diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 299e1f03af20..fdb2b9ca4a10 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1300,7 +1300,8 @@ $(GOLANGCI_LINT_BIN): $(GOLANGCI_LINT) ## Build a local copy of golangci-lint.
 $(GOVULNCHECK_BIN): $(GOVULNCHECK) ## Build a local copy of govulncheck.
 
 $(CONTROLLER_GEN): # Build controller-gen from tools folder.
-	GOBIN=$(TOOLS_BIN_DIR) $(GO_INSTALL) $(CONTROLLER_GEN_PKG) $(CONTROLLER_GEN_BIN) $(CONTROLLER_GEN_VER)
+	# controller-gen 0.13 cannot be built with Go >= 1.22. We have to pin it to 1.21.
+	GOTOOLCHAIN=go1.21.11 GOBIN=$(TOOLS_BIN_DIR) $(GO_INSTALL) $(CONTROLLER_GEN_PKG) $(CONTROLLER_GEN_BIN) $(CONTROLLER_GEN_VER)
 
 ## We are forcing a rebuilt of conversion-gen via PHONY so that we're always using an up-to-date version.
 ## We can't use a versioned name for the binary, because that would be reflected in generated files.