diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yaml b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
index 8dc9a5948..8e27996e2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yaml
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ jobs:
     name: Build
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-    - name: Set up Go 1.23
+    - name: Set up Go 1.26
       uses: actions/setup-go@v3
       with:
-        go-version: 1.23
+        go-version: "1.26"
       id: go
 
     - name: Config credentials
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cli-coexistence_tests.yaml b/.github/workflows/cli-coexistence_tests.yaml
index 8dab6487f..d5e5c89e0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cli-coexistence_tests.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cli-coexistence_tests.yaml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set up Go 1.x
         uses: actions/setup-go@v4
         with:
-          go-version: 1.23
+          go-version: "1.26"
         id: go
 
       - name: Setup dependencies
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cli_core_e2e_sample-plugin.yaml b/.github/workflows/cli_core_e2e_sample-plugin.yaml
index 0ed6bd8ad..ee5e9c028 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cli_core_e2e_sample-plugin.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cli_core_e2e_sample-plugin.yaml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set up Go 1.x
         uses: actions/setup-go@v3
         with:
-          go-version: 1.23
+          go-version: "1.26"
         id: go
 
       - name: go cache
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cli_core_e2e_test.yaml b/.github/workflows/cli_core_e2e_test.yaml
index cd55839f1..dfbff42fb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cli_core_e2e_test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cli_core_e2e_test.yaml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set up Go 1.x
         uses: actions/setup-go@v3
         with:
-          go-version: 1.23
+          go-version: "1.26"
         id: go
 
       - name: go cache
@@ -38,29 +38,10 @@ jobs:
           restore-keys: |
             ${{ runner.os }}-go-
 
-      - name: Setup gcloud account
-        env:
-          GCP_SA: ${{ secrets.GCP_SA }}
-          GCP_PROJECT_NAME: ${{ secrets.GCP_PROJECT_NAME }}
-        run: |
-          if [ -n "$GCP_SA" ]; then
-            # Download and install Google Cloud SDK
-            wget https://dl.google.com/dl/cloudsdk/release/google-cloud-sdk.tar.gz
-            tar zxvf google-cloud-sdk.tar.gz && ./google-cloud-sdk/install.sh --usage-reporting=false --path-update=true
-            PATH="google-cloud-sdk/bin:${PATH}"
-            gcloud --quiet components update
-
-            echo $GCP_SA > ${HOME}/gcloud-service-key.json
-            gcloud auth activate-service-account --key-file ${HOME}/gcloud-service-key.json
-            cat ${HOME}/gcloud-service-key.json | docker login -u _json_key --password-stdin https://gcr.io
-            gcloud config set project $GCP_PROJECT_NAME
-          fi
-
       - name: Setup dependencies
         run: |
           make tools
           echo "${PWD}/hack/tools/bin" >> $GITHUB_PATH
-          echo "${PWD}/google-cloud-sdk/bin" >> $GITHUB_PATH
           echo "${PWD}/bin" >> $GITHUB_PATH
 
       - name: Build CLI Core
@@ -75,7 +56,6 @@ jobs:
         env:
           TANZU_API_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.TANZU_API_TOKEN }}
           TANZU_CLI_TMC_UNSTABLE_URL: ${{ secrets.TANZU_CLI_TMC_UNSTABLE_URL }}
-          CRD_PACKAGE_IMAGE : ${{ secrets.CRD_PACKAGE_IMAGE_FOR_TEST }}
         run: |
           make e2e-cli-core
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cli_core_unit_test.yaml b/.github/workflows/cli_core_unit_test.yaml
index 45b33ce08..976df6dd2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cli_core_unit_test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cli_core_unit_test.yaml
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set up Go 1.x
         uses: actions/setup-go@v3
         with:
-          go-version: 1.23
+          go-version: "1.26"
         id: go
 
       - name: go cache
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index f6892fb20..b088ae166 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Set up Go 1.x
       uses: actions/setup-go@v3
       with:
-        go-version: 1.23
+        go-version: "1.26"
       id: go
 
     - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 28ceafd05..6b8dfb6c0 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -270,8 +270,12 @@ e2e-cli-core: tools crd-package-for-test start-test-central-repo start-airgapped
 .PHONY: setup-custom-cert-for-test-central-repo
 setup-custom-cert-for-test-central-repo: ## Setup up the custom ca cert for test-central-repo in the config file
 	@if [ ! -d $(ROOT_DIR)/hack/central-repo/certs ]; then \
-    	wget https://storage.googleapis.com/tanzu-cli/data/testcerts/local-central-repo-testcontent.bz2 -O $(ROOT_DIR)/hack/central-repo/local-central-repo-testcontent.bz2;\
-  		tar xjf $(ROOT_DIR)/hack/central-repo/local-central-repo-testcontent.bz2 -C $(ROOT_DIR)/hack/central-repo/;\
+		mkdir -p $(ROOT_DIR)/hack/central-repo/certs; \
+		openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:4096 -sha256 -days 3650 -nodes \
+			-keyout $(ROOT_DIR)/hack/central-repo/certs/localhost.key \
+			-out $(ROOT_DIR)/hack/central-repo/certs/localhost.crt \
+			-subj "/CN=localhost" \
+			-addext "subjectAltName=DNS:localhost,IP:127.0.0.1"; \
 	fi
 	echo "Adding docker test central repo cert to the config file"
 	TANZU_CLI_CEIP_OPT_IN_PROMPT_ANSWER="No" TANZU_CLI_EULA_PROMPT_ANSWER="Yes" $(ROOT_DIR)/bin/tanzu config cert delete localhost:9876 || true
diff --git a/apis/cli/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/apis/cli/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index d048cd832..bfc40b0a6 100644
--- a/apis/cli/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/apis/cli/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 //go:build !ignore_autogenerated
 
-// Copyright 2025 VMware, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
+// Copyright 2026 VMware, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
 // Code generated by controller-gen. DO NOT EDIT.
diff --git a/cmd/plugin/builder/template/plugintemplates/github_workflow_build.yaml.tmpl b/cmd/plugin/builder/template/plugintemplates/github_workflow_build.yaml.tmpl
index f3fb4c92a..39b85b2e6 100644
--- a/cmd/plugin/builder/template/plugintemplates/github_workflow_build.yaml.tmpl
+++ b/cmd/plugin/builder/template/plugintemplates/github_workflow_build.yaml.tmpl
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Set up Go 1.x
       uses: actions/setup-go@v2
       with:
-        go-version: ^1.20
+        go-version: "1.26"
         id: go
 
     - name: Check out code into the Go module directory
diff --git a/cmd/plugin/builder/template/plugintemplates/gitlab-ci.yml.tmpl b/cmd/plugin/builder/template/plugintemplates/gitlab-ci.yml.tmpl
index 6b00f8472..1dd91b875 100644
--- a/cmd/plugin/builder/template/plugintemplates/gitlab-ci.yml.tmpl
+++ b/cmd/plugin/builder/template/plugintemplates/gitlab-ci.yml.tmpl
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 default:
-  image: golang:1.20
+  image: golang:1.26
 
 stages:
 - build
diff --git a/cmd/plugin/builder/template/plugintemplates/gomod.tmpl b/cmd/plugin/builder/template/plugintemplates/gomod.tmpl
index 02f7d502b..6911b081e 100644
--- a/cmd/plugin/builder/template/plugintemplates/gomod.tmpl
+++ b/cmd/plugin/builder/template/plugintemplates/gomod.tmpl
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 module {{ .RepositoryName }}
 
-go 1.20
+go 1.26
diff --git a/docs/plugindev/README.md b/docs/plugindev/README.md
index 092da9982..cb5964255 100644
--- a/docs/plugindev/README.md
+++ b/docs/plugindev/README.md
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ development of plugins using other programming languages, at the moment
 the only supported means of plugin development is that which integrates with
 the released version of the runtime library.
 
-The minimum supported Go version is 1.18.
+The minimum supported Go version is 1.26.
 
 You will need Docker to be installed on your development system.
 
diff --git a/docs/plugindev/style_guide.md b/docs/plugindev/style_guide.md
index 10602f48a..5151257a3 100644
--- a/docs/plugindev/style_guide.md
+++ b/docs/plugindev/style_guide.md
@@ -543,5 +543,5 @@ To propose changes please create an issue labelled `documentation`, and outline
 
 ### Accessibility Guidelines
 
-* Web Content Accessibility Guidelines [WCAG](https://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-WCAG20-20081211/)
+* Web Content Accessibility Guidelines [WCAG](https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/)
 * US section 508 [link](https://www.section508.gov/)
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 116e91776..a4d635a1a 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module github.com/vmware-tanzu/tanzu-cli
 
-go 1.22.7
+go 1.26
 
 replace cloud.google.com/go => cloud.google.com/go v0.102.1
 
diff --git a/mlc_config.json b/mlc_config.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..349cb0e71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mlc_config.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "retryOn429": true,
+  "retryCount": 3,
+  "fallbackRetryDelay": "30s",
+  "aliveStatusCodes": [200, 206, 302],
+  "ignorePatterns": [
+    {
+      "pattern": "^https://www\\.w3\\.org/"
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/test/e2e/coexistence/Dockerfile b/test/e2e/coexistence/Dockerfile
index ba2c9e381..0cb766218 100644
--- a/test/e2e/coexistence/Dockerfile
+++ b/test/e2e/coexistence/Dockerfile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Base image and platform
-FROM --platform=linux/amd64 golang:1.23
+FROM --platform=linux/amd64 golang:1.26
 
 # Tanzu CLI version and other build arguments
 ARG TANZU_CLI_BUILD_VERSION
diff --git a/test/e2e/framework/go.mod b/test/e2e/framework/go.mod
index 70f180eb6..fb0a16008 100644
--- a/test/e2e/framework/go.mod
+++ b/test/e2e/framework/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module github.com/vmware-tanzu/tanzu-cli/test/e2e/framework
 
-go 1.21
+go 1.26
 
 require (
 	github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2 v2.12.0
diff --git a/test/sample-plugin/go.mod b/test/sample-plugin/go.mod
index fe41d8e3a..d93a22fe9 100644
--- a/test/sample-plugin/go.mod
+++ b/test/sample-plugin/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module sample-plugin
 
-go 1.21
+go 1.26
 
 replace github.com/vmware-tanzu/tanzu-cli/test/e2e/framework => ../e2e/framework