diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 8ee3cc317e..3bf5ce3883 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/mod v0.12.0
 	golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.10.0
 	golang.org/x/text v0.11.0
+	golang.org/x/tools v0.9.3
 	gopkg.in/gcfg.v1 v1.2.3
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0
 	k8s.io/api v0.27.2
@@ -60,7 +61,6 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/net v0.12.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.10.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/term v0.10.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/tools v0.9.3 // indirect
 )
 
 require (
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 09e7f19a97..8ee5f171bd 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -795,6 +795,7 @@ golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20201020160332-67f06af15bc9/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJ
 golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20201207232520-09787c993a3a/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
 golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20210220032951-036812b2e83c/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
 golang.org/x/sync v0.0.0-20220722155255-886fb9371eb4/go.mod h1:RxMgew5VJxzue5/jJTE5uejpjVlOe/izrB70Jof72aM=
+golang.org/x/sync v0.2.0 h1:PUR+T4wwASmuSTYdKjYHI5TD22Wy5ogLU5qZCOLxBrI=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20170830134202-bb24a47a89ea/go.mod h1:STP8DvDyc/dI5b8T5hshtkjS+E42TnysNCUPdjciGhY=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20180823144017-11551d06cbcc/go.mod h1:STP8DvDyc/dI5b8T5hshtkjS+E42TnysNCUPdjciGhY=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20180830151530-49385e6e1522/go.mod h1:STP8DvDyc/dI5b8T5hshtkjS+E42TnysNCUPdjciGhY=
diff --git a/test/helpers/envtest.go b/test/helpers/envtest.go
index 10cba13f9d..74dc145b2e 100644
--- a/test/helpers/envtest.go
+++ b/test/helpers/envtest.go
@@ -20,14 +20,13 @@ package helpers
 import (
 	goctx "context"
 	"fmt"
-	"go/build"
-	"os"
 	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
 	goruntime "runtime"
 
 	"github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 	"github.com/vmware/govmomi/simulator"
+	"golang.org/x/tools/go/packages"
 	admissionv1 "k8s.io/api/admissionregistration/v1"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
 	apiextensionsv1 "k8s.io/apiextensions-apiserver/pkg/apis/apiextensions/v1"
@@ -85,7 +84,7 @@ func init() {
 	}
 
 	// append CAPI CRDs path
-	if capiPaths := getFilePathToCAPICRDs(root); capiPaths != nil {
+	if capiPaths := getFilePathToCAPICRDs(); capiPaths != nil {
 		crdPaths = append(crdPaths, capiPaths...)
 	}
 
@@ -218,28 +217,21 @@ func (t *TestEnvironment) CreateKubeconfigSecret(ctx goctx.Context, cluster *clu
 	return t.Create(ctx, kubeconfig.GenerateSecret(cluster, kubeconfig.FromEnvTestConfig(t.Config, cluster)))
 }
 
-func getFilePathToCAPICRDs(root string) []string {
-	mod, err := NewMod(filepath.Join(root, "go.mod"))
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil
+func getFilePathToCAPICRDs() []string {
+	packageName := "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api"
+	packageConfig := &packages.Config{
+		Mode: packages.NeedModule,
 	}
 
-	packageName := "sigs.k8s.io/cluster-api"
-	clusterAPIVersion, err := mod.FindDependencyVersion(packageName)
+	pkgs, err := packages.Load(packageConfig, packageName)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	gopath := envOr("GOPATH", build.Default.GOPATH)
-	return []string{
-		filepath.Join(gopath, "pkg", "mod", "sigs.k8s.io", fmt.Sprintf("cluster-api@%s", clusterAPIVersion), "config", "crd", "bases"),
-		filepath.Join(gopath, "pkg", "mod", "sigs.k8s.io", fmt.Sprintf("cluster-api@%s", clusterAPIVersion), "controlplane", "kubeadm", "config", "crd", "bases"),
-	}
-}
+	pkg := pkgs[0]
 
-func envOr(envKey, defaultValue string) string {
-	if value, ok := os.LookupEnv(envKey); ok {
-		return value
+	return []string{
+		filepath.Join(pkg.Module.Dir, "config", "crd", "bases"),
+		filepath.Join(pkg.Module.Dir, "controlplane", "kubeadm", "config", "crd", "bases"),
 	}
-	return defaultValue
 }