diff --git a/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yml b/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yml
index 3fc48f0f2..222e00cc4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yml
@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@ jobs:
       - name: golangci-lint
         uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@55c2c1448f86e01eaae002a5a3a9624417608d84  # v6.5.2
         with:
-          version: v1.62.0
+          version: v1.64.8
diff --git a/.go-version b/.go-version
index ac1df3fce..f9e8384bb 100644
--- a/.go-version
+++ b/.go-version
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.23.3
+1.24.1
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 137a1ee73..9076a1457 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ module github.com/coredns/coredns
 
 go 1.23.0
 
-toolchain go1.24.1
-
 require (
 	github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go v68.0.0+incompatible
 	github.com/Azure/go-autorest/autorest v0.11.30
diff --git a/plugin/kubernetes/informer_test.go b/plugin/kubernetes/informer_test.go
index 8babc6093..fa4d3c877 100644
--- a/plugin/kubernetes/informer_test.go
+++ b/plugin/kubernetes/informer_test.go
@@ -129,11 +129,12 @@ func TestDefaultProcessorWithPod(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func testProcessorWithPod(t *testing.T, processor cache.ProcessFunc, idx cache.Indexer) {
+	container := api.Container{}
 	obj := &api.Pod{
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "pod1", Namespace: "test1"},
 		Spec: api.PodSpec{
 			Containers: []api.Container{
-				api.Container{},
+				container,
 			},
 		},
 	}
@@ -141,7 +142,7 @@ func testProcessorWithPod(t *testing.T, processor cache.ProcessFunc, idx cache.I
 		ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{Name: "pod1", Namespace: "test1", DeletionTimestamp: &metav1.Time{Time: time.Now()}},
 		Spec: api.PodSpec{
 			Containers: []api.Container{
-				api.Container{},
+				container,
 			},
 		},
 	}