diff --git a/.github/workflows/codegen.yml b/.github/workflows/codegen.yml
index ade666c32..7021cff76 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codegen.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codegen.yml
@@ -38,8 +38,20 @@ jobs:
         with:
           go-version: "1.22"
 
+      - name: post-process checkout - copy to github.com
+        run: |
+          # copy to the github.com path so codegen will work as expected
+          mkdir -p $(go env GOPATH)/src/github.com/rook/rook/
+          cp -R . $(go env GOPATH)/src/github.com/rook/rook/
+
       - name: run codegen
-        run: GOPATH=$(go env GOPATH) make codegen
+        run: |
+          cd $(go env GOPATH)/src/github.com/rook/rook
+          GOPATH=$(go env GOPATH) make codegen
 
       - name: validate codegen
-        run: tests/scripts/validate_modified_files.sh codegen
+        run: |
+          # run validation again, explicitly.
+          # it is also part of 'make codegen'
+          cd $(go env GOPATH)/src/github.com/rook/rook
+          tests/scripts/validate_modified_files.sh codegen