diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/modcmd/verify.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/modcmd/verify.go
index 9155fcb358..72f16a793b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/modcmd/verify.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/modcmd/verify.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func runVerify(cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 		base.Fatalf("go mod verify: verify takes no arguments")
 	}
 	// Checks go mod expected behavior
-	if !modload.Enabled() {
+	if !modload.Enabled() || !modload.HasModRoot() {
 		if cfg.Getenv("GO111MODULE") == "off" {
 			base.Fatalf("go: modules disabled by GO111MODULE=off; see 'go help modules'")
 		} else {
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_outside.txt b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_outside.txt
index 815745e8bf..6f569ca351 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_outside.txt
+++ b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_outside.txt
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ stderr 'cannot find main module'
 stderr 'cannot find main module'
 
 
+# 'go mod download' without arguments should report an error.
+! go mod download
+stderr 'no modules specified'
+
 # 'go mod download' should download exactly the requested module without dependencies.
 rm -r $GOPATH/pkg/mod/cache/download/example.com
 go mod download example.com/printversion@v1.0.0
@@ -92,15 +96,16 @@ exists $GOPATH/pkg/mod/cache/download/example.com/printversion/@v/v1.0.0.zip
 ! go mod download all
 stderr 'go: cannot match "all": working directory is not part of a module'
 
+
 # 'go mod vendor' should fail: it starts by clearing the existing vendor
 # directory, and we don't know where that is.
 ! go mod vendor
 stderr 'cannot find main module'
 
-# 'go mod verify' should succeed: we have no modules to verify.
-go mod verify
-stdout 'all modules verified'
-! stderr .
+
+# 'go mod verify' should fail: we have no modules to verify.
+! go mod verify
+stderr 'cannot find main module'
 
 
 # 'go get' without arguments implicitly operates on the main module, and thus