflows/time-to-k8s.yml
index ae2deee431..913fc2453b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/time-to-k8s.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/time-to-k8s.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ on:
     types: [released]
 env:
   GOPROXY: https://proxy.golang.org
-  GO_VERSION: '1.16.6'
+  GO_VERSION: '1.16.4'
 jobs:
   benchmark:
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
diff --git a/.github/workflows/translations.yml b/.github/workflows/translations.yml
index 9b82733ab7..0da0f547d4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/translations.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/translations.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ on:
       - "translations/**"
 env:
   GOPROXY: https://proxy.golang.org
-  GO_VERSION: '1.16.6'
+  GO_VERSION: '1.16.4'
 jobs:
   unit_test:
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
diff --git a/.github/workflows/update-golang-version.yml b/.github/workflows/update-golang-version.yml
index d750da4409..61914cf0e4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/update-golang-version.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/update-golang-version.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ on:
     - cron: "0 9 * * 1"
 env:
   GOPROXY: https://proxy.golang.org
-  GO_VERSION: '1.16.6'
+  GO_VERSION: '1.16.4'
 jobs:
   bump-k8s-versions:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/update-k8s-versions.yml b/.github/workflows/update-k8s-versions.yml
index a8310e17fa..21e7b7a119 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/update-k8s-versions.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/update-k8s-versions.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ on:
     - cron: "0 8 * * 1"
 env:
   GOPROXY: https://proxy.golang.org
-  GO_VERSION: '1.16.6'
+  GO_VERSION: '1.16.4'
 jobs:
   bump-k8s-versions:
     runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 2d27162b33..61af81d729 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ RPM_VERSION ?= $(DEB_VERSION)
 RPM_REVISION ?= 0
 
 # used by hack/jenkins/release_build_and_upload.sh and KVM_BUILD_IMAGE, see also BUILD_IMAGE below
-GO_VERSION ?= 1.16.6
+GO_VERSION ?= 1.16.4
 
 # replace "x.y.0" => "x.y". kube-cross and golang.org/dl use different formats for x.y.0 go versions
 KVM_GO_VERSION ?= $(GO_VERSION:.0=)
diff --git a/hack/update/golang_version/update_golang_version.go b/hack/update/golang_version/update_golang_version.go
index 57a25e6965..c3d7c987bf 100644
--- a/hack/update/golang_version/update_golang_version.go
+++ b/hack/update/golang_version/update_golang_version.go
@@ -148,7 +148,8 @@ func main() {
 
 // goVersion returns Golang stable version.
 func goVersions() (stable, stableMM string, err error) {
-	resp, err := http.Get("https://golang.org/VERSION?m=text")
+	// will update to the same image that kubernetes project uses
+	resp, err := http.Get("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/master/build/build-image/cross/VERSION")
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", "", err
 	}
@@ -156,7 +157,8 @@ func goVersions() (stable, stableMM string, err error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", "", err
 	}
-	stable = strings.TrimPrefix(string(body), "go")
+	stable = strings.TrimPrefix(string(body), "v")
+	stable = strings.Split(stable, "-")[0]
 	mmp := strings.SplitN(stable, ".", 3)
 	stableMM = strings.Join(mmp[0:2], ".") // <major>.<minor> version
 	return stable, stableMM, nil