diff --git a/build/build-image/cross/VERSION b/build/build-image/cross/VERSION
index 750ee5e70fc..04e0c89cea1 100644
--- a/build/build-image/cross/VERSION
+++ b/build/build-image/cross/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-v1.24.0-go1.17.7-bullseye.0
+v1.24.0-go1.18rc1-bullseye.0
diff --git a/build/common.sh b/build/common.sh
index c59692408ae..5ef3ed6607e 100755
--- a/build/common.sh
+++ b/build/common.sh
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ readonly KUBE_CONTAINER_RSYNC_PORT=8730
 
 # These are the default versions (image tags) for their respective base images.
 readonly __default_debian_iptables_version=bullseye-v1.1.0
-readonly __default_go_runner_version=v2.3.1-go1.17.7-bullseye.0
+readonly __default_go_runner_version=v2.3.1-go1.18rc1-bullseye.0
 readonly __default_setcap_version=bullseye-v1.0.0
 
 # These are the base images for the Docker-wrapped binaries.
diff --git a/build/dependencies.yaml b/build/dependencies.yaml
index a52967a237d..439db4a29fe 100644
--- a/build/dependencies.yaml
+++ b/build/dependencies.yaml
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ dependencies:
 
   # Golang
   - name: "golang: upstream version"
-    version: 1.17.7
+    version: 1.18rc1
     refPaths:
     - path: build/build-image/cross/VERSION
     - path: staging/publishing/rules.yaml
@@ -94,11 +94,12 @@ dependencies:
   # This entry is a stub of the major version to allow dependency checks to
   # pass when building Kubernetes using a pre-release of Golang.
   - name: "golang: 1.<major>"
-    version: 1.17
+    version: 1.18
     refPaths:
     - path: build/build-image/cross/VERSION
-    - path: hack/lib/golang.sh
-      match: minimum_go_version=go([0-9]+\.[0-9]+)
+    # TODO(go118): Uncomment once ready to transition presubmits to go118
+    #- path: hack/lib/golang.sh
+    #  match: minimum_go_version=go([0-9]+\.[0-9]+)
 
   - name: "golang: etcd release version"
     version: 1.16.12
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ dependencies:
       match: 'GOLANG_VERSION\?=\d+.\d+(alpha|beta|rc)?\.?(\d+)?'
 
   - name: "k8s.gcr.io/kube-cross: dependents"
-    version: v1.24.0-go1.17.7-bullseye.0
+    version: v1.24.0-go1.18rc1-bullseye.0
     refPaths:
     - path: build/build-image/cross/VERSION
 
@@ -137,7 +138,7 @@ dependencies:
       match: configs\[DebianIptables\] = Config{list\.BuildImageRegistry, "debian-iptables", "[a-zA-Z]+\-v((([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)(?:-([0-9a-zA-Z-]+(?:\.[0-9a-zA-Z-]+)*))?)(?:\+([0-9a-zA-Z-]+(?:\.[0-9a-zA-Z-]+)*))?)"}
 
   - name: "k8s.gcr.io/go-runner: dependents"
-    version: v2.3.1-go1.17.7-bullseye.0
+    version: v2.3.1-go1.18rc1-bullseye.0
     refPaths:
     - path: build/common.sh
       match: __default_go_runner_version=
diff --git a/staging/publishing/rules.yaml b/staging/publishing/rules.yaml
index a22acb5a6cf..03f0a12179f 100644
--- a/staging/publishing/rules.yaml
+++ b/staging/publishing/rules.yaml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ recursive-delete-patterns:
 - BUILD.bazel
 - "*/BUILD.bazel"
 - Gopkg.toml
-default-go-version: 1.17.7
+default-go-version: 1.18rc1
 rules:
 - destination: code-generator
   branches:
diff --git a/test/images/Makefile b/test/images/Makefile
index f4f27a68462..17350242da7 100644
--- a/test/images/Makefile
+++ b/test/images/Makefile
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ REGISTRY ?= k8s.gcr.io/e2e-test-images
 GOARM ?= 7
 DOCKER_CERT_BASE_PATH ?=
 QEMUVERSION=v5.1.0-2
-GOLANG_VERSION=1.17.7
+GOLANG_VERSION=1.18rc1
 export
 
 ifndef WHAT