diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 8718f8e..f440945 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -14,10 +14,18 @@ jobs:
       - name: checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
+      - name: read go version from go.mod
+        id: gomod
+        run: |
+          version=$(awk '/^go /{split($2, v, "."); print v[1] "." v[2]; exit}' go.mod)
+          test -n "$version"
+          echo "version=$version" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
       - name: set up go
         uses: actions/setup-go@v7
         with:
-          go-version: "1.24"
+          go-version: ${{ steps.gomod.outputs.version }}
+          check-latest: true
         id: go
 
       - name: build and test
diff --git a/examples/collector_errors/go.mod b/examples/collector_errors/go.mod
index 1f25ad7..841886a 100644
--- a/examples/collector_errors/go.mod
+++ b/examples/collector_errors/go.mod
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ module examples/collector_errors
 
 go 1.24.0
 
-toolchain go1.24.6
-
 require github.com/go-pkgz/pool v0.9.2
 
 require golang.org/x/sync v0.19.0 // indirect
diff --git a/examples/collectors_chain/go.mod b/examples/collectors_chain/go.mod
index 053e2fe..ab82046 100644
--- a/examples/collectors_chain/go.mod
+++ b/examples/collectors_chain/go.mod
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ module examples/collectors_chain
 
 go 1.24.0
 
-toolchain go1.24.6
-
 require github.com/go-pkgz/pool v0.9.2
 
 require golang.org/x/sync v0.19.0 // indirect
diff --git a/examples/direct_chain/go.mod b/examples/direct_chain/go.mod
index d1981c3..b378b96 100644
--- a/examples/direct_chain/go.mod
+++ b/examples/direct_chain/go.mod
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ module examples/direct_chain
 
 go 1.24.0
 
-toolchain go1.24.6
-
 require github.com/go-pkgz/pool v0.9.2
 
 require golang.org/x/sync v0.19.0 // indirect
diff --git a/examples/middleware/go.mod b/examples/middleware/go.mod
index b58293f..322d70b 100644
--- a/examples/middleware/go.mod
+++ b/examples/middleware/go.mod
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ module examples/middleware
 
 go 1.24.0
 
-toolchain go1.24.6
-
 require github.com/go-pkgz/pool v0.9.2
 
 require (
diff --git a/examples/parallel_files/go.mod b/examples/parallel_files/go.mod
index f31a55b..080cd8a 100644
--- a/examples/parallel_files/go.mod
+++ b/examples/parallel_files/go.mod
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ module examples/parallel_files
 
 go 1.24.0
 
-toolchain go1.24.6
-
 require github.com/go-pkgz/pool v0.9.2
 
 require golang.org/x/sync v0.19.0 // indirect
diff --git a/examples/tokenizer_stateful/go.mod b/examples/tokenizer_stateful/go.mod
index 07f635a..2d854bb 100644
--- a/examples/tokenizer_stateful/go.mod
+++ b/examples/tokenizer_stateful/go.mod
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ module examples/tokenizer_stateful
 
 go 1.24.0
 
-toolchain go1.24.6
-
 require github.com/go-pkgz/pool v0.9.2
 
 require golang.org/x/sync v0.19.0 // indirect
diff --git a/examples/tokenizer_stateless/go.mod b/examples/tokenizer_stateless/go.mod
index 456dbfe..ef86c83 100644
--- a/examples/tokenizer_stateless/go.mod
+++ b/examples/tokenizer_stateless/go.mod
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ module examples/tokenizer_stateless
 
 go 1.24.0
 
-toolchain go1.24.6
-
 require github.com/go-pkgz/pool v0.9.2
 
 require golang.org/x/sync v0.19.0 // indirect