diff --git a/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md b/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 5c9f0bf1..f6e9e1ab 100644
--- a/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/.github/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ By participating in this project, you agree to abide by our [Code of Conduct](.g
 - [Pull Request Guidelines](#pull-request-guidelines)
 - [Commit Message Guidelines](#commit-message-guidelines)
 - [Testing](#testing)
+- [Linting](#linting)
 - [Documentation](#documentation)
 - [Component-Specific Guidelines](#component-specific-guidelines)
 - [Backporting Changes](#backporting-changes)
@@ -70,6 +71,41 @@ We recommend running tests locally to catch issues before opening a PR.
 
 ---
 
+## Linting
+
+We use [golangci-lint](https://golangci-lint.run/) to enforce code quality standards. The linter runs automatically on all pull requests and will block merging if issues are found.
+
+### Running the Linter Locally
+
+```bash
+# Run linting (will fail on errors)
+make lint
+
+# Run linting with auto-fix for fixable issues
+make lint-fix
+```
+
+### Configuration
+
+Linting rules are configured in `.golangci.yml` at the repository root. The configuration enables these linters:
+
+- **errcheck** - Check for unchecked errors
+- **govet** - Report suspicious constructs
+- **staticcheck** - Advanced static analysis
+- **gofmt/goimports** - Code formatting
+- **misspell** - Spelling errors in comments
+- **revive** - Extensible linter with many rules
+- **unused** - Find unused code
+- And more (see `.golangci.yml` for the full list)
+
+### Best Practices
+
+- Run `make lint` before committing to catch issues early
+- Use `make lint-fix` to automatically fix formatting issues
+- If a lint rule seems incorrect for your use case, discuss it in the PR rather than disabling it
+
+---
+
 ## Documentation
 
 Contributions to documentation are highly valued. If you find any documentation gaps or errors:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yml b/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8a934e94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+name: golangci-lint
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+  pull_request:
+  merge_group:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+  pull-requests: read
+
+jobs:
+  golangci-lint:
+    name: golangci-lint
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Set up Go
+        uses: actions/setup-go@v5
+        with:
+          go-version-file: "go.mod"
+          cache: true
+
+      - name: Download dependencies
+        run: go mod download
+
+      - name: Generate code
+        run: make generate
+
+      - name: Run golangci-lint
+        uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@v6
+        with:
+          # Install from source to match Go 1.24
+          install-mode: goinstall
+          version: v1.62.2
+          args: --timeout=5m
+          # Show only new issues for PRs
+          only-new-issues: true
diff --git a/.golangci.yml b/.golangci.yml
index aac8a13f..01945236 100644
--- a/.golangci.yml
+++ b/.golangci.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ linters:
   enable:
     - dupl
     - errcheck
-    - exportloopref
     - ginkgolinter
     - goconst
     - gocyclo
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index bde821da..a78ef5a8 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ HELMIFY ?= helmify
 KUSTOMIZE_VERSION ?= v5.4.3
 CONTROLLER_TOOLS_VERSION ?= v0.16.5
 ENVTEST_VERSION ?= release-0.19
-GOLANGCI_LINT_VERSION ?= v1.59.1
+GOLANGCI_LINT_VERSION ?= v1.62.2
 HELM_VERSION ?= v3.14.2
 YQ_VERSION ?= v4.40.5