diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index cf518ee..84e8c04 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@ jobs:
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v2
 
-    - name: Set up Go 1.15
+    - name: Set up Go 1.16
       uses: actions/setup-go@v1
       with:
-        go-version: 1.15
+        go-version: 1.16
 
     - name: Build
       run: script/cibuild
diff --git a/.github/workflows/replica-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/replica-tests.yml
index bbc53a5..f1c887c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/replica-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/replica-tests.yml
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ jobs:
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v2
 
-    - name: Set up Go 1.14
+    - name: Set up Go 1.16
       uses: actions/setup-go@v1
       with:
-        go-version: 1.14
+        go-version: 1.16
 
     - name: migration tests
       env:
diff --git a/Dockerfile.packaging b/Dockerfile.packaging
index 092fade..64036b1 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.packaging
+++ b/Dockerfile.packaging
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-#
-
-FROM golang:1.15.6
+FROM golang:1.16.4
 
 RUN apt-get update
 RUN apt-get install -y ruby ruby-dev rubygems build-essential
diff --git a/Dockerfile.test b/Dockerfile.test
index ceb46bf..3ba0126 100644
--- a/Dockerfile.test
+++ b/Dockerfile.test
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-FROM golang:1.15.6
+FROM golang:1.16.4
 LABEL maintainer="github@github.com"
 
 RUN apt-get update
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 8842d5b..e21344d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ Please see [Coding gh-ost](doc/coding-ghost.md) for a guide to getting started d
 
 [Download latest release here](https://github.com/github/gh-ost/releases/latest)
 
-`gh-ost` is a Go project; it is built with Go `1.14` and above. To build on your own, use either:
+`gh-ost` is a Go project; it is built with Go `1.15` and above. To build on your own, use either:
 - [script/build](https://github.com/github/gh-ost/blob/master/script/build) - this is the same build script used by CI hence the authoritative; artifact is `./bin/gh-ost` binary.
 - [build.sh](https://github.com/github/gh-ost/blob/master/build.sh) for building `tar.gz` artifacts in `/tmp/gh-ost`
 
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 88ecf1e..ef24e81 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -18,15 +18,16 @@ function build {
   GOOS=$3
   GOARCH=$4
 
-  if ! go version | egrep -q 'go(1\.1[456])' ; then
-    echo "go version must be 1.14 or above"
+  if ! go version | egrep -q 'go(1\.1[56])' ; then
+    echo "go version must be 1.15 or above"
     exit 1
   fi
 
+  # TODO: remove GO111MODULE once gh-ost uses Go modules
   echo "Building ${osname} binary"
   export GOOS
   export GOARCH
-  go build -ldflags "$ldflags" -o $buildpath/$target go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go
+  GO111MODULE=off go build -ldflags "$ldflags" -o $buildpath/$target go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go
 
   if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
       echo "Build failed for ${osname}"
diff --git a/localtests/test.sh b/localtests/test.sh
index eb3d640..5e96e28 100755
--- a/localtests/test.sh
+++ b/localtests/test.sh
@@ -242,7 +242,10 @@ build_binary() {
     echo "Using binary: $ghost_binary"
     return 0
   fi
-  go build -o $ghost_binary go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go
+
+  # TODO: remove GO111MODULE once gh-ost uses Go modules
+  GO111MODULE=off go build -o $ghost_binary go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go
+
   if [ $? -ne 0 ] ; then
     echo "Build failure"
     exit 1
diff --git a/script/build b/script/build
index 24be5d1..7107483 100755
--- a/script/build
+++ b/script/build
@@ -17,4 +17,5 @@ export GOPATH="$PWD/.gopath"
 cd .gopath/src/github.com/github/gh-ost
 
 # We put the binaries directly into the bindir, because we have no need for shim wrappers
-go build -o "$bindir/gh-ost" -ldflags "-X main.AppVersion=${version} -X main.BuildDescribe=${describe}" ./go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go
+# TODO: remove GO111MODULE once gh-ost uses Go modules
+GO111MODULE=off go build -o "$bindir/gh-ost" -ldflags "-X main.AppVersion=${version} -X main.BuildDescribe=${describe}" ./go/cmd/gh-ost/main.go
diff --git a/script/ensure-go-installed b/script/ensure-go-installed
index baa5bd7..473ba38 100755
--- a/script/ensure-go-installed
+++ b/script/ensure-go-installed
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-PREFERRED_GO_VERSION=go1.14.7
-SUPPORTED_GO_VERSIONS='go1.1[456]'
+PREFERRED_GO_VERSION=go1.16.4
+SUPPORTED_GO_VERSIONS='go1.1[56]'
 
 GO_PKG_DARWIN=${PREFERRED_GO_VERSION}.darwin-amd64.pkg
 GO_PKG_DARWIN_SHA=0f215de06019a054a3da46a0722989986c956d719c7a0a8fc38a5f3c216d6f6b
diff --git a/script/test b/script/test
index 7e757b5..38e7505 100755
--- a/script/test
+++ b/script/test
@@ -13,5 +13,6 @@ script/build
 
 cd .gopath/src/github.com/github/gh-ost
 
+# TODO: remove GO111MODULE once gh-ost uses Go modules
 echo "Running unit tests"
-go test ./go/...
+GO111MODULE=off go test ./go/...
diff --git a/test.sh b/test.sh
index ff514fa..16095bf 100755
--- a/test.sh
+++ b/test.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ retval=0
 for testsuite in base mysql sql
 do
   pushd go/${testsuite} > /dev/null;
-  go test $*;
+
+  # TODO: remove GO111MODULE once gh-ost uses Go modules
+  GO111MODULE=off go test $*;
+
   [ $? -ne 0 ] && retval=1
   popd > /dev/null;
 done