diff --git a/release/go-licenses/Dockerfile b/release/go-licenses/Dockerfile
index 43e7870311c3..6004f457494d 100644
--- a/release/go-licenses/Dockerfile
+++ b/release/go-licenses/Dockerfile
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 ###############################################################################
 
-FROM golang:1.15.0-buster
+FROM golang:1.16.0-buster
 RUN go get github.com/google/go-licenses
 COPY get-licenses.sh /opt/apache/beam/
 ARG sdk_location
diff --git a/release/go-licenses/get-licenses.sh b/release/go-licenses/get-licenses.sh
index 727fb9b08977..be1e01ddf0e9 100755
--- a/release/go-licenses/get-licenses.sh
+++ b/release/go-licenses/get-licenses.sh
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 set -ex
 rm -rf /output/*
 
+export GO111MODULE=off
 go get $sdk_location
 
 go-licenses save $sdk_location --save_path=/output/licenses