diff --git a/build/BUILD.bazel b/build/BUILD.bazel
index 3708a0b..9cd94ec 100644
--- a/build/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/build/BUILD.bazel
@@ -1,18 +1,42 @@
-load("//build/filter_stamp:def.bzl", "filtered_stamp")
+load("@aspect_bazel_lib//lib:expand_template.bzl", "expand_template")
 
-# This is a filtered stable status file which contains only the variables which
-# do not change on every commit. Using this instead of the status file avoids
-# unnecessary rebuilds.
-filtered_stamp(
-    name = "stabler_status",
-    vars = [
-        "KUBERNETES_gitMajor",
-        "KUBERNETES_gitMinor",
-        "KUBERNETES_gitVersion",
-        "KUBERNETES_gitCommit",
-        "KUBERNETES_gitTreeState",
-        "KUBERNETES_buildDate",
-        "MONOGON_copyright",
-    ],
+# The copyright and Kubernetes stamp variables change less often than the status
+# file. Instead of stamping these into Go binaries through x_defs, we create a
+# file for each variable and stamp through go:embed. With this indirection, only
+# the expand_template actions are executed each time the status file changes,
+# instead of relinking the Go binaries, which would be more expensive.
+
+expand_template(
+    name = "copyright_line",
+    out = "copyright_line.txt",
+    stamp = 1,
+    stamp_substitutions = {"copyright": "{{STABLE_MONOGON_copyright}}"},
+    template = ["copyright"],
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+)
+
+kubernetes_vars = [
+    "gitMajor",
+    "gitMinor",
+    "gitVersion",
+    "gitCommit",
+    "gitTreeState",
+    "buildDate",
+]
+
+[
+    expand_template(
+        name = "kubernetes_%s" % var,
+        out = "kubernetes_%s.txt" % var,
+        stamp = 1,
+        stamp_substitutions = {"value": "{{STABLE_KUBERNETES_%s}}" % var},
+        template = ["value"],
+    )
+    for var in kubernetes_vars
+]
+
+filegroup(
+    name = "kubernetes_stamp",
+    srcs = ["kubernetes_%s.txt" % var for var in kubernetes_vars],
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
 )
diff --git a/build/bazel/go.MODULE.bazel b/build/bazel/go.MODULE.bazel
index eb4aea5..d83abc6 100644
--- a/build/bazel/go.MODULE.bazel
+++ b/build/bazel/go.MODULE.bazel
@@ -235,6 +235,9 @@
         ],
     },
     "k8s.io/client-go": {
+        "patches": [
+            "//third_party/com_k8s_io_client_go:version-stamp.patch",
+        ],
         "pre_patches": [
             "//third_party/com_k8s_io_client_go:k8s-fix-websocket-custom-dialer.patch",
         ],
@@ -369,6 +372,7 @@
     "k8s.io/component-base": {
         "patches": [
             "//third_party/com_k8s_io_component_base:k8s-fix-metrics-data-race.patch",
+            "//third_party/com_k8s_io_component_base:version-stamp.patch",
         ],
     },
     "k8s.io/mount-utils": {
diff --git a/build/filter_stamp/BUILD.bazel b/build/filter_stamp/BUILD.bazel
deleted file mode 100644
index 693b12e..0000000
--- a/build/filter_stamp/BUILD.bazel
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:def.bzl", "go_binary", "go_library")
-
-go_library(
-    name = "filter_stamp_lib",
-    srcs = ["main.go"],
-    importpath = "source.monogon.dev/build/filter_stamp",
-    visibility = ["//visibility:private"],
-)
-
-go_binary(
-    name = "filter_stamp",
-    embed = [":filter_stamp_lib"],
-    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
-)
diff --git a/build/filter_stamp/def.bzl b/build/filter_stamp/def.bzl
deleted file mode 100644
index 650a025..0000000
--- a/build/filter_stamp/def.bzl
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-def _filtered_stamp_impl(ctx):
-    output = ctx.actions.declare_file(ctx.label.name + ".txt")
-    ctx.actions.run(
-        mnemonic = "FilterStamp",
-        executable = ctx.executable._filter_stamp,
-        arguments = ["-status", ctx.info_file.path, "-out", output.path, "--"] + ctx.attr.vars,
-        inputs = [ctx.info_file],
-        outputs = [output],
-    )
-    return [DefaultInfo(files = depset([output]))]
-
-filtered_stamp = rule(
-    implementation = _filtered_stamp_impl,
-    doc = """
-        Build a stamp file with a subset of
-        variables from the stable status file.
-    """,
-    attrs = {
-        "vars": attr.string_list(
-            doc = """
-                List of variables to include in the output.
-            """,
-            mandatory = True,
-        ),
-        # Tool
-        "_filter_stamp": attr.label(
-            default = Label("//build/filter_stamp"),
-            executable = True,
-            cfg = "exec",
-        ),
-    },
-)
diff --git a/build/filter_stamp/main.go b/build/filter_stamp/main.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 6b8d561..0000000
--- a/build/filter_stamp/main.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,52 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright The Monogon Project Authors.
-// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
-
-package main
-
-import (
-	"flag"
-	"fmt"
-	"log"
-	"os"
-	"strings"
-)
-
-var (
-	statusFile = flag.String("status", "", "Path to bazel workspace status file")
-	outFile    = flag.String("out", "", "Output stamp file path")
-)
-
-func main() {
-	flag.Parse()
-
-	vars := make(map[string]bool)
-	for _, variable := range flag.Args() {
-		vars[variable] = true
-	}
-
-	statusFileContent, err := os.ReadFile(*statusFile)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Failed to open bazel workspace status file: %v\n", err)
-	}
-
-	var filtered []string
-	for line := range strings.SplitSeq(string(statusFileContent), "\n") {
-		if line == "" {
-			continue
-		}
-		variable, value, ok := strings.Cut(line, " ")
-		if !ok {
-			log.Fatalf("Invalid line in status file: %q\n", line)
-		}
-		variable, ok = strings.CutPrefix(variable, "STABLE_")
-		if ok && vars[variable] {
-			filtered = append(filtered, fmt.Sprintf("STABLER_%s %s\n", variable, value))
-		}
-	}
-
-	filteredContent := []byte(strings.Join(filtered, ""))
-	err = os.WriteFile(*outFile, filteredContent, 0644)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("Failed to write output file: %v", err)
-	}
-}
diff --git a/build/print-workspace-status.py b/build/print-workspace-status.py
index 992a8fc..3b86ee4 100755
--- a/build/print-workspace-status.py
+++ b/build/print-workspace-status.py
@@ -227,6 +227,10 @@
     variables["STABLE_KUBERNETES_gitCommit"] = git_commit
     variables["STABLE_KUBERNETES_gitTreeState"] = git_tree_state
     variables["STABLE_KUBERNETES_buildDate"] = git_commit_date
+else:
+    variables["STABLE_KUBERNETES_gitCommit"] = ""
+    variables["STABLE_KUBERNETES_gitTreeState"] = ""
+    variables["STABLE_KUBERNETES_buildDate"] = "1970-01-01T00:00:00Z"
 
 # Emit variables to stdout for consumption by Bazel and targets.
 for key in sorted(variables.keys()):