diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 78d607ac5b..b8850181b3 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ require (
 	k8s.io/apimachinery v0.33.1
 	k8s.io/client-go v0.33.1
 	k8s.io/klog/v2 v2.130.1
-	sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.20.4
+	sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.21.0
 	sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api v1.3.0
 )
 
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 5dad51c20f..e65675a1b8 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ github.com/Microsoft/go-winio v0.6.2 h1:F2VQgta7ecxGYO8k3ZZz3RS8fVIXVxONVUPlNERo
 github.com/Microsoft/go-winio v0.6.2/go.mod h1:yd8OoFMLzJbo9gZq8j5qaps8bJ9aShtEA8Ipt1oGCvU=
 github.com/beorn7/perks v1.0.1 h1:VlbKKnNfV8bJzeqoa4cOKqO6bYr3WgKZxO8Z16+hsOM=
 github.com/beorn7/perks v1.0.1/go.mod h1:G2ZrVWU2WbWT9wwq4/hrbKbnv/1ERSJQ0ibhJ6rlkpw=
+github.com/blang/semver/v4 v4.0.0 h1:1PFHFE6yCCTv8C1TeyNNarDzntLi7wMI5i/pzqYIsAM=
+github.com/blang/semver/v4 v4.0.0/go.mod h1:IbckMUScFkM3pff0VJDNKRiT6TG/YpiHIM2yvyW5YoQ=
 github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v4 v4.3.0 h1:MyRJ/UdXutAwSAT+s3wNd7MfTIcy71VQueUuFK343L8=
 github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v4 v4.3.0/go.mod h1:Y3VNntkOUPxTVeUxJ/G5vcM//AlwfmyYozVcomhLiZE=
 github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v5 v5.0.2 h1:rIfFVxEf1QsI7E1ZHfp/B4DF/6QBAUhmgkxc0H7Zss8=
@@ -323,8 +325,8 @@ k8s.io/kube-openapi v0.0.0-20250318190949-c8a335a9a2ff h1:/usPimJzUKKu+m+TE36gUy
 k8s.io/kube-openapi v0.0.0-20250318190949-c8a335a9a2ff/go.mod h1:5jIi+8yX4RIb8wk3XwBo5Pq2ccx4FP10ohkbSKCZoK8=
 k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20241104100929-3ea5e8cea738 h1:M3sRQVHv7vB20Xc2ybTt7ODCeFj6JSWYFzOFnYeS6Ro=
 k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20241104100929-3ea5e8cea738/go.mod h1:OLgZIPagt7ERELqWJFomSt595RzquPNLL48iOWgYOg0=
-sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.20.4 h1:X3c+Odnxz+iPTRobG4tp092+CvBU9UK0t/bRf+n0DGU=
-sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.20.4/go.mod h1:xg2XB0K5ShQzAgsoujxuKN4LNXR2LfwwHsPj7Iaw+XY=
+sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.21.0 h1:CYfjpEuicjUecRk+KAeyYh+ouUBn4llGyDYytIGcJS8=
+sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.21.0/go.mod h1:OSg14+F65eWqIu4DceX7k/+QRAbTTvxeQSNSOQpukWM=
 sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api v1.3.0 h1:q6okN+/UKDATola4JY7zXzx40WO4VISk7i9DIfOvr9M=
 sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api v1.3.0/go.mod h1:d8NV8nJbaRbEKem+5IuxkL8gJGOZ+FJ+NvOIltV8gDk=
 sigs.k8s.io/json v0.0.0-20241010143419-9aa6b5e7a4b3 h1:/Rv+M11QRah1itp8VhT6HoVx1Ray9eB4DBr+K+/sCJ8=
diff --git a/tests/go.mod b/tests/go.mod
index d1ae3231a5..01685a0728 100644
--- a/tests/go.mod
+++ b/tests/go.mod
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ require (
 	k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver v0.33.1
 	k8s.io/apimachinery v0.33.1
 	k8s.io/client-go v0.33.1
-	sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.20.4
+	sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.21.0
 	sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api v1.3.0
 	sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.4.0
 )
diff --git a/tests/go.sum b/tests/go.sum
index e538c6ce4b..cccad37e4c 100644
--- a/tests/go.sum
+++ b/tests/go.sum
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ github.com/armon/go-socks5 v0.0.0-20160902184237-e75332964ef5 h1:0CwZNZbxp69SHPd
 github.com/armon/go-socks5 v0.0.0-20160902184237-e75332964ef5/go.mod h1:wHh0iHkYZB8zMSxRWpUBQtwG5a7fFgvEO+odwuTv2gs=
 github.com/beorn7/perks v1.0.1 h1:VlbKKnNfV8bJzeqoa4cOKqO6bYr3WgKZxO8Z16+hsOM=
 github.com/beorn7/perks v1.0.1/go.mod h1:G2ZrVWU2WbWT9wwq4/hrbKbnv/1ERSJQ0ibhJ6rlkpw=
+github.com/blang/semver/v4 v4.0.0 h1:1PFHFE6yCCTv8C1TeyNNarDzntLi7wMI5i/pzqYIsAM=
+github.com/blang/semver/v4 v4.0.0/go.mod h1:IbckMUScFkM3pff0VJDNKRiT6TG/YpiHIM2yvyW5YoQ=
 github.com/bmizerany/perks v0.0.0-20230307044200-03f9df79da1e h1:mWOqoK5jV13ChKf/aF3plwQ96laasTJgZi4f1aSOu+M=
 github.com/bmizerany/perks v0.0.0-20230307044200-03f9df79da1e/go.mod h1:ac9efd0D1fsDb3EJvhqgXRbFx7bs2wqZ10HQPeU8U/Q=
 github.com/cespare/xxhash/v2 v2.3.0 h1:UL815xU9SqsFlibzuggzjXhog7bL6oX9BbNZnL2UFvs=
@@ -236,8 +238,8 @@ k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20241104100929-3ea5e8cea738 h1:M3sRQVHv7vB20Xc2ybTt7ODCeFj6J
 k8s.io/utils v0.0.0-20241104100929-3ea5e8cea738/go.mod h1:OLgZIPagt7ERELqWJFomSt595RzquPNLL48iOWgYOg0=
 pgregory.net/rapid v1.1.0 h1:CMa0sjHSru3puNx+J0MIAuiiEV4N0qj8/cMWGBBCsjw=
 pgregory.net/rapid v1.1.0/go.mod h1:PY5XlDGj0+V1FCq0o192FdRhpKHGTRIWBgqjDBTrq04=
-sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.20.4 h1:X3c+Odnxz+iPTRobG4tp092+CvBU9UK0t/bRf+n0DGU=
-sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.20.4/go.mod h1:xg2XB0K5ShQzAgsoujxuKN4LNXR2LfwwHsPj7Iaw+XY=
+sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.21.0 h1:CYfjpEuicjUecRk+KAeyYh+ouUBn4llGyDYytIGcJS8=
+sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.21.0/go.mod h1:OSg14+F65eWqIu4DceX7k/+QRAbTTvxeQSNSOQpukWM=
 sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api v1.3.0 h1:q6okN+/UKDATola4JY7zXzx40WO4VISk7i9DIfOvr9M=
 sigs.k8s.io/gateway-api v1.3.0/go.mod h1:d8NV8nJbaRbEKem+5IuxkL8gJGOZ+FJ+NvOIltV8gDk=
 sigs.k8s.io/json v0.0.0-20241010143419-9aa6b5e7a4b3 h1:/Rv+M11QRah1itp8VhT6HoVx1Ray9eB4DBr+K+/sCJ8=