diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/modget/query.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/modget/query.go
index d8364c8c0d..1a5a60f7eb 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/modget/query.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/modget/query.go
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ func (q *query) validate() error {
 	if q.pattern == "all" {
 		// If there is no main module, "all" is not meaningful.
 		if !modload.HasModRoot() {
-			return fmt.Errorf(`cannot match "all": working directory is not part of a module`)
+			return fmt.Errorf(`cannot match "all": %v`, modload.ErrNoModRoot)
 		}
 		if !versionOkForMainModule(q.version) {
 			// TODO(bcmills): "all@none" seems like a totally reasonable way to
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/import.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/import.go
index 182429aee4..995641c9f1 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/import.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/import.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ func (e *ImportMissingError) Error() string {
 		if e.isStd {
 			return fmt.Sprintf("package %s is not in GOROOT (%s)", e.Path, filepath.Join(cfg.GOROOT, "src", e.Path))
 		}
-		if e.QueryErr != nil {
+		if e.QueryErr != nil && e.QueryErr != ErrNoModRoot {
 			return fmt.Sprintf("cannot find module providing package %s: %v", e.Path, e.QueryErr)
 		}
 		if cfg.BuildMod == "mod" || (cfg.BuildMod == "readonly" && allowMissingModuleImports) {
@@ -66,13 +66,11 @@ func (e *ImportMissingError) Error() string {
 			return fmt.Sprintf("module %s provides package %s and is replaced but not required; to add it:\n\tgo get %s", e.replaced.Path, e.Path, suggestArg)
 		}
 
-		suggestion := ""
-		if !HasModRoot() {
-			suggestion = ": working directory is not part of a module"
-		} else {
-			suggestion = fmt.Sprintf("; to add it:\n\tgo get %s", e.Path)
+		message := fmt.Sprintf("no required module provides package %s", e.Path)
+		if e.QueryErr != nil {
+			return fmt.Sprintf("%s: %v", message, e.QueryErr)
 		}
-		return fmt.Sprintf("no required module provides package %s%s", e.Path, suggestion)
+		return fmt.Sprintf("%s; to add it:\n\tgo get %s", message, e.Path)
 	}
 
 	if e.newMissingVersion != "" {
@@ -318,7 +316,11 @@ func importFromBuildList(ctx context.Context, path string, buildList []module.Ve
 		return mods[0], dirs[0], nil
 	}
 
-	return module.Version{}, "", &ImportMissingError{Path: path, isStd: pathIsStd}
+	var queryErr error
+	if !HasModRoot() {
+		queryErr = ErrNoModRoot
+	}
+	return module.Version{}, "", &ImportMissingError{Path: path, QueryErr: queryErr, isStd: pathIsStd}
 }
 
 // queryImport attempts to locate a module that can be added to the current
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/init.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/init.go
index 4de5ac9303..8ec1c8681a 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/init.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/init.go
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ func Init() {
 				base.Fatalf("go: cannot find main module, but -modfile was set.\n\t-modfile cannot be used to set the module root directory.")
 			}
 			if RootMode == NeedRoot {
-				base.Fatalf("go: cannot find main module; see 'go help modules'")
+				base.Fatalf("go: %v", ErrNoModRoot)
 			}
 			if !mustUseModules {
 				// GO111MODULE is 'auto', and we can't find a module root.
@@ -338,9 +338,11 @@ func die() {
 		}
 		base.Fatalf("go: cannot find main module, but found %s in %s\n\tto create a module there, run:\n\t%sgo mod init", name, dir, cdCmd)
 	}
-	base.Fatalf("go: cannot find main module; see 'go help modules'")
+	base.Fatalf("go: %v", ErrNoModRoot)
 }
 
+var ErrNoModRoot = errors.New("go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see 'go help modules'")
+
 // LoadModFile sets Target and, if there is a main module, parses the initial
 // build list from its go.mod file.
 //
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/list.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/list.go
index 6dba6bea22..c7ef8c9fb7 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/list.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/list.go
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ func listModules(ctx context.Context, args []string, listVersions, listRetracted
 			base.Fatalf("go: cannot use relative path %s to specify module", arg)
 		}
 		if !HasModRoot() && (arg == "all" || strings.Contains(arg, "...")) {
-			base.Fatalf("go: cannot match %q: working directory is not part of a module", arg)
+			base.Fatalf("go: cannot match %q: %v", arg, ErrNoModRoot)
 		}
 		if i := strings.Index(arg, "@"); i >= 0 {
 			path := arg[:i]
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/run/run.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/run/run.go
index 99578b244c..666b1a0e56 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/run/run.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/run/run.go
@@ -96,28 +96,12 @@ func runRun(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 		base.Fatalf("go run: no go files listed")
 	}
 	cmdArgs := args[i:]
-	if p.Error != nil {
-		base.Fatalf("%s", p.Error)
-	}
+	load.CheckPackageErrors([]*load.Package{p})
 
-	p.Internal.OmitDebug = true
-	if len(p.DepsErrors) > 0 {
-		// Since these are errors in dependencies,
-		// the same error might show up multiple times,
-		// once in each package that depends on it.
-		// Only print each once.
-		printed := map[*load.PackageError]bool{}
-		for _, err := range p.DepsErrors {
-			if !printed[err] {
-				printed[err] = true
-				base.Errorf("%s", err)
-			}
-		}
-	}
-	base.ExitIfErrors()
 	if p.Name != "main" {
 		base.Fatalf("go run: cannot run non-main package")
 	}
+	p.Internal.OmitDebug = true
 	p.Target = "" // must build - not up to date
 	if p.Internal.CmdlineFiles {
 		//set executable name if go file is given as cmd-argument
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_convert_dep.txt b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_convert_dep.txt
index ad22aca5be..875a836fd2 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_convert_dep.txt
+++ b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_convert_dep.txt
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ stdout '^m$'
 # Test that we ignore directories when trying to find alternate config files.
 cd $WORK/gopkgdir/x
 ! go list .
-stderr 'cannot find main module'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 ! stderr 'Gopkg.lock'
 
 -- $WORK/test/Gopkg.lock --
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_find.txt b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_find.txt
index 9468acfd33..1e01973ff4 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_find.txt
+++ b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_find.txt
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ rm go.mod
 # Test that we ignore directories when trying to find go.mod.
 cd $WORK/gomoddir
 ! go list .
-stderr 'cannot find main module'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 [!symlink] stop
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_outside.txt b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_outside.txt
index 7b45f1a209..9d4c22c77b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_outside.txt
+++ b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_outside.txt
@@ -12,13 +12,13 @@ stdout 'NUL|/dev/null'
 # 'go list' without arguments implicitly operates on the current directory,
 # which is not in a module.
 ! go list
-stderr 'cannot find main module'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 go list -m
 stdout '^command-line-arguments$'
 # 'go list' in the working directory should fail even if there is a a 'package
 # main' present: without a main module, we do not know its package path.
 ! go list ./needmod
-stderr 'cannot find main module'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 # 'go list all' lists the transitive import graph of the main module,
 # which is empty if there is no main module.
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ stdout 'command-line-arguments'
 
 # 'go list' on a package from a module should fail.
 ! go list example.com/printversion
-stderr '^no required module provides package example.com/printversion: working directory is not part of a module$'
+stderr '^no required module provides package example.com/printversion: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 
 # 'go list -m' with an explicit version should resolve that version.
@@ -54,19 +54,19 @@ stdout 'v1.0.0\s+v1.0.1\s+v1.1.0'
 
 # 'go list -m all' should fail. "all" is not meaningful outside of a module.
 ! go list -m all
-stderr 'go: cannot match "all": working directory is not part of a module'
+stderr 'go: cannot match "all": go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 # 'go list -m <mods> all' should also fail.
 ! go list -m example.com/printversion@v1.0.0 all
-stderr 'go: cannot match "all": working directory is not part of a module'
+stderr 'go: cannot match "all": go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 ! stdout 'example.com/version'
 
 # 'go list -m' with wildcards should fail. Wildcards match modules in the
 # build list, so they aren't meaningful outside a module.
 ! go list -m ...
-stderr 'go: cannot match "...": working directory is not part of a module'
+stderr 'go: cannot match "...": go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 ! go list -m rsc.io/quote/...
-stderr 'go: cannot match "rsc.io/quote/...": working directory is not part of a module'
+stderr 'go: cannot match "rsc.io/quote/...": go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 
 # 'go clean' should skip the current directory if it isn't in a module.
@@ -76,20 +76,20 @@ go clean -n
 
 # 'go mod graph' should fail, since there's no module graph.
 ! go mod graph
-stderr 'cannot find main module'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 # 'go mod why' should fail, since there is no main module to depend on anything.
 ! go mod why -m example.com/version
-stderr 'cannot find main module'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 # 'go mod edit', 'go mod tidy', and 'go mod fmt' should fail:
 # there is no go.mod file to edit.
 ! go mod tidy
-stderr 'cannot find main module'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 ! go mod edit -fmt
-stderr 'cannot find main module'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 ! go mod edit -require example.com/version@v1.0.0
-stderr 'cannot find main module'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 
 # 'go mod download' without arguments should report an error.
@@ -104,33 +104,33 @@ exists $GOPATH/pkg/mod/cache/download/example.com/printversion/@v/v1.0.0.zip
 
 # 'go mod download all' should fail. "all" is not meaningful outside of a module.
 ! go mod download all
-stderr 'go: cannot match "all": working directory is not part of a module'
+stderr 'go: cannot match "all": go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 
 # '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'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 
 # 'go mod verify' should fail: we have no modules to verify.
 ! go mod verify
-stderr 'cannot find main module'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 
 # 'go get' without arguments implicitly operates on the main module, and thus
 # should fail.
 ! go get
-stderr 'cannot find main module'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 ! go get -u
-stderr 'cannot find main module'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 ! go get -u ./needmod
-stderr 'cannot find main module'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 # 'go get -u all' upgrades the transitive import graph of the main module,
 # which is empty.
 ! go get -u all
-stderr 'go get: cannot match "all": working directory is not part of a module'
+stderr '^go get: cannot match "all": go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 # 'go get' should check the proposed module graph for consistency,
 # even though we won't write it anywhere.
@@ -147,16 +147,16 @@ exists $GOPATH/pkg/mod/example.com/version@v1.0.0
 # 'go build' without arguments implicitly operates on the current directory, and should fail.
 cd needmod
 ! go build
-stderr 'cannot find main module'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 cd ..
 
 # 'go build' of a non-module directory should fail too.
 ! go build ./needmod
-stderr 'cannot find main module'
+stderr '^go: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 # 'go build' of source files should fail if they import anything outside std.
 ! go build -n ./needmod/needmod.go
-stderr '^needmod[/\\]needmod.go:10:2: no required module provides package example.com/version: working directory is not part of a module$'
+stderr '^needmod[/\\]needmod.go:10:2: no required module provides package example.com/version: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 # 'go build' of source files should succeed if they do not import anything outside std.
 go build -n -o ignore ./stdonly/stdonly.go
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ go doc fmt
 
 # 'go doc' should fail for a package path outside a module.
 ! go doc example.com/version
-stderr 'doc: no required module provides package example.com/version: working directory is not part of a module'
+stderr 'doc: no required module provides package example.com/version: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 # 'go install' with a version should succeed if all constraints are met.
 # See mod_install_pkg_version.
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ stderr '^go install: version is required when current directory is not in a modu
 # 'go install' should fail if a source file imports a package that must be
 # resolved to a module.
 ! go install ./needmod/needmod.go
-stderr 'needmod[/\\]needmod.go:10:2: no required module provides package example.com/version: working directory is not part of a module'
+stderr 'needmod[/\\]needmod.go:10:2: no required module provides package example.com/version: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 # 'go install' should succeed with a package in GOROOT.
 go install cmd/addr2line
@@ -206,12 +206,12 @@ stderr 'can only use path@version syntax with'
 
 # 'go run' should fail if a package argument must be resolved to a module.
 ! go run example.com/printversion
-stderr '^no required module provides package example.com/printversion: working directory is not part of a module$'
+stderr '^no required module provides package example.com/printversion: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 # 'go run' should fail if a source file imports a package that must be
 # resolved to a module.
 ! go run ./needmod/needmod.go
-stderr '^needmod[/\\]needmod.go:10:2: no required module provides package example.com/version: working directory is not part of a module$'
+stderr '^needmod[/\\]needmod.go:10:2: no required module provides package example.com/version: go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory; see ''go help modules''$'
 
 
 # 'go fmt' should be able to format files outside of a module.
diff --git a/src/go/build/build_test.go b/src/go/build/build_test.go
index 0762a150eb..6529b6e47e 100644
--- a/src/go/build/build_test.go
+++ b/src/go/build/build_test.go
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ func TestImportPackageOutsideModule(t *testing.T) {
 	ctxt.GOPATH = gopath
 	ctxt.Dir = filepath.Join(gopath, "src/example.com/p")
 
-	want := "working directory is not part of a module"
+	want := "go.mod file not found in current directory or any parent directory"
 	if _, err := ctxt.Import("example.com/p", gopath, FindOnly); err == nil {
 		t.Fatal("importing package when no go.mod is present succeeded unexpectedly")
 	} else if errStr := err.Error(); !strings.Contains(errStr, want) {