diff --git a/src/cmd/dist/build.go b/src/cmd/dist/build.go
index a302787c3d..8a408831d0 100644
--- a/src/cmd/dist/build.go
+++ b/src/cmd/dist/build.go
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ var (
 	workdir          string
 	tooldir          string
 	gochar           string
-	goversion        string
 	oldgoos          string
 	oldgoarch        string
 	oldgochar        string
@@ -224,8 +223,6 @@ func xinit() {
 	os.Setenv("LANG", "C")
 	os.Setenv("LANGUAGE", "en_US.UTF8")
 
-	goversion = findgoversion()
-
 	workdir = xworkdir()
 	xatexit(rmworkdir)
 
@@ -426,6 +423,7 @@ func setup() {
 	}
 
 	// For release, make sure excluded things are excluded.
+	goversion := findgoversion()
 	if strings.HasPrefix(goversion, "release.") || (strings.HasPrefix(goversion, "go") && !strings.Contains(goversion, "beta")) {
 		for _, dir := range unreleased {
 			if p := pathf("%s/%s", goroot, dir); isdir(p) {
@@ -903,7 +901,7 @@ func install(dir string) {
 					"-D", fmt.Sprintf("GOOS=%q", goos),
 					"-D", fmt.Sprintf("GOARCH=%q", goarch),
 					"-D", fmt.Sprintf("GOROOT=%q", goroot_final),
-					"-D", fmt.Sprintf("GOVERSION=%q", goversion),
+					"-D", fmt.Sprintf("GOVERSION=%q", findgoversion()),
 					"-D", fmt.Sprintf("GOARM=%q", goarm),
 					"-D", fmt.Sprintf("GO386=%q", go386),
 					"-D", fmt.Sprintf("GO_EXTLINK_ENABLED=%q", goextlinkenabled),
@@ -1460,5 +1458,5 @@ func cmdbanner() {
 // Version prints the Go version.
 func cmdversion() {
 	xflagparse(0)
-	xprintf("%s\n", goversion)
+	xprintf("%s\n", findgoversion())
 }
diff --git a/src/cmd/dist/buildruntime.go b/src/cmd/dist/buildruntime.go
index d659234578..32064ff8f4 100644
--- a/src/cmd/dist/buildruntime.go
+++ b/src/cmd/dist/buildruntime.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func mkzversion(dir, file string) {
 			"const defaultGoroot = `%s`\n"+
 			"const theVersion = `%s`\n"+
 			"const goexperiment = `%s`\n"+
-			"var buildVersion = theVersion\n", goroot_final, goversion, os.Getenv("GOEXPERIMENT"))
+			"var buildVersion = theVersion\n", goroot_final, findgoversion(), os.Getenv("GOEXPERIMENT"))
 
 	writefile(out, file, 0)
 }