diff --git a/examples/scratch-env/go.mod b/examples/scratch-env/go.mod
index f94627e2c9..a60d9f796e 100644
--- a/examples/scratch-env/go.mod
+++ b/examples/scratch-env/go.mod
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/cespare/xxhash/v2 v2.2.0 // indirect
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.2-0.20180830191138-d8f796af33cc // indirect
 	github.com/emicklei/go-restful/v3 v3.11.0 // indirect
-	github.com/evanphx/json-patch/v5 v5.9.0 // indirect
 	github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify v1.7.0 // indirect
 	github.com/fxamacker/cbor/v2 v2.7.0-beta // indirect
 	github.com/go-logr/logr v1.4.1 // indirect
@@ -51,6 +50,7 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/time v0.3.0 // indirect
 	gomodules.xyz/jsonpatch/v2 v2.4.0 // indirect
 	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.33.0 // indirect
+	gopkg.in/evanphx/json-patch.v4 v4.12.0 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/inf.v0 v0.9.1 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 // indirect
diff --git a/examples/scratch-env/go.sum b/examples/scratch-env/go.sum
index ae89e5d368..656cfe0077 100644
--- a/examples/scratch-env/go.sum
+++ b/examples/scratch-env/go.sum
@@ -11,8 +11,6 @@ github.com/emicklei/go-restful/v3 v3.11.0 h1:rAQeMHw1c7zTmncogyy8VvRZwtkmkZ4FxER
 github.com/emicklei/go-restful/v3 v3.11.0/go.mod h1:6n3XBCmQQb25CM2LCACGz8ukIrRry+4bhvbpWn3mrbc=
 github.com/evanphx/json-patch v0.5.2 h1:xVCHIVMUu1wtM/VkR9jVZ45N3FhZfYMMYGorLCR8P3k=
 github.com/evanphx/json-patch v0.5.2/go.mod h1:ZWS5hhDbVDyob71nXKNL0+PWn6ToqBHMikGIFbs31qQ=
-github.com/evanphx/json-patch/v5 v5.9.0 h1:kcBlZQbplgElYIlo/n1hJbls2z/1awpXxpRi0/FOJfg=
-github.com/evanphx/json-patch/v5 v5.9.0/go.mod h1:VNkHZ/282BpEyt/tObQO8s5CMPmYYq14uClGH4abBuQ=
 github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify v1.7.0 h1:8JEhPFa5W2WU7YfeZzPNqzMP6Lwt7L2715Ggo0nosvA=
 github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify v1.7.0/go.mod h1:40Bi/Hjc2AVfZrqy+aj+yEI+/bRxZnMJyTJwOpGvigM=
 github.com/fxamacker/cbor/v2 v2.7.0-beta h1:m5bO941uTVpSms26QjzEJxUZaC3S/h1pSJexBCu4wAA=
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 0c01863883..69b5c5e5ca 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ module sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime
 go 1.22.0
 
 require (
-	github.com/evanphx/json-patch/v5 v5.9.0
 	github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify v1.7.0
 	github.com/go-logr/logr v1.4.1
 	github.com/go-logr/zapr v1.3.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 4b5dac6166..a63d4945c7 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ github.com/emicklei/go-restful/v3 v3.11.0 h1:rAQeMHw1c7zTmncogyy8VvRZwtkmkZ4FxER
 github.com/emicklei/go-restful/v3 v3.11.0/go.mod h1:6n3XBCmQQb25CM2LCACGz8ukIrRry+4bhvbpWn3mrbc=
 github.com/evanphx/json-patch v0.5.2 h1:xVCHIVMUu1wtM/VkR9jVZ45N3FhZfYMMYGorLCR8P3k=
 github.com/evanphx/json-patch v0.5.2/go.mod h1:ZWS5hhDbVDyob71nXKNL0+PWn6ToqBHMikGIFbs31qQ=
-github.com/evanphx/json-patch/v5 v5.9.0 h1:kcBlZQbplgElYIlo/n1hJbls2z/1awpXxpRi0/FOJfg=
-github.com/evanphx/json-patch/v5 v5.9.0/go.mod h1:VNkHZ/282BpEyt/tObQO8s5CMPmYYq14uClGH4abBuQ=
 github.com/felixge/httpsnoop v1.0.3 h1:s/nj+GCswXYzN5v2DpNMuMQYe+0DDwt5WVCU6CWBdXk=
 github.com/felixge/httpsnoop v1.0.3/go.mod h1:m8KPJKqk1gH5J9DgRY2ASl2lWCfGKXixSwevea8zH2U=
 github.com/fsnotify/fsnotify v1.7.0 h1:8JEhPFa5W2WU7YfeZzPNqzMP6Lwt7L2715Ggo0nosvA=
diff --git a/pkg/client/patch.go b/pkg/client/patch.go
index 11d6083885..3ba3b420fb 100644
--- a/pkg/client/patch.go
+++ b/pkg/client/patch.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ package client
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
-	jsonpatch "github.com/evanphx/json-patch/v5"
+	jsonpatch "gopkg.in/evanphx/json-patch.v4"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/types"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/json"
 	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/strategicpatch"