diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/clean/clean.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/clean/clean.go
index d023592eed..b12bd981a7 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/clean/clean.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/clean/clean.go
@@ -112,9 +112,10 @@ func runClean(cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	var b work.Builder
+	b.Print = fmt.Print
+
 	if cleanCache {
-		var b work.Builder
-		b.Print = fmt.Print
 		dir := cache.DefaultDir()
 		if dir != "off" {
 			// Remove the cache subdirectories but not the top cache directory.
@@ -156,8 +157,13 @@ func runClean(cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 		if modfetch.PkgMod == "" {
 			base.Fatalf("go clean -modcache: no module cache")
 		}
-		if err := removeAll(modfetch.PkgMod); err != nil {
-			base.Errorf("go clean -modcache: %v", err)
+		if cfg.BuildN || cfg.BuildX {
+			b.Showcmd("", "rm -rf %s", modfetch.PkgMod)
+		}
+		if !cfg.BuildN {
+			if err := removeAll(modfetch.PkgMod); err != nil {
+				base.Errorf("go clean -modcache: %v", err)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_clean_cache.txt b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_clean_cache.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..66a0e9ea7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/mod_clean_cache.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+env GO111MODULE=on
+
+go mod download rsc.io/quote@v1.5.0
+exists $GOPATH/pkg/mod/cache/download/rsc.io/quote/@v/v1.5.0.info
+exists $GOPATH/pkg/mod/cache/download/rsc.io/quote/@v/v1.5.0.mod
+exists $GOPATH/pkg/mod/cache/download/rsc.io/quote/@v/v1.5.0.zip
+
+go clean -modcache -n
+stdout '^rm -rf .*pkg.mod$'
+exists $GOPATH/pkg/mod/cache/download/rsc.io/quote/@v/v1.5.0.info
+exists $GOPATH/pkg/mod/cache/download/rsc.io/quote/@v/v1.5.0.mod
+exists $GOPATH/pkg/mod/cache/download/rsc.io/quote/@v/v1.5.0.zip
+
+go clean -modcache
+! exists $GOPATH/pkg/mod/cache/download/rsc.io/quote/@v/v1.5.0.info
+! exists $GOPATH/pkg/mod/cache/download/rsc.io/quote/@v/v1.5.0.mod
+! exists $GOPATH/pkg/mod/cache/download/rsc.io/quote/@v/v1.5.0.zip
+
+-- go.mod --
+module m
+
+-- m.go --
+package m
\ No newline at end of file