diff --git a/hack/pin-dependency.sh b/hack/pin-dependency.sh
index 30356b46282..78ae0df3a1c 100755
--- a/hack/pin-dependency.sh
+++ b/hack/pin-dependency.sh
@@ -94,16 +94,15 @@ echo "Running: go mod edit -require ${dep}@${rev}"
 go mod edit -require "${dep}@${rev}"
 
 # Add the replace directive
-echo "Running: go mod edit -replace ${dep}=${replacement}@${rev}"
-go mod edit -replace "${dep}=${replacement}@${rev}"
+if [ "${replacement}" != "${dep}" ]; then
+  echo "Running: go mod edit -replace ${dep}=${replacement}@${rev}"
+  go mod edit -replace "${dep}=${replacement}@${rev}"
+fi
 
-# Propagate pinned version to staging repos that also have that dependency
+# Propagate pinned version to staging repos
 for repo in $(kube::util::list_staging_repos); do
   pushd "staging/src/k8s.io/${repo}" >/dev/null 2>&1
-    if go mod edit -json | jq -e -r ".Require[] | select(.Path == \"${dep}\")" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-      go mod edit -require "${dep}@${rev}"
-      go mod edit -replace "${dep}=${replacement}@${rev}"
-    fi
+    go mod edit -require "${dep}@${rev}"
 
     # When replacing with a fork, always add a replace statement in all go.mod
     # files (not just the root of the staging repos!) because there might be
diff --git a/hack/update-vendor.sh b/hack/update-vendor.sh
index 6c3b66fc489..42b17681dab 100755
--- a/hack/update-vendor.sh
+++ b/hack/update-vendor.sh
@@ -82,36 +82,20 @@ function ensure_require_replace_directives_for_all_dependencies() {
       | jq -r ".Replace // [] | sort | .[] | select(${replace_filter})" \
       > "${replace_json}"
 
-  # 1a. Ensure replace directives have an explicit require directive
-  jq -r '"-require \(.Old.Path)@\(.New.Version)"' < "${replace_json}" \
-      | xargs -L 100 go mod edit -fmt
-  # 1b. Ensure require directives have a corresponding replace directive pinning a version
-  jq -r '"-replace \(.Path)=\(.Path)@\(.Version)"' < "${require_json}" \
-      | xargs -L 100 go mod edit -fmt
-  jq -r '"-replace \(.Old.Path)=\(.New.Path)@\(.New.Version)"' < "${replace_json}" \
-      | xargs -L 100 go mod edit -fmt
-
-  # 2. Propagate root replace/require directives into staging modules, in case we are downgrading, so they don't bump the root required version back up
+  # Propagate root replace/require directives into staging modules, in case we are downgrading, so they don't bump the root required version back up
   for repo in $(kube::util::list_staging_repos); do
     pushd "staging/src/k8s.io/${repo}" >/dev/null 2>&1
       jq -r '"-require \(.Path)@\(.Version)"' < "${require_json}" \
           | xargs -L 100 go mod edit -fmt
-      jq -r '"-replace \(.Path)=\(.Path)@\(.Version)"' < "${require_json}" \
-          | xargs -L 100 go mod edit -fmt
       jq -r '"-replace \(.Old.Path)=\(.New.Path)@\(.New.Version)"' < "${replace_json}" \
           | xargs -L 100 go mod edit -fmt
     popd >/dev/null 2>&1
   done
 
-  # 3. Add explicit require directives for indirect dependencies
+  # Add explicit require directives for indirect dependencies
   go list -m -json all \
       | jq -r 'select(.Main != true) | select(.Indirect == true) | "-require \(.Path)@\(.Version)"' \
       | xargs -L 100 go mod edit -fmt
-
-  # 4. Add explicit replace directives pinning dependencies that aren't pinned yet
-  go list -m -json all \
-      | jq -r 'select(.Main != true) | select(.Replace == null)  | "-replace \(.Path)=\(.Path)@\(.Version)"' \
-      | xargs -L 100 go mod edit -fmt
 }
 
 function print_go_mod_section() {