diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 3f670c08..01fa5661 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -24,21 +24,21 @@ install: 'make deps'
 matrix:
   fast_finish: false
   allow_failures:
-  - go: 1.11.x
+  - go: 1.12.x
   - go: tip
   - os: osx
   # include only one build for osx for a quicker build as the nr. of these runners are sparse
   include:
   - name: "basic tests"
-    go: 1.10.x
+    go: 1.11.x
     env: TEST_BLOCK=basic
   - name: "shell tests"
-    go: 1.10.x
+    go: 1.11.x
     env: TEST_BLOCK=shell
   - name: "race tests"
-    go: 1.10.x
+    go: 1.11.x
     env: TEST_BLOCK=race
-  - go: 1.11.x
+  - go: 1.12.x
   - go: tip
   - os: osx
 script: 'TEST_BLOCK="$TEST_BLOCK" make test'
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7f68dff9..48658ff8 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ GOARCH=$(lastword $(subst -, ,$*))
 build/mgmt-%: $(GO_FILES) | bindata lang funcgen
 	@echo "Building: $(PROGRAM), os/arch: $*, version: $(SVERSION)..."
 	@# reassigning GOOS and GOARCH to make build command copy/pastable
-	@# go 1.10 requires specifying the package for ldflags
+	@# go 1.10+ requires specifying the package for ldflags
 	@if go version | grep -qE 'go1.9'; then \
 		time env GOOS=${GOOS} GOARCH=${GOARCH} go build -i -ldflags "-X main.program=$(PROGRAM) -X main.version=$(SVERSION) ${LDFLAGS}" -o $@ $(BUILD_FLAGS); \
 	else \
diff --git a/docs/quick-start-guide.md b/docs/quick-start-guide.md
index 9cf10382..15925a09 100644
--- a/docs/quick-start-guide.md
+++ b/docs/quick-start-guide.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ Once you're familiar with the general idea, please start hacking...
 
 ### Installing golang
 
-* You need golang version 1.10 or greater installed.
+* You need golang version 1.11 or greater installed.
 	* To install on rpm style systems: `sudo dnf install golang`
 	* To install on apt style systems: `sudo apt install golang`
 	* To install on macOS systems install [Homebrew](https://brew.sh)
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ required for running the _test_ suite.
 
 ### Build
 
-* `golang` 1.10 or higher (required, available in some distros and distributed
+* `golang` 1.11 or higher (required, available in some distros and distributed
 as a binary officially by [golang.org](https://golang.org/dl/))
 
 ### Runtime
diff --git a/misc/make-deps.sh b/misc/make-deps.sh
index dae136a5..a6dbde3d 100755
--- a/misc/make-deps.sh
+++ b/misc/make-deps.sh
@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ if [ $travis -eq 0 ]; then
 fi
 
 # if golang is too old, we don't want to fail with an obscure error later
-if go version | grep 'go1\.[012345]\.'; then
-	echo "mgmt requires go1.6 or higher."
+if go version | grep -e 'go1\.[0123456789]\.' -e 'go1\.10\.'; then
+	echo "mgmt recommends go1.11 or higher."
 	exit 1
 fi