diff --git a/.github/workflows/go-version.yaml b/.github/workflows/go-version.yaml
index f109a78f105..12831ed7715 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/go-version.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/go-version.yaml
@@ -1,8 +1,5 @@
 name: Go version setup
 
-env:
-  GO_VERSION: "1.19.9"
-
 on:
   workflow_call:
     outputs:
@@ -14,9 +11,11 @@ jobs:
     name: Set Go version variable for all the workflows
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     outputs:
-      goversion: ${{ steps.step1.outputs.goversion }}
+      goversion: ${{ steps.goversion.outputs.goversion }}
     steps:
-      - id: step1
+      - uses: actions/checkout@8e5e7e5ab8b370d6c329ec480221332ada57f0ab # v3.5.2
+      - id: goversion
         run: |
+          GO_VERSION=$(cat .go-version)
           echo "Go Version: $GO_VERSION"
           echo "goversion=$GO_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
diff --git a/.go-version b/.go-version
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ec581960fd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.go-version
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1.19.9
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/release b/scripts/release
index 0b881073a22..543559782d8 100755
--- a/scripts/release
+++ b/scripts/release
@@ -112,10 +112,10 @@ main() {
   # Check go version.
   log_callout "Check go version"
   local go_version current_go_version
-  go_version="go$(grep -oP '(?<=GO_VERSION:\s")[^"]*' .github/workflows/go-version.yaml | tr -d ' ')"
+  go_version="go$(cat .go-version)"
   current_go_version=$(go version | awk '{ print $3 }')
   if [[ "${current_go_version}" != "${go_version}" ]]; then
-    log_error "Current go version is ${current_go_version}, but etcd ${RELEASE_VERSION} requires ${go_version} (see .travis.yml)."
+    log_error "Current go version is ${current_go_version}, but etcd ${RELEASE_VERSION} requires ${go_version} (see .go-version)."
     exit 1
   fi