diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/irgen.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/irgen.go
index dc69e94924..bf471e08fa 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/irgen.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/irgen.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package noder
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
 	"sort"
 
 	"cmd/compile/internal/base"
@@ -18,6 +19,8 @@ import (
 	"cmd/internal/src"
 )
 
+var versionErrorRx = regexp.MustCompile(`requires go[0-9]+\.[0-9]+ or later`)
+
 // checkFiles configures and runs the types2 checker on the given
 // parsed source files and then returns the result.
 func checkFiles(noders []*noder) (posMap, *types2.Package, *types2.Info) {
@@ -46,7 +49,12 @@ func checkFiles(noders []*noder) (posMap, *types2.Package, *types2.Info) {
 		CompilerErrorMessages: true, // use error strings matching existing compiler errors
 		Error: func(err error) {
 			terr := err.(types2.Error)
-			base.ErrorfAt(m.makeXPos(terr.Pos), "%s", terr.Msg)
+			msg := terr.Msg
+			// if we have a version error, hint at the -lang setting
+			if versionErrorRx.MatchString(msg) {
+				msg = fmt.Sprintf("%s (-lang was set to %s; check go.mod)", msg, base.Flag.Lang)
+			}
+			base.ErrorfAt(m.makeXPos(terr.Pos), "%s", msg)
 		},
 		Importer: &importer,
 		Sizes:    &gcSizes{},
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/conversions.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/conversions.go
index d15645499b..da3a31736a 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/conversions.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/conversions.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 package types2
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"go/constant"
 	"unicode"
 )
@@ -201,9 +200,6 @@ func (x *operand) convertibleTo(check *Checker, T Type, cause *string) bool {
 				if cause != nil {
 					// TODO(gri) consider restructuring versionErrorf so we can use it here and below
 					*cause = "conversion of slices to arrays requires go1.20 or later"
-					if check.conf.CompilerErrorMessages {
-						*cause += fmt.Sprintf(" (-lang was set to %s; check go.mod)", check.conf.GoVersion)
-					}
 				}
 				return false
 			}
@@ -216,9 +212,6 @@ func (x *operand) convertibleTo(check *Checker, T Type, cause *string) bool {
 					// check != nil
 					if cause != nil {
 						*cause = "conversion of slices to array pointers requires go1.17 or later"
-						if check.conf.CompilerErrorMessages {
-							*cause += fmt.Sprintf(" (-lang was set to %s; check go.mod)", check.conf.GoVersion)
-						}
 					}
 					return false
 				}
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/errors.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/errors.go
index 7df6656543..09d44f6899 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/errors.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/types2/errors.go
@@ -286,11 +286,7 @@ func (check *Checker) softErrorf(at poser, code errorCode, format string, args .
 
 func (check *Checker) versionErrorf(at poser, goVersion string, format string, args ...interface{}) {
 	msg := check.sprintf(format, args...)
-	if check.conf.CompilerErrorMessages {
-		msg = fmt.Sprintf("%s requires %s or later (-lang was set to %s; check go.mod)", msg, goVersion, check.conf.GoVersion)
-	} else {
-		msg = fmt.Sprintf("%s requires %s or later", msg, goVersion)
-	}
+	msg = fmt.Sprintf("%s requires %s or later", msg, goVersion)
 	check.err(at, _UnsupportedFeature, msg, true)
 }
 
diff --git a/src/go/types/conversions.go b/src/go/types/conversions.go
index 926a79cf5e..edb983ddb9 100644
--- a/src/go/types/conversions.go
+++ b/src/go/types/conversions.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 package types
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"go/constant"
 	"go/token"
 	"unicode"
@@ -201,9 +200,6 @@ func (x *operand) convertibleTo(check *Checker, T Type, cause *string) bool {
 				if cause != nil {
 					// TODO(gri) consider restructuring versionErrorf so we can use it here and below
 					*cause = "conversion of slices to arrays requires go1.20 or later"
-					if compilerErrorMessages {
-						*cause += fmt.Sprintf(" (-lang was set to %s; check go.mod)", check.conf.GoVersion)
-					}
 				}
 				return false
 			}
@@ -216,9 +212,6 @@ func (x *operand) convertibleTo(check *Checker, T Type, cause *string) bool {
 					// check != nil
 					if cause != nil {
 						*cause = "conversion of slices to array pointers requires go1.17 or later"
-						if compilerErrorMessages {
-							*cause += fmt.Sprintf(" (-lang was set to %s; check go.mod)", check.conf.GoVersion)
-						}
 					}
 					return false
 				}
diff --git a/src/go/types/errors.go b/src/go/types/errors.go
index 9869ec7d4a..c6a6971495 100644
--- a/src/go/types/errors.go
+++ b/src/go/types/errors.go
@@ -295,11 +295,7 @@ func (check *Checker) softErrorf(at positioner, code errorCode, format string, a
 func (check *Checker) versionErrorf(at positioner, code errorCode, goVersion string, format string, args ...interface{}) {
 	msg := check.sprintf(format, args...)
 	var err *error_
-	if compilerErrorMessages {
-		err = newErrorf(at, code, "%s requires %s or later (-lang was set to %s; check go.mod)", msg, goVersion, check.conf.GoVersion)
-	} else {
-		err = newErrorf(at, code, "%s requires %s or later", msg, goVersion)
-	}
+	err = newErrorf(at, code, "%s requires %s or later", msg, goVersion)
 	check.report(err)
 }