diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/examples/go.mod b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/examples/go.mod
index 139aacf7b1b..c35e6308e6c 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/examples/go.mod
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/examples/go.mod
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ require (
 require (
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 // indirect
 	github.com/emicklei/go-restful/v3 v3.11.0 // indirect
-	github.com/evanphx/json-patch v5.6.0+incompatible // indirect
+	github.com/evanphx/json-patch v4.12.0+incompatible // indirect
 	github.com/go-logr/logr v1.4.1 // indirect
 	github.com/go-openapi/jsonpointer v0.19.6 // indirect
 	github.com/go-openapi/jsonreference v0.20.2 // indirect
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/examples/go.sum b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/examples/go.sum
index da208f4f93d..fc867984c93 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/examples/go.sum
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/code-generator/examples/go.sum
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 h1:vj9j/u1bqnvCEfJOwUhtlOARqs3+rkHYY13jYWTU97c
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
 github.com/emicklei/go-restful/v3 v3.11.0 h1:rAQeMHw1c7zTmncogyy8VvRZwtkmkZ4FxERmMY4rD+g=
 github.com/emicklei/go-restful/v3 v3.11.0/go.mod h1:6n3XBCmQQb25CM2LCACGz8ukIrRry+4bhvbpWn3mrbc=
-github.com/evanphx/json-patch v5.6.0+incompatible h1:jBYDEEiFBPxA0v50tFdvOzQQTCvpL6mnFh5mB2/l16U=
-github.com/evanphx/json-patch v5.6.0+incompatible/go.mod h1:50XU6AFN0ol/bzJsmQLiYLvXMP4fmwYFNcr97nuDLSk=
+github.com/evanphx/json-patch v4.12.0+incompatible h1:4onqiflcdA9EOZ4RxV643DvftH5pOlLGNtQ5lPWQu84=
+github.com/evanphx/json-patch v4.12.0+incompatible/go.mod h1:50XU6AFN0ol/bzJsmQLiYLvXMP4fmwYFNcr97nuDLSk=
 github.com/go-logr/logr v1.4.1 h1:pKouT5E8xu9zeFC39JXRDukb6JFQPXM5p5I91188VAQ=
 github.com/go-logr/logr v1.4.1/go.mod h1:9T104GzyrTigFIr8wt5mBrctHMim0Nb2HLGrmQ40KvY=
 github.com/go-openapi/jsonpointer v0.19.6 h1:eCs3fxoIi3Wh6vtgmLTOjdhSpiqphQ+DaPn38N2ZdrE=