diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/applyconfiguration-gen/main.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/applyconfiguration-gen/main.go
index ba204def226..2a2f71bf39b 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/applyconfiguration-gen/main.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/applyconfiguration-gen/main.go
@@ -19,10 +19,8 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"flag"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
-	"k8s.io/gengo/args"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 
 	generatorargs "k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/applyconfiguration-gen/args"
@@ -33,7 +31,7 @@ import (
 func main() {
 	klog.InitFlags(nil)
 	genericArgs, customArgs := generatorargs.NewDefaults()
-	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = filepath.Join(args.DefaultSourceTree(), util.BoilerplatePath())
+	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = util.BoilerplatePath()
 	genericArgs.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
 	customArgs.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine, "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/apis") // TODO: move this input path out of client-gen
 	if err := flag.Set("logtostderr", "true"); err != nil {
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/client-gen/main.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/client-gen/main.go
index cc0f72a6926..bdb55461385 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/client-gen/main.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/client-gen/main.go
@@ -19,10 +19,8 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"flag"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
-	"k8s.io/gengo/args"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 
 	generatorargs "k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/client-gen/args"
@@ -36,7 +34,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Override defaults.
 	// TODO: move this out of client-gen
-	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = filepath.Join(args.DefaultSourceTree(), util.BoilerplatePath())
+	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = util.BoilerplatePath()
 	genericArgs.OutputPackagePath = "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/clientset_generated/"
 
 	genericArgs.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/conversion-gen/main.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/conversion-gen/main.go
index 6e0f31f068d..feba7d02903 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/conversion-gen/main.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/conversion-gen/main.go
@@ -87,10 +87,8 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"flag"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
-	"k8s.io/gengo/args"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 
 	generatorargs "k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/conversion-gen/args"
@@ -104,7 +102,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Override defaults.
 	// TODO: move this out of conversion-gen
-	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = filepath.Join(args.DefaultSourceTree(), util.BoilerplatePath())
+	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = util.BoilerplatePath()
 
 	genericArgs.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
 	customArgs.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/deepcopy-gen/main.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/deepcopy-gen/main.go
index 31a4824a5c9..888c2e306a9 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/deepcopy-gen/main.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/deepcopy-gen/main.go
@@ -44,10 +44,8 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"flag"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
-	"k8s.io/gengo/args"
 	"k8s.io/gengo/examples/deepcopy-gen/generators"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 
@@ -61,7 +59,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Override defaults.
 	// TODO: move this out of deepcopy-gen
-	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = filepath.Join(args.DefaultSourceTree(), util.BoilerplatePath())
+	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = util.BoilerplatePath()
 
 	genericArgs.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
 	customArgs.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/defaulter-gen/main.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/defaulter-gen/main.go
index e9aef8d223f..f050a132788 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/defaulter-gen/main.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/defaulter-gen/main.go
@@ -43,10 +43,8 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"flag"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
-	"k8s.io/gengo/args"
 	"k8s.io/gengo/examples/defaulter-gen/generators"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 
@@ -60,7 +58,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Override defaults.
 	// TODO: move this out of defaulter-gen
-	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = filepath.Join(args.DefaultSourceTree(), util.BoilerplatePath())
+	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = util.BoilerplatePath()
 
 	genericArgs.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
 	customArgs.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/go-to-protobuf/protobuf/cmd.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/go-to-protobuf/protobuf/cmd.go
index f7c8fb7ffca..8a92082bef1 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/go-to-protobuf/protobuf/cmd.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/go-to-protobuf/protobuf/cmd.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func New() *Generator {
 	sourceTree := args.DefaultSourceTree()
 	common := args.GeneratorArgs{
 		OutputBase:       sourceTree,
-		GoHeaderFilePath: filepath.Join(sourceTree, util.BoilerplatePath()),
+		GoHeaderFilePath: util.BoilerplatePath(),
 	}
 	defaultProtoImport := filepath.Join(sourceTree, "k8s.io", "kubernetes", "vendor", "github.com", "gogo", "protobuf", "protobuf")
 	cwd, err := os.Getwd()
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/import-boss/main.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/import-boss/main.go
index 3fd0cf80d5c..0fc56445e8c 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/import-boss/main.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/import-boss/main.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 	"k8s.io/code-generator/pkg/util"
@@ -34,7 +33,7 @@ func main() {
 	arguments := args.Default()
 
 	// Override defaults.
-	arguments.GoHeaderFilePath = filepath.Join(args.DefaultSourceTree(), util.BoilerplatePath())
+	arguments.GoHeaderFilePath = util.BoilerplatePath()
 	pflag.CommandLine.BoolVar(&arguments.IncludeTestFiles, "include-test-files", false, "If true, include *_test.go files.")
 
 	if err := arguments.Execute(
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/informer-gen/main.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/informer-gen/main.go
index 6148296a043..650a3d78bd2 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/informer-gen/main.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/informer-gen/main.go
@@ -18,12 +18,10 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"flag"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 	"k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/informer-gen/generators"
 	"k8s.io/code-generator/pkg/util"
-	"k8s.io/gengo/args"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 
 	generatorargs "k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/informer-gen/args"
@@ -35,7 +33,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Override defaults.
 	// TODO: move out of informer-gen
-	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = filepath.Join(args.DefaultSourceTree(), util.BoilerplatePath())
+	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = util.BoilerplatePath()
 	genericArgs.OutputPackagePath = "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/informers/informers_generated"
 	customArgs.VersionedClientSetPackage = "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/clientset_generated/clientset"
 	customArgs.InternalClientSetPackage = "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/clientset_generated/internalclientset"
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/lister-gen/main.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/lister-gen/main.go
index 855b4e15c73..3418005c623 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/lister-gen/main.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/lister-gen/main.go
@@ -18,12 +18,10 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"flag"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 	"k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/lister-gen/generators"
 	"k8s.io/code-generator/pkg/util"
-	"k8s.io/gengo/args"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 
 	generatorargs "k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/lister-gen/args"
@@ -35,7 +33,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Override defaults.
 	// TODO: move this out of lister-gen
-	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = filepath.Join(args.DefaultSourceTree(), util.BoilerplatePath())
+	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = util.BoilerplatePath()
 	genericArgs.OutputPackagePath = "k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/client/listers"
 
 	genericArgs.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/prerelease-lifecycle-gen/main.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/prerelease-lifecycle-gen/main.go
index 43a39f40a1a..7aeee78bf60 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/prerelease-lifecycle-gen/main.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/prerelease-lifecycle-gen/main.go
@@ -34,13 +34,11 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"flag"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 	generatorargs "k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/prerelease-lifecycle-gen/args"
 	statusgenerators "k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/prerelease-lifecycle-gen/prerelease-lifecycle-generators"
 	"k8s.io/code-generator/pkg/util"
-	"k8s.io/gengo/args"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
 )
 
@@ -50,7 +48,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Override defaults.
 	// TODO: move this out of prerelease-lifecycle-gen
-	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = filepath.Join(args.DefaultSourceTree(), util.BoilerplatePath())
+	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = util.BoilerplatePath()
 
 	genericArgs.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
 	customArgs.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/register-gen/main.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/register-gen/main.go
index 816bd81678f..b8ba66f0da0 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/register-gen/main.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/register-gen/main.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"flag"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 	"k8s.io/klog/v2"
@@ -26,13 +25,12 @@ import (
 	generatorargs "k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/register-gen/args"
 	"k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/register-gen/generators"
 	"k8s.io/code-generator/pkg/util"
-	"k8s.io/gengo/args"
 )
 
 func main() {
 	klog.InitFlags(nil)
 	genericArgs := generatorargs.NewDefaults()
-	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = filepath.Join(args.DefaultSourceTree(), util.BoilerplatePath())
+	genericArgs.GoHeaderFilePath = util.BoilerplatePath()
 	genericArgs.AddFlags(pflag.CommandLine)
 	flag.Set("logtostderr", "true")
 	pflag.CommandLine.AddGoFlagSet(flag.CommandLine)
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/set-gen/main.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/set-gen/main.go
index 2d98a1b328a..f40c5e4a44e 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/set-gen/main.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/set-gen/main.go
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"os"
-	"path/filepath"
 
 	"k8s.io/code-generator/pkg/util"
 	"k8s.io/gengo/args"
@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ func main() {
 	arguments := args.Default()
 
 	// Override defaults.
-	arguments.GoHeaderFilePath = filepath.Join(args.DefaultSourceTree(), util.BoilerplatePath())
+	arguments.GoHeaderFilePath = util.BoilerplatePath()
 	arguments.InputDirs = []string{"k8s.io/kubernetes/pkg/util/sets/types"}
 	arguments.OutputPackagePath = "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/sets"
 
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/generate-groups.sh b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/generate-groups.sh
index 1c2fd7a55bd..53faad09cbd 100755
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/generate-groups.sh
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/generate-groups.sh
@@ -47,10 +47,10 @@ GROUPS_WITH_VERSIONS="$4"
 shift 4
 
 (
-  # To support running this script from anywhere, we have to first cd into this directory
-  # so we can install the tools.
+  # To support running this script from anywhere, first cd into this directory,
+  # and then install with forced module mode on and fully qualified name.
   cd "$(dirname "${0}")"
-  go install ./cmd/{defaulter-gen,client-gen,lister-gen,informer-gen,deepcopy-gen}
+  GO111MODULE=on go install k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/{defaulter-gen,client-gen,lister-gen,informer-gen,deepcopy-gen}
 )
 # Go installs the above commands to get installed in $GOBIN if defined, and $GOPATH/bin otherwise:
 GOBIN="$(go env GOBIN)"
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/generate-internal-groups.sh b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/generate-internal-groups.sh
index e4430b27d5b..4413bd471e9 100755
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/generate-internal-groups.sh
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/generate-internal-groups.sh
@@ -47,7 +47,12 @@ EXT_APIS_PKG="$4"
 GROUPS_WITH_VERSIONS="$5"
 shift 5
 
-go install ./"$(dirname "${0}")"/cmd/{defaulter-gen,conversion-gen,client-gen,lister-gen,informer-gen,deepcopy-gen,openapi-gen}
+(
+  # To support running this script from anywhere, first cd into this directory,
+  # and then install with forced module mode on and fully qualified name.
+  cd "$(dirname "${0}")"
+  GO111MODULE=on go install k8s.io/code-generator/cmd/{defaulter-gen,conversion-gen,client-gen,lister-gen,informer-gen,deepcopy-gen,openapi-gen}
+)
 
 function codegen::join() { local IFS="$1"; shift; echo "$*"; }
 
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/go.mod b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/go.mod
index 08890d5e4fd..fb39e425a46 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/go.mod
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/go.mod
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.7.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20210520170846-37e1c6afe023 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20210616094352-59db8d763f22 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/tools v0.1.2 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/tools v0.1.2
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.0-20210107192922-496545a6307b // indirect
 	k8s.io/gengo v0.0.0-20201214224949-b6c5ce23f027
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/pkg/util/build.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/pkg/util/build.go
index 6ed1fe497c2..72ae683d8d8 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/pkg/util/build.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/pkg/util/build.go
@@ -18,10 +18,12 @@ package util
 
 import (
 	gobuild "go/build"
-	"path"
+	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
+
+	"golang.org/x/tools/go/packages"
 )
 
 type empty struct{}
@@ -55,9 +57,37 @@ func hasSubdir(root, dir string) (rel string, ok bool) {
 	return filepath.ToSlash(dir[len(root):]), true
 }
 
-// BoilerplatePath uses the boilerplate in code-generator by calculating the relative path to it.
+// BoilerplatePath returns the path to the boilerplate file in code-generator,
+// or "" if the default boilerplate.go.txt file cannot be located.
 func BoilerplatePath() string {
-	return path.Join(reflect.TypeOf(empty{}).PkgPath(), "/../../hack/boilerplate.go.txt")
+	// set up paths to check
+	paths := []string{
+		// works when run from root of $GOPATH containing k8s.io/code-generator
+		filepath.Join(reflect.TypeOf(empty{}).PkgPath(), "/../../hack/boilerplate.go.txt"),
+		// works when run from root of module vendoring k8s.io/code-generator
+		"vendor/k8s.io/code-generator/hack/boilerplate.go.txt",
+		// works when run from root of $GOPATH containing k8s.io/kubernetes
+		"k8s.io/kubernetes/vendor/k8s.io/code-generator/hack/boilerplate.go.txt",
+	}
+
+	// see if we can locate the module directory and add that to the list
+	config := packages.Config{Mode: packages.NeedModule}
+	if loadedPackages, err := packages.Load(&config, "k8s.io/code-generator/pkg/util"); err == nil {
+		for _, loadedPackage := range loadedPackages {
+			if loadedPackage.Module != nil && loadedPackage.Module.Dir != "" {
+				paths = append(paths, filepath.Join(loadedPackage.Module.Dir, "hack/boilerplate.go.txt"))
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// try all paths and return the first that exists
+	for _, path := range paths {
+		if _, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil {
+			return path
+		}
+	}
+	// cannot be located, invoker will have to explicitly specify boilerplate file
+	return ""
 }
 
 // Vendorless trims vendor prefix from a package path to make it canonical