diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 48f4eb8b..86ac153d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -37,6 +37,22 @@ jobs:
     - name: Test
       run: |
         make test
+  verify-go-directive:
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        go-version: [1.20.x, 1.21.x]
+        platform: [ubuntu-latest, macos-latest]
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.platform }}
+    steps:
+    - name: Install Go
+      uses: actions/setup-go@v3
+      with:
+        go-version: ${{ matrix.go-version }}
+    - name: Checkout code
+      uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - name: Verify go directive
+      run: |
+        make verify-go-directive
   lint:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8e442aab..eb879597 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -38,3 +38,10 @@ vet:
 .PHONY: update-fmt
 update-fmt:
 	gofmt -s -w .
+
+# We set the maximum version of the go directive as 1.20 here
+# because the oldest go directive that exists on our supported
+# release branches in k/k is 1.20.
+.PHONY: verify-go-directive
+verify-go-directive:
+	./hack/verify-go-directive.sh -g 1.20
diff --git a/hack/verify-go-directive.sh b/hack/verify-go-directive.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..3938d131
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hack/verify-go-directive.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# Copyright 2024 The Kubernetes Authors.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+set -o errexit
+set -o nounset
+set -o pipefail
+
+function usage {
+  local script="$(basename $0)"
+
+  echo >&2 "Usage: ${script} [-g <maximum go directive>]
+
+This script should be run at the root of a module.
+
+-g <maximum go directive>
+  Compare the go directive in the local working copy's go.mod
+  to the specified maximum version it can be. Versions provided
+  here are of the form 1.x.y, without the 'go' prefix.
+
+Examples:
+  ${script} -g 1.20
+  ${script} -g 1.21.6
+"
+  exit 1
+}
+
+max=""
+while getopts g: o
+do case "$o" in
+  g)    max="$OPTARG";;
+  [?])  usage;;
+  esac
+done
+
+# If max is empty, print usage and error
+if [[ -z "${max}" ]]; then
+  usage;
+fi
+
+# Don't specify the version with the go prefix, just 1.x.y will do.
+if ! printf '%s\n' "${max}" | grep -v -q "^go"; then
+  usage;
+fi
+
+current=$(grep '^go [1-9]*' go.mod | cut -d ' ' -f2)
+if [[ -z "${current}" ]]; then
+  echo >&2 "FAIL: could not get value of go directive from go.mod"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if ! printf '%s\n' "${current}" "${max}" | sort --check=silent --version-sort; then
+    echo >&2 "FAIL: current Go directive ${current} is greater than ${max}"
+    exit 1
+fi