diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint-sample.yml b/.github/workflows/lint-sample.yml
index 7ac928c9c2c..ee4ac33a410 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint-sample.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint-sample.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@ on:
 jobs:
   lint-samples:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        folder: [
+          "testdata/project-v4",
+          "testdata/project-v4-with-plugins",
+          "testdata/project-v4-multigroup"
+        ]
     if: (github.event_name == 'push' || github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name != github.repository)
     steps:
       - name: Clone the code
@@ -19,15 +26,16 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
           go-version-file: go.mod
+      - name: Prepare ${{ matrix.folder }}
+        working-directory: ${{ matrix.folder }}
+        run: go mod tidy
       - name: Run linter
         uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@v6
         with:
-          version: v1.59
-          working-directory: testdata/project-v4
-          args: --config .golangci.yml ./...
-      - name: Run linter
-        uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@v6
-        with:
-          version: v1.59
-          working-directory: testdata/project-v4-with-plugins
+          version: v1.61.0
+          working-directory: ${{ matrix.folder }}
           args: --config .golangci.yml ./...
+      - name: Run linter via makefile target
+        working-directory: ${{ matrix.folder }}
+        run: make lint
+
diff --git a/docs/book/src/cronjob-tutorial/testdata/project/cmd/main.go b/docs/book/src/cronjob-tutorial/testdata/project/cmd/main.go
index 209581d00cd..9fe604b50c9 100644
--- a/docs/book/src/cronjob-tutorial/testdata/project/cmd/main.go
+++ b/docs/book/src/cronjob-tutorial/testdata/project/cmd/main.go
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ The other thing that's changed is that kubebuilder has added a block calling our
 CronJob controller's `SetupWithManager` method.
 */
 
+// nolint:gocyclo
 func main() {
 	/*
 	 */
@@ -94,7 +95,8 @@ func main() {
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertPath, "webhook-cert-path", "", "The directory that contains the webhook certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertName, "webhook-cert-name", "tls.crt", "The name of the webhook certificate file.")
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertKey, "webhook-cert-key", "tls.key", "The name of the webhook key file.")
-	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertPath, "metrics-cert-path", "", "The directory that contains the metrics server certificate.")
+	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertPath, "metrics-cert-path", "",
+		"The directory that contains the metrics server certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertName, "metrics-cert-name", "tls.crt", "The name of the metrics server certificate file.")
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertKey, "metrics-cert-key", "tls.key", "The name of the metrics server key file.")
 	flag.BoolVar(&enableHTTP2, "enable-http2", false,
diff --git a/docs/book/src/getting-started/testdata/project/cmd/main.go b/docs/book/src/getting-started/testdata/project/cmd/main.go
index b86cea80621..0cd79cdc0fe 100644
--- a/docs/book/src/getting-started/testdata/project/cmd/main.go
+++ b/docs/book/src/getting-started/testdata/project/cmd/main.go
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ func init() {
 	// +kubebuilder:scaffold:scheme
 }
 
+// nolint:gocyclo
 func main() {
 	var metricsAddr string
 	var metricsCertPath, metricsCertName, metricsCertKey string
@@ -74,7 +75,8 @@ func main() {
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertPath, "webhook-cert-path", "", "The directory that contains the webhook certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertName, "webhook-cert-name", "tls.crt", "The name of the webhook certificate file.")
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertKey, "webhook-cert-key", "tls.key", "The name of the webhook key file.")
-	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertPath, "metrics-cert-path", "", "The directory that contains the metrics server certificate.")
+	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertPath, "metrics-cert-path", "",
+		"The directory that contains the metrics server certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertName, "metrics-cert-name", "tls.crt", "The name of the metrics server certificate file.")
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertKey, "metrics-cert-key", "tls.key", "The name of the metrics server key file.")
 	flag.BoolVar(&enableHTTP2, "enable-http2", false,
diff --git a/docs/book/src/multiversion-tutorial/testdata/project/cmd/main.go b/docs/book/src/multiversion-tutorial/testdata/project/cmd/main.go
index b77ce55ec0f..f199f36143e 100644
--- a/docs/book/src/multiversion-tutorial/testdata/project/cmd/main.go
+++ b/docs/book/src/multiversion-tutorial/testdata/project/cmd/main.go
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ func init() {
 /*
  */
 
+// nolint:gocyclo
 func main() {
 	/*
 	 */
@@ -93,7 +94,8 @@ func main() {
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertPath, "webhook-cert-path", "", "The directory that contains the webhook certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertName, "webhook-cert-name", "tls.crt", "The name of the webhook certificate file.")
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertKey, "webhook-cert-key", "tls.key", "The name of the webhook key file.")
-	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertPath, "metrics-cert-path", "", "The directory that contains the metrics server certificate.")
+	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertPath, "metrics-cert-path", "",
+		"The directory that contains the metrics server certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertName, "metrics-cert-name", "tls.crt", "The name of the metrics server certificate file.")
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertKey, "metrics-cert-key", "tls.key", "The name of the metrics server key file.")
 	flag.BoolVar(&enableHTTP2, "enable-http2", false,
diff --git a/pkg/plugins/golang/v4/scaffolds/internal/templates/cmd/main.go b/pkg/plugins/golang/v4/scaffolds/internal/templates/cmd/main.go
index ce75f4ac7c1..d859b9b239f 100644
--- a/pkg/plugins/golang/v4/scaffolds/internal/templates/cmd/main.go
+++ b/pkg/plugins/golang/v4/scaffolds/internal/templates/cmd/main.go
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@ func init() {
 	%s
 }
 
+// nolint:gocyclo
 func main() {
 	var metricsAddr string
 	var metricsCertPath, metricsCertName, metricsCertKey string
@@ -276,7 +277,8 @@ func main() {
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertPath, "webhook-cert-path", "", "The directory that contains the webhook certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertName, "webhook-cert-name", "tls.crt", "The name of the webhook certificate file.")
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertKey, "webhook-cert-key", "tls.key", "The name of the webhook key file.")
-	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertPath, "metrics-cert-path", "", "The directory that contains the metrics server certificate.")
+	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertPath, "metrics-cert-path", "", 
+		"The directory that contains the metrics server certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertName, "metrics-cert-name", "tls.crt", "The name of the metrics server certificate file.")
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertKey, "metrics-cert-key", "tls.key", "The name of the metrics server key file.")
 	flag.BoolVar(&enableHTTP2, "enable-http2", false,
diff --git a/testdata/project-v4-multigroup/cmd/main.go b/testdata/project-v4-multigroup/cmd/main.go
index bab644875b8..a8fab7ee521 100644
--- a/testdata/project-v4-multigroup/cmd/main.go
+++ b/testdata/project-v4-multigroup/cmd/main.go
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ func init() {
 	// +kubebuilder:scaffold:scheme
 }
 
+// nolint:gocyclo
 func main() {
 	var metricsAddr string
 	var metricsCertPath, metricsCertName, metricsCertKey string
@@ -115,7 +116,8 @@ func main() {
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertPath, "webhook-cert-path", "", "The directory that contains the webhook certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertName, "webhook-cert-name", "tls.crt", "The name of the webhook certificate file.")
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertKey, "webhook-cert-key", "tls.key", "The name of the webhook key file.")
-	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertPath, "metrics-cert-path", "", "The directory that contains the metrics server certificate.")
+	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertPath, "metrics-cert-path", "",
+		"The directory that contains the metrics server certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertName, "metrics-cert-name", "tls.crt", "The name of the metrics server certificate file.")
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertKey, "metrics-cert-key", "tls.key", "The name of the metrics server key file.")
 	flag.BoolVar(&enableHTTP2, "enable-http2", false,
diff --git a/testdata/project-v4-with-plugins/cmd/main.go b/testdata/project-v4-with-plugins/cmd/main.go
index 1ef9dce52c0..d30355c5caf 100644
--- a/testdata/project-v4-with-plugins/cmd/main.go
+++ b/testdata/project-v4-with-plugins/cmd/main.go
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ func init() {
 	// +kubebuilder:scaffold:scheme
 }
 
+// nolint:gocyclo
 func main() {
 	var metricsAddr string
 	var metricsCertPath, metricsCertName, metricsCertKey string
@@ -80,7 +81,8 @@ func main() {
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertPath, "webhook-cert-path", "", "The directory that contains the webhook certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertName, "webhook-cert-name", "tls.crt", "The name of the webhook certificate file.")
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertKey, "webhook-cert-key", "tls.key", "The name of the webhook key file.")
-	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertPath, "metrics-cert-path", "", "The directory that contains the metrics server certificate.")
+	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertPath, "metrics-cert-path", "",
+		"The directory that contains the metrics server certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertName, "metrics-cert-name", "tls.crt", "The name of the metrics server certificate file.")
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertKey, "metrics-cert-key", "tls.key", "The name of the metrics server key file.")
 	flag.BoolVar(&enableHTTP2, "enable-http2", false,
diff --git a/testdata/project-v4/cmd/main.go b/testdata/project-v4/cmd/main.go
index 3ed173185cd..0e7c65de15e 100644
--- a/testdata/project-v4/cmd/main.go
+++ b/testdata/project-v4/cmd/main.go
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ func init() {
 	// +kubebuilder:scaffold:scheme
 }
 
+// nolint:gocyclo
 func main() {
 	var metricsAddr string
 	var metricsCertPath, metricsCertName, metricsCertKey string
@@ -83,7 +84,8 @@ func main() {
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertPath, "webhook-cert-path", "", "The directory that contains the webhook certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertName, "webhook-cert-name", "tls.crt", "The name of the webhook certificate file.")
 	flag.StringVar(&webhookCertKey, "webhook-cert-key", "tls.key", "The name of the webhook key file.")
-	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertPath, "metrics-cert-path", "", "The directory that contains the metrics server certificate.")
+	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertPath, "metrics-cert-path", "",
+		"The directory that contains the metrics server certificate.")
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertName, "metrics-cert-name", "tls.crt", "The name of the metrics server certificate file.")
 	flag.StringVar(&metricsCertKey, "metrics-cert-key", "tls.key", "The name of the metrics server key file.")
 	flag.BoolVar(&enableHTTP2, "enable-http2", false,