diff --git a/src/cmd/go/go_test.go b/src/cmd/go/go_test.go
index 5720a397f7a..59520cd2b41 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/go_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/go_test.go
@@ -957,17 +957,17 @@ func TestNewReleaseRebuildsStalePackagesInGOPATH(t *testing.T) {
 	// now they all matter, so keep using sys.go.
 	restore = addVar(sys, 1)
 	defer restore()
-	tg.wantStale("p1", "stale dependency: runtime/internal", "./testgo list claims p1 is NOT stale, incorrectly, after changing sys.go")
+	tg.wantStale("p1", "stale dependency: internal/runtime/sys", "./testgo list claims p1 is NOT stale, incorrectly, after changing sys.go")
 	restore()
 	tg.wantNotStale("p1", "", "./testgo list claims p1 is stale, incorrectly, after changing back to old release")
 	addVar(sys, 2)
-	tg.wantStale("p1", "stale dependency: runtime", "./testgo list claims p1 is NOT stale, incorrectly, after changing sys.go again")
+	tg.wantStale("p1", "stale dependency: internal/runtime/sys", "./testgo list claims p1 is NOT stale, incorrectly, after changing sys.go again")
 	tg.run("install", "p1")
 	tg.wantNotStale("p1", "", "./testgo list claims p1 is stale after building with new release")
 
 	// Restore to "old" release.
 	restore()
-	tg.wantStale("p1", "stale dependency: runtime/internal", "./testgo list claims p1 is NOT stale, incorrectly, after restoring sys.go")
+	tg.wantStale("p1", "not installed but available in build cache", "./testgo list claims p1 is NOT stale, incorrectly, after restoring sys.go")
 	tg.run("install", "p1")
 	tg.wantNotStale("p1", "", "./testgo list claims p1 is stale after building with old release")
 }