diff --git a/scripts/grab_reference_docs.sh b/scripts/grab_reference_docs.sh
index b99e835da8a12..f8374f23193dc 100755
--- a/scripts/grab_reference_docs.sh
+++ b/scripts/grab_reference_docs.sh
@@ -154,7 +154,9 @@ handle_components() {
         pushd "${REPO_NAME}" >/dev/null || exit
         pushd "${COMP_PATH}" >/dev/null || exit
 
-        go build -o "${COMP_NAME}"
+        # don't include go 1.18+ version control information in binaries 
+        # (we're just going to throw them away at the end of the function)
+        go build -buildvcs=false -o "${COMP_NAME}"
         mkdir -p "${COMP_OUTPUT_DIR}/${COMP_NAME}"
         mkdir -p "${COMP_OUTPUT_DIR_ZH}/${COMP_NAME}"
         "./${COMP_NAME}" collateral -o "${COMP_OUTPUT_DIR}/${COMP_NAME}" --html_fragment_with_front_matter
@@ -190,8 +192,9 @@ handle_config_analysis_messages() {
 }
 
 # delete all the existing generated files so that any stale files are removed
-find "${ROOTDIR}/content/en/docs/reference" -name '*.html' -type f -print0 | grep -v istio.operator.v1alpha1 | xargs -0 rm 2>/dev/null
-find "${ROOTDIR}/content/zh/docs/reference" -name '*.html' -type f -print0 | xargs -0 rm 2>/dev/null
+# (ignore istio.operator; that's no longer autogenerated)
+find "${ROOTDIR}/content/en/docs/reference" -name '*.html' -type f -print0 | grep -a -z -v istio.operator.v1alpha1 | xargs -0 rm 2>/dev/null
+find "${ROOTDIR}/content/zh/docs/reference" -name '*.html' -type f -print0 | grep -a -z -v istio.operator.v1alpha1 | xargs -0 rm 2>/dev/null
 
 # Prepare the work directory
 mkdir -p "${WORK_DIR}"