diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-go.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-go.yml
index d55e553282b..cade78041fa 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-go.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-go.yml
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Checkout repository
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
     - run: |
-        go mod vendor
-        go mod tidy -compat=1.20
+        make go-verify
         hack/ci-utils/isClean.sh
 
   generate-check:
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index a0953075d9e..42803ae621d 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ GATEKEEPER_VERSION = v3.10.0
 GATEKEEPER_IMAGE ?= ${RP_IMAGE_ACR}.azurecr.io/gatekeeper:$(GATEKEEPER_VERSION)
 GOTESTSUM = gotest.tools/gotestsum@v1.11.0
 
+# Golang version go mod tidy compatibility
+GOLANG_VERSION ?= 1.20
+
 ifneq ($(shell uname -s),Darwin)
     export CGO_CFLAGS=-Dgpgme_off_t=off_t
 endif
@@ -275,9 +278,22 @@ admin.kubeconfig:
 aks.kubeconfig:
 	hack/get-admin-aks-kubeconfig.sh
 
+.PHONY: go-tidy
+go-tidy: # Run go mod tidy - add missing and remove unused modules.
+	go mod tidy -compat=${GOLANG_VERSION}
+
+.PHONY: go-vendor
+go-vendor:  # Run go mod vendor - only modules that are used in the source code will be vendored in (make vendored copy of dependencies). 
+	go mod vendor
+
+.PHONY: go-verify
+go-verify: go-tidy go-vendor # Run go mod verify - verify dependencies have expected content
+	go mod verify
+
 vendor:
 	# See comments in the script for background on why we need it
 	hack/update-go-module-dependencies.sh
+	$(MAKE) go-verify
 
 install-go-tools:
 	go install ${GOTESTSUM}
diff --git a/hack/update-go-module-dependencies.sh b/hack/update-go-module-dependencies.sh
index 454a676e82b..819ef5fa695 100755
--- a/hack/update-go-module-dependencies.sh
+++ b/hack/update-go-module-dependencies.sh
@@ -41,5 +41,3 @@ done
 
 go get -u ./...
 
-go mod tidy -compat=1.20
-go mod vendor