diff --git a/rootfs-builder/rootfs.sh b/rootfs-builder/rootfs.sh
index 55c41e8b89..fa8c68a682 100755
--- a/rootfs-builder/rootfs.sh
+++ b/rootfs-builder/rootfs.sh
@@ -250,11 +250,46 @@ detect_go_version()
 	typeset -r yq=$(command -v yq || command -v ${GOPATH}/bin/yq)
 	[ -z "$yq" ] && die "'yq' application not found (needed to parsing minimum Go version required)"
 
-	typeset -r runtimeVersion="${AGENT_VERSION:-master}"
-	typeset -r runtimeVersionsURL="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/runtime/${runtimeVersion}/versions.yaml"
+	local runtimeRevision=
 
-	GO_VERSION=$(curl -sSL "${runtimeVersionsURL}" | $yq r - languages.golang.version)
-	info "Detected Go version: $GO_VERSION"
+	if [ "${AGENT_VERSION:-master}" == "master" ]; then
+		# This matches both AGENT_VERSION == "" and AGENT_VERSION == "master"
+		runtimeRevision="master"
+	else
+		# Detect runtime revision by fetching the agent's VERSION file
+		runtimeRevision="$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/agent/${AGENT_VERSION:-master}/VERSION)"
+		[ -z "$runtimeRevision" ] && die "Could not detect the agent version for the given AGENT_VERSION='${AGENT_VERSION:-master}'"
+	fi
+
+	typeset -r runtimeVersionsURL="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kata-containers/runtime/${runtimeRevision}/versions.yaml"
+	GO_VERSION="$(curl -fsSL "$runtimeVersionsURL" | $yq r - "languages.golang.version")"
+
+	[ "$?" == "0" ] && [ "$GO_VERSION" != "null" ]
+}
+
+# Compares two SEMVER-style versions passed as arguments, up to the MINOR version
+# number.
+# Returns a zero exit code if the version specified by the first argument is
+# older OR equal than / to the version in the second argument, non-zero exit
+# code otherwise.
+compare_versions()
+{
+	typeset -i -a v1=($(echo "$1" | awk 'BEGIN {FS = "."} {print $1" "$2}'))
+	typeset -i -a v2=($(echo "$2" | awk 'BEGIN {FS = "."} {print $1" "$2}'))
+
+	# Sanity check: first version can't be all zero
+	[ "${v1[0]}" -eq "0" ] && \
+		[ "${v1[1]}" -eq "0" ] && \
+		die "Failed to parse version number"
+
+	# Major
+	[ "${v1[0]}" -gt "${v2[0]}" ] && { false; return; }
+
+	# Minor
+	[ "${v1[0]}" -eq "${v2[0]}" ] && \
+		[ "${v1[1]}" -gt "${v2[1]}" ] && { false; return; }
+
+	true
 }
 
 while getopts a:hlo:r:t: opt
@@ -321,9 +356,18 @@ fi
 
 mkdir -p ${ROOTFS_DIR}
 
-detect_go_version
+detect_go_version ||
+		die "Could not detect the required Go version for AGENT_VERSION='${AGENT_VERSION:-master}'."
 
-if [ -n "${USE_DOCKER}" ] ; then
+echo "Required Go version: $GO_VERSION"
+
+if [ -z "${USE_DOCKER}" ] ; then
+	#Generate an error if the local Go version is too old
+	foundVersion=$(go version | sed -E "s/^.+([0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+).*$/\1/g")
+
+	compare_versions "$GO_VERSION" $foundVersion || \
+		die "Your Go version $foundVersion is older than the minimum expected Go version $GO_VERSION"
+else
 	image_name="${distro}-rootfs-osbuilder"
 
 	generate_dockerfile "${distro_config_dir}"