diff --git a/src/cmd/go/go_test.go b/src/cmd/go/go_test.go
index e76abb7612..06948525ad 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/go_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/go_test.go
@@ -895,9 +895,11 @@ func TestNewReleaseRebuildsStalePackagesInGOPATH(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	tg.tempFile("d1/src/p1/p1.go", `package p1`)
+	// Every main package depends on the "runtime".
+	tg.tempFile("d1/src/p1/p1.go", `package main; func main(){}`)
 	tg.setenv("GOPATH", tg.path("d1"))
-	tg.run("install", "-a", "p1")
+	// Pass -i flag to rebuild everything outdated.
+	tg.run("install", "-i", "p1")
 	tg.wantNotStale("p1", "", "./testgo list claims p1 is stale, incorrectly, before any changes")
 
 	// Changing mtime of runtime/internal/sys/sys.go
@@ -919,13 +921,13 @@ func TestNewReleaseRebuildsStalePackagesInGOPATH(t *testing.T) {
 	tg.wantNotStale("p1", "", "./testgo list claims p1 is stale, incorrectly, after changing back to old release")
 	addNL(sys)
 	tg.wantStale("p1", "stale dependency: runtime/internal/sys", "./testgo list claims p1 is NOT stale, incorrectly, after changing sys.go again")
-	tg.run("install", "p1")
+	tg.run("install", "-i", "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/sys", "./testgo list claims p1 is NOT stale, incorrectly, after restoring sys.go")
-	tg.run("install", "p1")
+	tg.run("install", "-i", "p1")
 	tg.wantNotStale("p1", "", "./testgo list claims p1 is stale after building with old release")
 
 	// Everything is out of date. Rebuild to leave things in a better state.