diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index bfc22fbc4..adfe08c46 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ jobs:
 
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        go-version: [1.15.8]
+        go-version: [1.16.1]
         os: [ubuntu-18.04, macos-10.15, windows-2019]
 
     steps:
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/setup-go@v2
         with:
-          go-version: '1.15.8'
+          go-version: '1.16.1'
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/setup-go@v2
         with:
-          go-version: '1.15.8'
+          go-version: '1.16.1'
 
       - name: Set env
         shell: bash
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/setup-go@v2
         with:
-          go-version: '1.15.8'
+          go-version: '1.16.1'
 
       - name: Set env
         shell: bash
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/setup-go@v2
         with:
-          go-version: '1.15.8'
+          go-version: '1.16.1'
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/setup-go@v2
         with:
-          go-version: '1.15.8'
+          go-version: '1.16.1'
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly.yml b/.github/workflows/nightly.yml
index 0c83f44d2..cd23009a3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightly.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly.yml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/setup-go@v2
         with:
-          go-version: '1.15.8'
+          go-version: '1.16.1'
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/setup-go@v2
         with:
-          go-version: '1.15.8'
+          go-version: '1.16.1'
 
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index c47117e75..e22550854 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v2
         with:
-          go-version: '1.15.8'
+          go-version: '1.16.1'
 
       - name: Set env
         shell: bash
diff --git a/.zuul/playbooks/containerd-build/run.yaml b/.zuul/playbooks/containerd-build/run.yaml
index b3f037896..00003d93b 100644
--- a/.zuul/playbooks/containerd-build/run.yaml
+++ b/.zuul/playbooks/containerd-build/run.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   become: yes
   roles:
   - role: config-golang
-    go_version: '1.15.8'
+    go_version: '1.16.1'
     arch: arm64
   tasks:
   - name: Build containerd
diff --git a/Vagrantfile b/Vagrantfile
index 632b5d86a..3932aa30e 100644
--- a/Vagrantfile
+++ b/Vagrantfile
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ Vagrant.configure("2") do |config|
   config.vm.provision "install-golang", type: "shell", run: "once" do |sh|
     sh.upload_path = "/tmp/vagrant-install-golang"
     sh.env = {
-        'GO_VERSION': ENV['GO_VERSION'] || "1.15.8",
+        'GO_VERSION': ENV['GO_VERSION'] || "1.16.1",
     }
     sh.inline = <<~SHELL
         #!/usr/bin/env bash
diff --git a/contrib/Dockerfile.test b/contrib/Dockerfile.test
index c443a0e92..2537ff628 100644
--- a/contrib/Dockerfile.test
+++ b/contrib/Dockerfile.test
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # 3.) $ make binaries install test
 #
 
-ARG GOLANG_VERSION=1.15.8
+ARG GOLANG_VERSION=1.16.1
 
 FROM golang:${GOLANG_VERSION} AS golang-base
 RUN mkdir -p /go/src/github.com/containerd/containerd
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 65c848eef..67584f46a 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module github.com/containerd/containerd
 
-go 1.15
+go 1.16
 
 require (
 	github.com/BurntSushi/toml v0.3.1