diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/go/%name%.template.go b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/go/%name%.template.go
index a2ab8b5d8f8fd..1cbe6d66b615c 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/go/%name%.template.go
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/go/%name%.template.go
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ func New%name.PascalCased%Stack(scope constructs.Construct, id string, props *%n
 }
 
 func main() {
+	defer jsii.Close()
+
 	app := awscdk.NewApp(nil)
 
 	New%name.PascalCased%Stack(app, "%name.PascalCased%Stack", &%name.PascalCased%StackProps{
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/go/%name%_test.template.go b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/go/%name%_test.template.go
index 251be839ed3f0..00ea26012b3d1 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/go/%name%_test.template.go
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/go/%name%_test.template.go
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ package main
 // 	"testing"
 
 // 	"github.com/aws/aws-cdk-go/awscdk/v2"
-// 	assertions "github.com/aws/aws-cdk-go/awscdk/v2/assertions"
+// 	"github.com/aws/aws-cdk-go/awscdk/v2/assertions"
 // 	"github.com/aws/jsii-runtime-go"
 // )
 
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/go/go.template.mod b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/go/go.template.mod
index 3b61360cb8e15..a6efe391ef9fc 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/go/go.template.mod
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/app/go/go.template.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module %name%
 
-go 1.16
+go 1.18
 
 require (
   github.com/aws/aws-cdk-go/awscdk/v2 v%cdk-version%
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/go/%name%.template.go b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/go/%name%.template.go
index 1ae8249703373..a45e420483da9 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/go/%name%.template.go
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/go/%name%.template.go
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ func New%name.PascalCased%Stack(scope constructs.Construct, id string, props *%n
 }
 
 func main() {
+	defer jsii.Close()
+
 	app := awscdk.NewApp(nil)
 
 	New%name.PascalCased%Stack(app, "%name.PascalCased%Stack", &%name.PascalCased%StackProps{
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/go/%name%_test.template.go b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/go/%name%_test.template.go
index 606ccc499d9ab..56181ebe4b377 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/go/%name%_test.template.go
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/go/%name%_test.template.go
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/aws/aws-cdk-go/awscdk/v2"
-	assertions "github.com/aws/aws-cdk-go/awscdk/v2/assertions"
+	"github.com/aws/aws-cdk-go/awscdk/v2/assertions"
 	"github.com/aws/jsii-runtime-go"
 )
 
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/go/go.template.mod b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/go/go.template.mod
index 3b61360cb8e15..a6efe391ef9fc 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/go/go.template.mod
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk/lib/init-templates/sample-app/go/go.template.mod
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module %name%
 
-go 1.16
+go 1.18
 
 require (
   github.com/aws/aws-cdk-go/awscdk/v2 v%cdk-version%