diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/envcmd/env.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/envcmd/env.go
index 012ea4abaf..bbd3318d26 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/envcmd/env.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/envcmd/env.go
@@ -174,8 +174,8 @@ func ExtraEnvVars() []cfg.EnvVar {
 // ExtraEnvVarsCostly returns environment variables that should not leak into child processes
 // but are costly to evaluate.
 func ExtraEnvVarsCostly() []cfg.EnvVar {
-	var b work.Builder
-	b.Init()
+	b := work.NewBuilder("")
+
 	cppflags, cflags, cxxflags, fflags, ldflags, err := b.CFlags(&load.Package{})
 	if err != nil {
 		// Should not happen - b.CFlags was given an empty package.
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/list/list.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/list/list.go
index 2e3614d317..0b928d27e6 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/list/list.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/list/list.go
@@ -689,8 +689,7 @@ func runList(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 	// Do we need to run a build to gather information?
 	needStale := (listJson && listJsonFields.needAny("Stale", "StaleReason")) || strings.Contains(*listFmt, ".Stale")
 	if needStale || *listExport || *listCompiled {
-		var b work.Builder
-		b.Init()
+		b := work.NewBuilder("")
 		b.IsCmdList = true
 		b.NeedExport = *listExport
 		b.NeedCompiledGoFiles = *listCompiled
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/run/run.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/run/run.go
index ebe1611819..6b253a2c9e 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/run/run.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/run/run.go
@@ -91,8 +91,7 @@ func runRun(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 	}
 
 	work.BuildInit()
-	var b work.Builder
-	b.Init()
+	b := work.NewBuilder("")
 	b.Print = printStderr
 
 	i := 0
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/test/test.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/test/test.go
index aa5e41e004..028db84cc4 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/test/test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/test/test.go
@@ -744,8 +744,7 @@ func runTest(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	var b work.Builder
-	b.Init()
+	b := work.NewBuilder("")
 
 	if cfg.BuildI {
 		fmt.Fprint(os.Stderr, "go: -i flag is deprecated\n")
@@ -800,7 +799,16 @@ func runTest(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 		if !testC || a.Failed {
 			return
 		}
-		b.Init()
+
+		// TODO(bcmills): I have no idea why the Builder must be reset here, but
+		// without this reset dance, TestGoTestDashIDashOWritesBinary fails with
+		// lots of "vet config not found" errors. This was added in CL 5699088,
+		// which had almost no public discussion, a very short commit description,
+		// and left no comment in the code to explain what is going on here. 🤯
+		//
+		// Maybe this has the effect of removing actions that were registered by the
+		// call to CompileAction above?
+		b = work.NewBuilder("")
 	}
 
 	var builds, runs, prints []*work.Action
@@ -916,7 +924,7 @@ func runTest(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 			ensureImport(p, "sync/atomic")
 		}
 
-		buildTest, runTest, printTest, err := builderTest(&b, ctx, pkgOpts, p, allImports[p])
+		buildTest, runTest, printTest, err := builderTest(b, ctx, pkgOpts, p, allImports[p])
 		if err != nil {
 			str := err.Error()
 			str = strings.TrimPrefix(str, "\n")
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/vet/vet.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/vet/vet.go
index a0b11fdd3d..085c7d23b2 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/vet/vet.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/vet/vet.go
@@ -94,8 +94,7 @@ func runVet(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 		base.Fatalf("no packages to vet")
 	}
 
-	var b work.Builder
-	b.Init()
+	b := work.NewBuilder("")
 
 	root := &work.Action{Mode: "go vet"}
 	for _, p := range pkgs {
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/action.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/action.go
index c0862c5efe..4bbd23ab8e 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/action.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/action.go
@@ -240,7 +240,13 @@ const (
 	ModeVetOnly = 1 << 8
 )
 
-func (b *Builder) Init() {
+// NewBuilder returns a new Builder ready for use.
+//
+// If workDir is the empty string, NewBuilder creates a WorkDir if needed
+// and arranges for it to be removed in case of an unclean exit.
+func NewBuilder(workDir string) *Builder {
+	b := new(Builder)
+
 	b.Print = func(a ...any) (int, error) {
 		return fmt.Fprint(os.Stderr, a...)
 	}
@@ -249,7 +255,9 @@ func (b *Builder) Init() {
 	b.toolIDCache = make(map[string]string)
 	b.buildIDCache = make(map[string]string)
 
-	if cfg.BuildN {
+	if workDir != "" {
+		b.WorkDir = workDir
+	} else if cfg.BuildN {
 		b.WorkDir = "$WORK"
 	} else {
 		tmp, err := os.MkdirTemp(cfg.Getenv("GOTMPDIR"), "go-build")
@@ -306,6 +314,8 @@ func (b *Builder) Init() {
 			base.Exit()
 		}
 	}
+
+	return b
 }
 
 func CheckGOOSARCHPair(goos, goarch string) error {
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/build.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/build.go
index 352e46b48f..e34cacca03 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/work/build.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/work/build.go
@@ -403,8 +403,7 @@ var RuntimeVersion = runtime.Version()
 func runBuild(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 	modload.InitWorkfile()
 	BuildInit()
-	var b Builder
-	b.Init()
+	b := NewBuilder("")
 
 	pkgs := load.PackagesAndErrors(ctx, load.PackageOpts{AutoVCS: true}, args)
 	load.CheckPackageErrors(pkgs)
@@ -728,8 +727,8 @@ func InstallPackages(ctx context.Context, patterns []string, pkgs []*load.Packag
 	}
 	base.ExitIfErrors()
 
-	var b Builder
-	b.Init()
+	b := NewBuilder("")
+
 	depMode := ModeBuild
 	if cfg.BuildI {
 		depMode = ModeInstall
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/script_test.go b/src/cmd/go/script_test.go
index d497724331..ca76ab5ab8 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/script_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/script_test.go
@@ -576,10 +576,8 @@ func (ts *testScript) cmdCc(want simpleStatus, args []string) {
 		ts.fatalf("usage: cc args... [&]")
 	}
 
-	var b work.Builder
-	b.Init()
+	b := work.NewBuilder(ts.workdir)
 	ts.cmdExec(want, append(b.GccCmd(".", ""), args...))
-	robustio.RemoveAll(b.WorkDir)
 }
 
 // cd changes to a different directory.