diff --git a/go/gcexportdata/gcexportdata.go b/go/gcexportdata/gcexportdata.go
index fc8beea5d8..cec819d641 100644
--- a/go/gcexportdata/gcexportdata.go
+++ b/go/gcexportdata/gcexportdata.go
@@ -50,11 +50,24 @@ func Find(importPath, srcDir string) (filename, path string) {
 // additional trailing data beyond the end of the export data.
 func NewReader(r io.Reader) (io.Reader, error) {
 	buf := bufio.NewReader(r)
-	_, err := gcimporter.FindExportData(buf)
-	// If we ever switch to a zip-like archive format with the ToC
-	// at the end, we can return the correct portion of export data,
-	// but for now we must return the entire rest of the file.
-	return buf, err
+	_, size, err := gcimporter.FindExportData(buf)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	if size >= 0 {
+		// We were given an archive and found the __.PKGDEF in it.
+		// This tells us the size of the export data, and we don't
+		// need to return the entire file.
+		return &io.LimitedReader{
+			R: buf,
+			N: size,
+		}, nil
+	} else {
+		// We were given an object file. As such, we don't know how large
+		// the export data is and must return the entire file.
+		return buf, nil
+	}
 }
 
 // Read reads export data from in, decodes it, and returns type
diff --git a/go/internal/gcimporter/exportdata.go b/go/internal/gcimporter/exportdata.go
index f33dc5613e..f6437feb1c 100644
--- a/go/internal/gcimporter/exportdata.go
+++ b/go/internal/gcimporter/exportdata.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 )
 
-func readGopackHeader(r *bufio.Reader) (name string, size int, err error) {
+func readGopackHeader(r *bufio.Reader) (name string, size int64, err error) {
 	// See $GOROOT/include/ar.h.
 	hdr := make([]byte, 16+12+6+6+8+10+2)
 	_, err = io.ReadFull(r, hdr)
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ func readGopackHeader(r *bufio.Reader) (name string, size int, err error) {
 		fmt.Printf("header: %s", hdr)
 	}
 	s := strings.TrimSpace(string(hdr[16+12+6+6+8:][:10]))
-	size, err = strconv.Atoi(s)
+	length, err := strconv.Atoi(s)
+	size = int64(length)
 	if err != nil || hdr[len(hdr)-2] != '`' || hdr[len(hdr)-1] != '\n' {
 		err = fmt.Errorf("invalid archive header")
 		return
@@ -42,8 +43,8 @@ func readGopackHeader(r *bufio.Reader) (name string, size int, err error) {
 // file by reading from it. The reader must be positioned at the
 // start of the file before calling this function. The hdr result
 // is the string before the export data, either "$$" or "$$B".
-//
-func FindExportData(r *bufio.Reader) (hdr string, err error) {
+// The size result is the length of the export data in bytes, or -1 if not known.
+func FindExportData(r *bufio.Reader) (hdr string, size int64, err error) {
 	// Read first line to make sure this is an object file.
 	line, err := r.ReadSlice('\n')
 	if err != nil {
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ func FindExportData(r *bufio.Reader) (hdr string, err error) {
 	if string(line) == "!<arch>\n" {
 		// Archive file. Scan to __.PKGDEF.
 		var name string
-		if name, _, err = readGopackHeader(r); err != nil {
+		if name, size, err = readGopackHeader(r); err != nil {
 			return
 		}
 
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ func FindExportData(r *bufio.Reader) (hdr string, err error) {
 			err = fmt.Errorf("can't find export data (%v)", err)
 			return
 		}
+		size -= int64(len(line))
 	}
 
 	// Now at __.PKGDEF in archive or still at beginning of file.
@@ -86,8 +88,12 @@ func FindExportData(r *bufio.Reader) (hdr string, err error) {
 			err = fmt.Errorf("can't find export data (%v)", err)
 			return
 		}
+		size -= int64(len(line))
 	}
 	hdr = string(line)
+	if size < 0 {
+		size = -1
+	}
 
 	return
 }
diff --git a/go/internal/gcimporter/gcimporter.go b/go/internal/gcimporter/gcimporter.go
index 519ef3b769..3ab66830d7 100644
--- a/go/internal/gcimporter/gcimporter.go
+++ b/go/internal/gcimporter/gcimporter.go
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ func Import(packages map[string]*types.Package, path, srcDir string, lookup func
 
 	var hdr string
 	buf := bufio.NewReader(rc)
-	if hdr, err = FindExportData(buf); err != nil {
+	if hdr, _, err = FindExportData(buf); err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
diff --git a/go/internal/gcimporter/iexport_test.go b/go/internal/gcimporter/iexport_test.go
index 084679bbd4..b326f307d6 100644
--- a/go/internal/gcimporter/iexport_test.go
+++ b/go/internal/gcimporter/iexport_test.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func readExportFile(filename string) ([]byte, error) {
 	defer f.Close()
 
 	buf := bufio.NewReader(f)
-	if _, err := gcimporter.FindExportData(buf); err != nil {
+	if _, _, err := gcimporter.FindExportData(buf); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}