diff --git a/.github/renovate.json5 b/.github/renovate.json5
index 38a385487a920..7760999c7e4c8 100644
--- a/.github/renovate.json5
+++ b/.github/renovate.json5
@@ -574,17 +574,7 @@
       "matchDepNames": [
         "grpc/grpc-go"
       ],
-      "versioning": "regex:cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc/v(?<major>\\d+)\\.(?<minor>\\d+)\\.(?<patch>\\d+)",
-      "extractVersion": "^google\\.golang\\.org/grpc/cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc@cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc/v(?<version>.*)$",
-      "packageRules": [
-        {
-          "matchDatasources": ["github-releases"],
-          "matchPackageNames": ["grpc/grpc-go"],
-          "registryUrls": ["https://github.com/grpc/grpc-go"],
-          "extractVersion": "^cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc/v(?<version>.*)$",
-          "replaceStringTemplate": "go install google.golang.org/grpc/cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc@{{{newDigest}}}"
-        }
-      ]
+      "versioning": "regex:cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc/v(?<major>\\d+)\\.(?<minor>\\d+)\\.(?<patch>\\d+)$",
     }
   ],
   "kubernetes": {
@@ -611,7 +601,8 @@
         // Note that for GitHub release artifact digests, you likely want to use
         // github-release-attachments as the datasource here.
         "# renovate: datasource=(?<datasource>.*?) depName=(?<depName>.*?) digestVersion=(?<currentValue>.*)\\s+.+_sha256.*=\"(?<currentDigest>.*)\"",
-        "# renovate: datasource=(?<datasource>.*?) depName=(?<depName>.*?)\\s.+@(?<currentValue>.*)"
+        "# renovate: datasource=(?<datasource>.*?) depName=(?<depName>.*?)\\s.+@(?<currentValue>.*)",
+        "# renovate: datasource=(?<datasource>.*?) depName=(?<depName>.*?)\\s.+_VERSION=(?<currentValue>.*)"
       ]
     },
     {
diff --git a/images/builder/install-protoplugins.sh b/images/builder/install-protoplugins.sh
index 031d55c0aba06..e6db595df4fab 100755
--- a/images/builder/install-protoplugins.sh
+++ b/images/builder/install-protoplugins.sh
@@ -8,8 +8,12 @@ set -o errexit
 set -o pipefail
 set -o nounset
 
-# renovate: datasource=github-releases depName=grpc/grpc-go
-go install google.golang.org/grpc/cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc@v1.2.0
+# renovate: datasource=github-tags depName=grpc/grpc-go
+GRPC_VERSION=cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc/v1.2.0
+
+GRPC_VERSION=${GRPC_VERSION#cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc/}
+go install google.golang.org/grpc/cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc@${GRPC_VERSION}
+
 # renovate: datasource=github-releases depName=protocolbuffers/protobuf-go
 go install google.golang.org/protobuf/cmd/protoc-gen-go@v1.31.0
 # renovate: datasource=github-releases depName=mfridman/protoc-gen-go-json