diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/init.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/init.go
index 022137390f8..7acee3dd550 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/init.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/init.go
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ func BuildInit() {
 		cfg.BuildPkgdir = p
 	}
 
+	if cfg.BuildP <= 0 {
+		base.Fatalf("go: -p must be a positive integer: %v\n", cfg.BuildP)
+	}
+
 	// Make sure CC, CXX, and FC are absolute paths.
 	for _, key := range []string{"CC", "CXX", "FC"} {
 		value := cfg.Getenv(key)
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/build_negative_p.txt b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/build_negative_p.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9123907dc87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/build_negative_p.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+! go build -p=-1 example.go
+stderr 'go: -p must be a positive integer: -1'
+
+-- example.go --
+package example
\ No newline at end of file