diff --git a/.golangci.yaml b/.golangci.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..208f72be982
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.golangci.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+run:
+  timeout: 30m
+  skip-files:
+    - "^zz_generated.*"
+
+issues:
+  max-same-issues: 0
+
+linters:
+  disable-all: true
+  enable: # please keep this alphabetized
+    - deadcode
+    - ineffassign
+    - unused
+    - varcheck
+linters-settings: # please keep this alphabetized
+  unused:
+    go: "1.17"
diff --git a/hack/verify-golangci-lint.sh b/hack/verify-golangci-lint.sh
index 237352b678f..decaca0d56b 100755
--- a/hack/verify-golangci-lint.sh
+++ b/hack/verify-golangci-lint.sh
@@ -43,12 +43,15 @@ popd >/dev/null
 
 cd "${KUBE_ROOT}"
 
+# The config is in ${KUBE_ROOT}/.golangci.yaml
 echo 'running golangci-lint '
-golangci-lint run \
-  --timeout 30m \
-  --disable-all \
-  -E deadcode \
-  -E unused \
-  -E varcheck \
-  -E ineffassign \
-  -E staticcheck
+if [[ "$#" > 0 ]]; then
+    golangci-lint run "$@"
+else
+    golangci-lint run ./...
+    for d in staging/src/k8s.io/*; do
+        pushd ./vendor/k8s.io/$(basename "$d") >/dev/null
+        golangci-lint run ./...
+        popd >/dev/null
+    done
+fi