diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index ef67192..ad97555 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
 # Build the manager binary
-FROM golang:1.26-alpine AS builder
+FROM golang:1.27-alpine AS builder
 
 WORKDIR /workspace
 ENV GOTOOLCHAIN=local
diff --git a/cloudprofilesync/k8ssync/source/landscape/landscape_source.go b/cloudprofilesync/k8ssync/source/landscape/landscape_source.go
index 6cb6656..1708756 100644
--- a/cloudprofilesync/k8ssync/source/landscape/landscape_source.go
+++ b/cloudprofilesync/k8ssync/source/landscape/landscape_source.go
@@ -338,8 +338,8 @@ func parseProviderVersions(raw []byte, provider string) ([]gardenerv1beta1.Expir
 			for _, v := range p.Versions {
 				result = append(result, gardenerv1beta1.ExpirableVersion{
 					Version:        v.Version,
-					Classification: v.Classification,
-					ExpirationDate: convertExpirationDate(v.ExpirationDate),
+					Classification: v.Classification,                        //nolint:staticcheck // legacy fields; Lifecycle needs the VersionClassificationLifecycle feature gate
+					ExpirationDate: convertExpirationDate(v.ExpirationDate), //nolint:staticcheck // legacy fields; Lifecycle needs the VersionClassificationLifecycle feature gate
 				})
 			}
 
diff --git a/cloudprofilesync/ossync/os_image_updater.go b/cloudprofilesync/ossync/os_image_updater.go
index 498f979..cd9dc90 100644
--- a/cloudprofilesync/ossync/os_image_updater.go
+++ b/cloudprofilesync/ossync/os_image_updater.go
@@ -205,8 +205,8 @@ func (iu *ImageUpdater) Update(ctx context.Context, cpSpec *gardenerv1beta1.Clou
 				image.Versions = append(image.Versions, gardenerv1beta1.MachineImageVersion{
 					ExpirableVersion: gardenerv1beta1.ExpirableVersion{
 						Version:        sourceImage.Version,
-						Classification: sourceImage.Classification,
-						ExpirationDate: iu.resolveExpiration(sourceImage, nil),
+						Classification: sourceImage.Classification,             //nolint:staticcheck // legacy fields; Lifecycle needs the VersionClassificationLifecycle feature gate
+						ExpirationDate: iu.resolveExpiration(sourceImage, nil), //nolint:staticcheck // legacy fields; Lifecycle needs the VersionClassificationLifecycle feature gate
 					},
 					Architectures: sourceImage.Architectures,
 				})
@@ -238,8 +238,8 @@ func (iu *ImageUpdater) Update(ctx context.Context, cpSpec *gardenerv1beta1.Clou
 				v := gardenerv1beta1.MachineImageVersion{
 					ExpirableVersion: gardenerv1beta1.ExpirableVersion{
 						Version:        sourceImage.CleanVersion,
-						Classification: sourceImage.Classification,
-						ExpirationDate: iu.resolveExpiration(sourceImage, nil),
+						Classification: sourceImage.Classification,             //nolint:staticcheck // legacy fields; Lifecycle needs the VersionClassificationLifecycle feature gate
+						ExpirationDate: iu.resolveExpiration(sourceImage, nil), //nolint:staticcheck // legacy fields; Lifecycle needs the VersionClassificationLifecycle feature gate
 					},
 					Architectures:     slices.Clone(sourceImage.Architectures),
 					CapabilityFlavors: mergeCapabilityFlavor(nil, sourceImage.Capabilities),
diff --git a/cloudprofilesync/ossync/os_image_updater_test.go b/cloudprofilesync/ossync/os_image_updater_test.go
index 3db6be3..d78084d 100644
--- a/cloudprofilesync/ossync/os_image_updater_test.go
+++ b/cloudprofilesync/ossync/os_image_updater_test.go
@@ -545,8 +545,8 @@ var _ = Describe("ImageUpdater", func() {
 					{Name: "test", Versions: []gardencorev1beta1.MachineImageVersion{
 						{ExpirableVersion: gardencorev1beta1.ExpirableVersion{
 							Version:        "1.0.0",
-							Classification: &deprecated,
-							ExpirationDate: &existing,
+							Classification: &deprecated, //nolint:staticcheck // legacy fields; Lifecycle needs the VersionClassificationLifecycle feature gate
+							ExpirationDate: &existing,   //nolint:staticcheck // legacy fields; Lifecycle needs the VersionClassificationLifecycle feature gate
 						}, Architectures: []string{"amd64"}},
 					}},
 				},
diff --git a/cloudprofilesync/ossync/source/glance/os_source.go b/cloudprofilesync/ossync/source/glance/os_source.go
index f7d8bd2..80fb283 100644
--- a/cloudprofilesync/ossync/source/glance/os_source.go
+++ b/cloudprofilesync/ossync/source/glance/os_source.go
@@ -290,7 +290,6 @@ func compareSemverDesc(a, b string) int {
 // parseVersion extracts the semver version from a matching image name.
 func (g *Glance) parseVersion(name string) (string, bool) {
 	if strings.Contains(name, usiVariantMarker) {
-		g.log.V(1).Info("skipping usi image variant", "name", name)
 		return "", false
 	}
 
diff --git a/controllers/cloud_profile.go b/controllers/cloud_profile.go
index 2e5a1e3..564adb0 100644
--- a/controllers/cloud_profile.go
+++ b/controllers/cloud_profile.go
@@ -45,13 +45,13 @@ func (r *Reconciler) reconcileCloudProfile(ctx context.Context, log logr.Logger,
 		cloudProfile.Spec = CloudProfileSpecToGardener(&mcp.Spec.CloudProfile)
 		errs := make([]error, 0)
 		for _, updates := range mcp.Spec.MachineImageUpdates {
-			log.Info("updating machine images", "cloudProfile", cloudProfile.Name)
+			log.V(1).Info("updating machine images", "cloudProfile", cloudProfile.Name)
 			if updateErr := r.updateMachineImages(ctx, log, updates, &cloudProfile.Spec); updateErr != nil {
 				errs = append(errs, updateErr)
 			}
 		}
 		if mcp.Spec.KubernetesVersionUpdateConfig != nil {
-			log.Info("updating kubernetes versions", "cloudProfile", cloudProfile.Name)
+			log.V(1).Info("updating kubernetes versions", "cloudProfile", cloudProfile.Name)
 			if updateErr := r.updateKubernetesVersions(ctx, *mcp.Spec.KubernetesVersionUpdateConfig, &cloudProfile.Spec); updateErr != nil {
 				errs = append(errs, updateErr)
 			}
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func (r *Reconciler) reconcileCloudProfile(ctx context.Context, log logr.Logger,
 			Status:             metav1.ConditionFalse,
 			ObservedGeneration: mcp.Generation,
 			Reason:             "ApplyFailed",
-			Message:            fmt.Sprintf("Failed to apply CloudProfile: %s", err),
+			Message:            truncateConditionMessage(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to apply CloudProfile: %s", err)),
 		})
 		if statusErr != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to patch ManagedCloudProfile status: %w", statusErr)
@@ -254,3 +254,13 @@ func (r *Reconciler) landscapeSetupSource(ctx context.Context, ls v1alpha1.Lands
 
 	return landscapeSource, nil
 }
+
+const maxConditionMessageLen = 32768
+
+func truncateConditionMessage(msg string) string {
+	if len(msg) <= maxConditionMessageLen {
+		return msg
+	}
+	const suffix = "...[truncated]"
+	return msg[:maxConditionMessageLen-len(suffix)] + suffix
+}