diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/fix/fix.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/fix/fix.go
index 825624fcbb..c7588c66d3 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/fix/fix.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/fix/fix.go
@@ -33,8 +33,20 @@ See also: go fmt, go vet.
 }
 
 func runFix(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
+	pkgs := load.PackagesAndErrors(ctx, args)
+	w := 0
+	for _, pkg := range pkgs {
+		if pkg.Error != nil {
+			base.Errorf("%v", pkg.Error)
+			continue
+		}
+		pkgs[w] = pkg
+		w++
+	}
+	pkgs = pkgs[:w]
+
 	printed := false
-	for _, pkg := range load.Packages(ctx, args) {
+	for _, pkg := range pkgs {
 		if modload.Enabled() && pkg.Module != nil && !pkg.Module.Main {
 			if !printed {
 				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "go: not fixing packages in dependency modules\n")
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/get/get.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/get/get.go
index 268962eca8..94a42c4f73 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/get/get.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/get/get.go
@@ -180,13 +180,14 @@ func runGet(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 	// everything.
 	load.ClearPackageCache()
 
-	pkgs := load.PackagesForBuild(ctx, args)
+	pkgs := load.PackagesAndErrors(ctx, args)
+	load.CheckPackageErrors(pkgs)
 
 	// Phase 3. Install.
 	if *getD {
 		// Download only.
-		// Check delayed until now so that importPaths
-		// and packagesForBuild have a chance to print errors.
+		// Check delayed until now so that downloadPaths
+		// and CheckPackageErrors have a chance to print errors.
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/list/list.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/list/list.go
index 9af9dbb856..ce6f579c05 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/list/list.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/list/list.go
@@ -471,11 +471,18 @@ func runList(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 	}
 
 	load.IgnoreImports = *listFind
-	var pkgs []*load.Package
-	if *listE {
-		pkgs = load.PackagesAndErrors(ctx, args)
-	} else {
-		pkgs = load.Packages(ctx, args)
+	pkgs := load.PackagesAndErrors(ctx, args)
+	if !*listE {
+		w := 0
+		for _, pkg := range pkgs {
+			if pkg.Error != nil {
+				base.Errorf("%v", pkg.Error)
+				continue
+			}
+			pkgs[w] = pkg
+			w++
+		}
+		pkgs = pkgs[:w]
 		base.ExitIfErrors()
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/load/pkg.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/load/pkg.go
index 6f95af4f7e..855f9698a2 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/load/pkg.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/load/pkg.go
@@ -2314,30 +2314,14 @@ func LoadImportWithFlags(path, srcDir string, parent *Package, stk *ImportStack,
 // argument where needed.
 var ModResolveTests bool
 
-// Packages returns the packages named by the
-// command line arguments 'args'. If a named package
-// cannot be loaded at all (for example, if the directory does not exist),
-// then packages prints an error and does not include that
-// package in the results. However, if errors occur trying
-// to load dependencies of a named package, the named
-// package is still returned, with p.Incomplete = true
-// and details in p.DepsErrors.
-func Packages(ctx context.Context, args []string) []*Package {
-	var pkgs []*Package
-	for _, pkg := range PackagesAndErrors(ctx, args) {
-		if pkg.Error != nil {
-			base.Errorf("%v", pkg.Error)
-			continue
-		}
-		pkgs = append(pkgs, pkg)
-	}
-	return pkgs
-}
-
-// PackagesAndErrors is like 'packages' but returns a
-// *Package for every argument, even the ones that
-// cannot be loaded at all.
-// The packages that fail to load will have p.Error != nil.
+// PackagesAndErrors returns the packages named by the command line arguments
+// 'patterns'. If a named package cannot be loaded, PackagesAndErrors returns
+// a *Package with the Error field describing the failure. If errors are found
+// loading imported packages, the DepsErrors field is set. The Incomplete field
+// may be set as well.
+//
+// To obtain a flat list of packages, use PackageList.
+// To report errors loading packages, use ReportPackageErrors.
 func PackagesAndErrors(ctx context.Context, patterns []string) []*Package {
 	ctx, span := trace.StartSpan(ctx, "load.PackagesAndErrors")
 	defer span.Done()
@@ -2427,20 +2411,9 @@ func PackagesAndErrors(ctx context.Context, patterns []string) []*Package {
 	return pkgs
 }
 
-func setToolFlags(pkgs ...*Package) {
-	for _, p := range PackageList(pkgs) {
-		p.Internal.Asmflags = BuildAsmflags.For(p)
-		p.Internal.Gcflags = BuildGcflags.For(p)
-		p.Internal.Ldflags = BuildLdflags.For(p)
-		p.Internal.Gccgoflags = BuildGccgoflags.For(p)
-	}
-}
-
-// PackagesForBuild is like Packages but exits
-// if any of the packages or their dependencies have errors
-// (cannot be built).
-func PackagesForBuild(ctx context.Context, args []string) []*Package {
-	pkgs := PackagesAndErrors(ctx, args)
+// CheckPackageErrors prints errors encountered loading pkgs and their
+// dependencies, then exits with a non-zero status if any errors were found.
+func CheckPackageErrors(pkgs []*Package) {
 	printed := map[*PackageError]bool{}
 	for _, pkg := range pkgs {
 		if pkg.Error != nil {
@@ -2475,8 +2448,15 @@ func PackagesForBuild(ctx context.Context, args []string) []*Package {
 		seen[pkg.ImportPath] = true
 	}
 	base.ExitIfErrors()
+}
 
-	return pkgs
+func setToolFlags(pkgs ...*Package) {
+	for _, p := range PackageList(pkgs) {
+		p.Internal.Asmflags = BuildAsmflags.For(p)
+		p.Internal.Gcflags = BuildGcflags.For(p)
+		p.Internal.Ldflags = BuildLdflags.For(p)
+		p.Internal.Gccgoflags = BuildGccgoflags.For(p)
+	}
 }
 
 // GoFilesPackage creates a package for building a collection of Go files
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/modget/get.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/modget/get.go
index e5f55879ee..8463ec4e9c 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/modget/get.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/modget/get.go
@@ -434,11 +434,13 @@ func runGet(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 	// directory.
 	if !*getD && len(pkgPatterns) > 0 {
 		work.BuildInit()
-		pkgs := load.PackagesForBuild(ctx, pkgPatterns)
+		pkgs := load.PackagesAndErrors(ctx, pkgPatterns)
+		load.CheckPackageErrors(pkgs)
 		work.InstallPackages(ctx, pkgPatterns, pkgs)
 		// TODO(#40276): After Go 1.16, print a deprecation notice when building
 		// and installing main packages. 'go install pkg' or
 		// 'go install pkg@version' should be used instead.
+		// Give the specific argument to use if possible.
 	}
 
 	if !modload.HasModRoot() {
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/test/test.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/test/test.go
index e8a7aacb85..50fe2dbf39 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/test/test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/test/test.go
@@ -595,7 +595,8 @@ func runTest(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 	work.VetFlags = testVet.flags
 	work.VetExplicit = testVet.explicit
 
-	pkgs = load.PackagesForBuild(ctx, pkgArgs)
+	pkgs = load.PackagesAndErrors(ctx, pkgArgs)
+	load.CheckPackageErrors(pkgs)
 	if len(pkgs) == 0 {
 		base.Fatalf("no packages to test")
 	}
@@ -678,7 +679,9 @@ func runTest(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 		sort.Strings(all)
 
 		a := &work.Action{Mode: "go test -i"}
-		for _, p := range load.PackagesForBuild(ctx, all) {
+		pkgs := load.PackagesAndErrors(ctx, all)
+		load.CheckPackageErrors(pkgs)
+		for _, p := range pkgs {
 			if cfg.BuildToolchainName == "gccgo" && p.Standard {
 				// gccgo's standard library packages
 				// can not be reinstalled.
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/vet/vet.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/vet/vet.go
index b1bf806e46..4257c90c97 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/vet/vet.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/vet/vet.go
@@ -87,7 +87,8 @@ func runVet(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	pkgs := load.PackagesForBuild(ctx, pkgArgs)
+	pkgs := load.PackagesAndErrors(ctx, pkgArgs)
+	load.CheckPackageErrors(pkgs)
 	if len(pkgs) == 0 {
 		base.Fatalf("no packages to vet")
 	}
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/build.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/build.go
index be5532d7aa..1f99ed6e07 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/build.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/build.go
@@ -369,7 +369,8 @@ func runBuild(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 	var b Builder
 	b.Init()
 
-	pkgs := load.PackagesForBuild(ctx, args)
+	pkgs := load.PackagesAndErrors(ctx, args)
+	load.CheckPackageErrors(pkgs)
 
 	explicitO := len(cfg.BuildO) > 0
 
@@ -399,7 +400,7 @@ func runBuild(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 		fmt.Fprint(os.Stderr, "go build: -i flag is deprecated\n")
 	}
 
-	pkgs = omitTestOnly(pkgsFilter(load.Packages(ctx, args)))
+	pkgs = omitTestOnly(pkgsFilter(pkgs))
 
 	// Special case -o /dev/null by not writing at all.
 	if cfg.BuildO == os.DevNull {
@@ -583,7 +584,8 @@ func runInstall(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 		}
 	}
 	BuildInit()
-	pkgs := load.PackagesForBuild(ctx, args)
+	pkgs := load.PackagesAndErrors(ctx, args)
+	load.CheckPackageErrors(pkgs)
 	if cfg.BuildI {
 		allGoroot := true
 		for _, pkg := range pkgs {
@@ -824,7 +826,8 @@ func installOutsideModule(ctx context.Context, args []string) {
 
 	// TODO(golang.org/issue/40276): don't report errors loading non-main packages
 	// matched by a pattern.
-	pkgs := load.PackagesForBuild(ctx, patterns)
+	pkgs := load.PackagesAndErrors(ctx, patterns)
+	load.CheckPackageErrors(pkgs)
 	mainPkgs := make([]*load.Package, 0, len(pkgs))
 	mainCount := make([]int, len(patterns))
 	nonMainCount := make([]int, len(patterns))