diff --git a/.github/scripts/go-mod-tidy-check.sh b/.github/scripts/go-mod-tidy-check.sh
index 047a893c0..41bc63910 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/go-mod-tidy-check.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/go-mod-tidy-check.sh
@@ -1,27 +1,31 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
-set -u
+set -eu
 
-TMP_GOMOD=$(mktemp)
-TMP_GOSUM=$(mktemp)
+ORIGINAL_STATE_DIR=$(mktemp -d "TEMP-original-state-XXXXXXXXX")
+TIDY_STATE_DIR=$(mktemp -d "TEMP-tidy-state-XXXXXXXXX")
 
-trap "rm -f ${TMP_GOSUM} ${TMP_GOMOD}" EXIT
+trap "cp -v ${ORIGINAL_STATE_DIR}/* ./ && rm -fR ${ORIGINAL_STATE_DIR} ${TIDY_STATE_DIR}" EXIT
 
-cp go.mod "${TMP_GOMOD}"
-cp go.sum "${TMP_GOSUM}"
+echo "Capturing original state of files..."
+cp -v go.mod go.sum "${ORIGINAL_STATE_DIR}"
 
+echo "Capturing state of go.mod and go.sum after running go mod tidy..."
 go mod tidy
+cp -v go.mod go.sum "${TIDY_STATE_DIR}"
+echo ""
 
-DIFF_MOD=$(diff -u "${TMP_GOMOD}" go.mod)
-DIFF_SUM=$(diff -u "${TMP_GOSUM}" go.sum)
+set +e
 
-cp "${TMP_GOMOD}" go.mod
-cp "${TMP_GOSUM}" go.sum
+# Detect difference between the git HEAD state and the go mod tidy state
+DIFF_MOD=$(diff -u "${ORIGINAL_STATE_DIR}/go.mod" "${TIDY_STATE_DIR}/go.mod")
+DIFF_SUM=$(diff -u "${ORIGINAL_STATE_DIR}/go.sum" "${TIDY_STATE_DIR}/go.sum")
 
 if [[ -n "${DIFF_MOD}" || -n "${DIFF_SUM}" ]]; then
-    echo "go.mod and/or go.sum are not tidy; please run go mod tidy"
     echo "go.mod diff:"
     echo "${DIFF_MOD}"
     echo "go.sum diff:"
     echo "${DIFF_SUM}"
+    echo ""
+    printf "FAILED! go.mod and/or go.sum are NOT tidy; please run 'go mod tidy'.\n\n"
     exit 1
 fi
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8213d5b33..5974216bc 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -108,7 +108,6 @@ bootstrap-tools: $(TEMPDIR)
 .PHONY: bootstrap-go
 bootstrap-go:
 	go mod download
-	go mod tidy # note: it is important that the go.sum is kept in a consistent state at all times (especially during release)
 
 .PHONY: bootstrap
 bootstrap: $(RESULTSDIR) bootstrap-go bootstrap-tools ## Download and install all go dependencies (+ prep tooling in the ./tmp dir)