diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2cb8ed9f9..2d532f984 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ A third party security audit was performed by Cure53, you can see the full repor
 
 ## Building
 
-`runc` only supports Linux. It must be built with Go version 1.19 or higher.
+`runc` only supports Linux. It must be built with Go version 1.21 or higher.
 
 NOTE: if building with Go 1.22.x, make sure to use 1.22.4 or a later version
 (see [issue #4233](https://github.com/opencontainers/runc/issues/4233) for
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 9c15a6bff..98b23ab87 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module github.com/opencontainers/runc
 
-go 1.20
+go 1.21
 
 require (
 	github.com/checkpoint-restore/go-criu/v6 v6.3.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 59f2fc9fb..13b88a485 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -17,15 +17,19 @@ github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSs
 github.com/docker/go-units v0.5.0 h1:69rxXcBk27SvSaaxTtLh/8llcHD8vYHT7WSdRZ/jvr4=
 github.com/docker/go-units v0.5.0/go.mod h1:fgPhTUdO+D/Jk86RDLlptpiXQzgHJF7gydDDbaIK4Dk=
 github.com/frankban/quicktest v1.14.5 h1:dfYrrRyLtiqT9GyKXgdh+k4inNeTvmGbuSgZ3lx3GhA=
+github.com/frankban/quicktest v1.14.5/go.mod h1:4ptaffx2x8+WTWXmUCuVU6aPUX1/Mz7zb5vbUoiM6w0=
 github.com/godbus/dbus/v5 v5.0.4/go.mod h1:xhWf0FNVPg57R7Z0UbKHbJfkEywrmjJnf7w5xrFpKfA=
 github.com/godbus/dbus/v5 v5.1.0 h1:4KLkAxT3aOY8Li4FRJe/KvhoNFFxo0m6fNuFUO8QJUk=
 github.com/godbus/dbus/v5 v5.1.0/go.mod h1:xhWf0FNVPg57R7Z0UbKHbJfkEywrmjJnf7w5xrFpKfA=
 github.com/golang/protobuf v1.5.0/go.mod h1:FsONVRAS9T7sI+LIUmWTfcYkHO4aIWwzhcaSAoJOfIk=
 github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.5/go.mod h1:v8dTdLbMG2kIc/vJvl+f65V22dbkXbowE6jgT/gNBxE=
 github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.9 h1:O2Tfq5qg4qc4AmwVlvv0oLiVAGB7enBSJ2x2DqQFi38=
+github.com/google/go-cmp v0.5.9/go.mod h1:17dUlkBOakJ0+DkrSSNjCkIjxS6bF9zb3elmeNGIjoY=
 github.com/inconshreveable/mousetrap v1.0.0/go.mod h1:PxqpIevigyE2G7u3NXJIT2ANytuPF1OarO4DADm73n8=
 github.com/kr/pretty v0.3.1 h1:flRD4NNwYAUpkphVc1HcthR4KEIFJ65n8Mw5qdRn3LE=
+github.com/kr/pretty v0.3.1/go.mod h1:hoEshYVHaxMs3cyo3Yncou5ZscifuDolrwPKZanG3xk=
 github.com/kr/text v0.2.0 h1:5Nx0Ya0ZqY2ygV366QzturHI13Jq95ApcVaJBhpS+AY=
+github.com/kr/text v0.2.0/go.mod h1:eLer722TekiGuMkidMxC/pM04lWEeraHUUmBw8l2grE=
 github.com/moby/sys/mountinfo v0.7.1 h1:/tTvQaSJRr2FshkhXiIpux6fQ2Zvc4j7tAhMTStAG2g=
 github.com/moby/sys/mountinfo v0.7.1/go.mod h1:IJb6JQeOklcdMU9F5xQ8ZALD+CUr5VlGpwtX+VE0rpI=
 github.com/moby/sys/user v0.1.0 h1:WmZ93f5Ux6het5iituh9x2zAG7NFY9Aqi49jjE1PaQg=
@@ -39,6 +43,7 @@ github.com/opencontainers/selinux v1.11.0/go.mod h1:E5dMC3VPuVvVHDYmi78qvhJp8+M5
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 h1:4DBwDE0NGyQoBHbLQYPwSUPoCMWR5BEzIk/f1lZbAQM=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0/go.mod h1:iKH77koFhYxTK1pcRnkKkqfTogsbg7gZNVY4sRDYZ/4=
 github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.9.0 h1:73kH8U+JUqXU8lRuOHeVHaa/SZPifC7BkcraZVejAe8=
+github.com/rogpeppe/go-internal v1.9.0/go.mod h1:WtVeX8xhTBvf0smdhujwtBcq4Qrzq/fJaraNFVN+nFs=
 github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 v2.1.0 h1:JIOH55/0cWyOuilr9/qlrm0BSXldqnqwMsf35Ld67mk=
 github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2 v2.1.0/go.mod h1:+Rmxgy9KzJVeS9/2gXHxylqXiyQDYRxCVz55jmeOWTM=
 github.com/seccomp/libseccomp-golang v0.10.0 h1:aA4bp+/Zzi0BnWZ2F1wgNBs5gTpm+na2rWM6M9YjLpY=