diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/load/pkg.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/load/pkg.go
index 360d265de6..41afa42f0f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/load/pkg.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/load/pkg.go
@@ -2203,6 +2203,10 @@ func (p *Package) collectDeps() {
 	}
 }
 
+// vcsStatusCache maps repository directories (string)
+// to their VCS information (vcsStatusError).
+var vcsStatusCache par.Cache
+
 // setBuildInfo gathers build information, formats it as a string to be
 // embedded in the binary, then sets p.Internal.BuildInfo to that string.
 // setBuildInfo should only be called on a main package with no errors.
@@ -2365,11 +2369,20 @@ func (p *Package) setBuildInfo() {
 			return
 		}
 
-		st, err := vcsCmd.Status(vcsCmd, repoDir)
-		if err != nil {
+		type vcsStatusError struct {
+			Status vcs.Status
+			Err    error
+		}
+		cached := vcsStatusCache.Do(repoDir, func() interface{} {
+			st, err := vcsCmd.Status(vcsCmd, repoDir)
+			return vcsStatusError{st, err}
+		}).(vcsStatusError)
+		if err := cached.Err; err != nil {
 			setVCSError(err)
 			return
 		}
+		st := cached.Status
+
 		if st.Revision != "" {
 			appendSetting(vcsCmd.Cmd+"revision", st.Revision)
 		}
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/version_buildvcs_git.txt b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/version_buildvcs_git.txt
index 3d56c6d8b4..72cbe28285 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/version_buildvcs_git.txt
+++ b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/version_buildvcs_git.txt
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ rm $GOBIN/a$GOEXE
 
 # If there is a repository, but it can't be used for some reason,
 # there should be an error. It should hint about -buildvcs=false.
+# Also ensure that multiple errors are collected by "go list -e".
 cd ..
 mkdir .git
 env PATH=$WORK${/}fakebin${:}$oldpath
@@ -24,6 +25,10 @@ chmod 0755 $WORK/fakebin/git
 cd a
 ! go install
 stderr '^error obtaining VCS status: exit status 1\n\tUse -buildvcs=false to disable VCS stamping.$'
+go list -e -f '{{.ImportPath}}: {{.Error}}' ./...
+stdout -count=1 '^example\.com/a: error obtaining VCS status'
+stdout -count=1 '^example\.com/a/library: <nil>'
+stdout -count=1 '^example\.com/a/othermain: error obtaining VCS status'
 cd ..
 env PATH=$oldpath
 rm .git
@@ -99,6 +104,14 @@ go version -m $GOBIN/d$GOEXE
 exec git checkout go.mod
 rm $GOBIN/d$GOEXE
 
+# If we're loading multiple main packages,
+# but they share the same VCS repository,
+# we only need to execute VCS status commands once.
+go list -x ./...
+stdout -count=3 '^example.com'
+stderr -count=1 '^git status'
+stderr -count=1 '^git show'
+
 -- $WORK/fakebin/git --
 #!/bin/sh
 exit 1
@@ -114,6 +127,12 @@ go 1.18
 -- repo/a/a.go --
 package main
 
+func main() {}
+-- repo/a/library/f.go --
+package library
+-- repo/a/othermain/f.go --
+package main
+
 func main() {}
 -- repo/b/go.mod --
 module example.com/b