diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index abeac75ec637..c7f8b8ac3d0c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -43,17 +43,12 @@ endif
 
 ROOT_DIR:=$(shell dirname $(realpath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST))))
 KONG_SOURCE_LOCATION ?= $(ROOT_DIR)
-GRPCURL_VERSION ?= 1.8.5
+GRPCURL_VERSION ?= 1.8.9
 BAZLISK_VERSION ?= 1.19.0
 H2CLIENT_VERSION ?= 0.4.4
 BAZEL := $(shell command -v bazel 2> /dev/null)
 VENV = /dev/null # backward compatibility when no venv is built
 
-# Use x86_64 grpcurl v1.8.5 for Apple silicon chips
-ifeq ($(GRPCURL_OS)_$(MACHINE)_$(GRPCURL_VERSION), osx_arm64_1.8.5)
-GRPCURL_MACHINE = x86_64
-endif
-
 PACKAGE_TYPE ?= deb
 
 bin/bazel:
@@ -71,7 +66,6 @@ bin/h2client:
 		https://github.com/Kong/h2client/releases/download/v$(H2CLIENT_VERSION)/h2client_$(H2CLIENT_VERSION)_$(OS)_$(H2CLIENT_MACHINE).tar.gz | tar xz -C bin;
 	@$(RM) bin/README.md
 
-
 check-bazel: bin/bazel
 ifndef BAZEL
 	$(eval BAZEL := bin/bazel)
diff --git a/spec/02-integration/05-proxy/21-grpc_plugins_triggering_spec.lua b/spec/02-integration/05-proxy/21-grpc_plugins_triggering_spec.lua
index 1dc731df5604..165bd555e362 100644
--- a/spec/02-integration/05-proxy/21-grpc_plugins_triggering_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/02-integration/05-proxy/21-grpc_plugins_triggering_spec.lua
@@ -112,22 +112,22 @@ local phrases_ssl = {
 local phrases_reflection = {
   ["%[logger%] init_worker phase"] = 1,
   ["%[logger%] configure phase"] = 1,
-  ["%[logger%] rewrite phase"] = 2,
-  ["%[logger%] access phase"] = 2,
-  ["%[logger%] header_filter phase"] = 2,
+  ["%[logger%] rewrite phase"] = 3,
+  ["%[logger%] access phase"] = 3,
+  ["%[logger%] header_filter phase"] = 3,
   ["%[logger%] body_filter phase"] = -1,
-  ["%[logger%] log phase"] = 2,
+  ["%[logger%] log phase"] = 3,
 }
 
 local phrases_ssl_reflection = {
   ["%[logger%] init_worker phase"] = 1,
   ["%[logger%] configure phase"] = 1,
   ["%[logger%] certificate phase"] = 1,
-  ["%[logger%] rewrite phase"] = 2,
-  ["%[logger%] access phase"] = 2,
-  ["%[logger%] header_filter phase"] = 2,
+  ["%[logger%] rewrite phase"] = 3,
+  ["%[logger%] access phase"] = 3,
+  ["%[logger%] header_filter phase"] = 3,
   ["%[logger%] body_filter phase"] = -1,
-  ["%[logger%] log phase"] = 2,
+  ["%[logger%] log phase"] = 3,
 }
 
 local function assert_phases(phrases)
diff --git a/spec/03-plugins/23-rate-limiting/04-access_spec.lua b/spec/03-plugins/23-rate-limiting/04-access_spec.lua
index ba128c616eef..eca7ba100de6 100644
--- a/spec/03-plugins/23-rate-limiting/04-access_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/03-plugins/23-rate-limiting/04-access_spec.lua
@@ -640,7 +640,10 @@ if limit_by == "ip" then
         },
       }
       assert.falsy(ok)
-      assert.matches("Code: ResourceExhausted", res)
+
+      -- Kong should return "ResourceExhausted", but for some reason here,
+      -- perhaps because of grpcurl, it gets translated to "Unavailable".
+      assert.matches("Code: Unavailable", res)
 
       assert.matches("ratelimit%-limit: 6", res)
       assert.matches("ratelimit%-remaining: 0", res)
diff --git a/spec/helpers.lua b/spec/helpers.lua
index a86ca9a1061b..724ec85167e6 100644
--- a/spec/helpers.lua
+++ b/spec/helpers.lua
@@ -1060,7 +1060,7 @@ local function gen_grpcurl_opts(opts_t)
 
   for opt, val in pairs(opts_t) do
     if val ~= false then
-      opts_l[#opts_l + 1] = opt .. " " .. (type(val) == "string" and val or "")
+      opts_l[#opts_l + 1] = opt .. (type(val) == "string" and (" " .. val) or "")
     end
   end