diff --git a/src/cmd/go/counters_test.go b/src/cmd/go/counters_test.go
index 0413597924..5e2f7cbf0e 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/counters_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/counters_test.go
@@ -29,11 +29,22 @@ func TestCounterNamesUpToDate(t *testing.T) {
 	counters = append(counters, "cmd/go/flag:C", "cmd/go/subcommand:unknown")
 	counters = append(counters, flagscounters("cmd/go/flag:", *flag.CommandLine)...)
 
+	// Add help (without any arguments) as a special case. cmdcounters adds go help <cmd>
+	// for all subcommands, but it's also valid to invoke go help without any arguments.
+	counters = append(counters, "cmd/go/subcommand:help")
 	for _, cmd := range base.Go.Commands {
 		counters = append(counters, cmdcounters(nil, cmd)...)
 	}
-	cstr := []byte(strings.Join(counters, "\n") + "\n")
 
+	counters = append(counters, base.RegisteredCounterNames()...)
+	for _, c := range counters {
+		const counterPrefix = "cmd/go"
+		if !strings.HasPrefix(c, counterPrefix) {
+			t.Fatalf("registered counter %q does not start with %q", c, counterPrefix)
+		}
+	}
+
+	cstr := []byte(strings.Join(counters, "\n") + "\n")
 	const counterNamesFile = "testdata/counters.txt"
 	old, err := os.ReadFile(counterNamesFile)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/base/base.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/base/base.go
index 2171d13909..73082df763 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/base/base.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/base/base.go
@@ -14,11 +14,14 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"reflect"
+	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
 	"cmd/go/internal/cfg"
 	"cmd/go/internal/str"
+
+	"golang.org/x/telemetry/counter"
 )
 
 // A Command is an implementation of a go command
@@ -221,3 +224,24 @@ func RunStdin(cmdline []string) {
 // Usage is the usage-reporting function, filled in by package main
 // but here for reference by other packages.
 var Usage func()
+
+var counterNames = map[string]bool{}
+
+// NewCounter registers a new counter. It must be called from an init function
+// or global variable initializer.
+func NewCounter(name string) *counter.Counter {
+	if counterNames[name] {
+		panic(fmt.Errorf("counter %q initialized twice", name))
+	}
+	counterNames[name] = true
+	return counter.New(name)
+}
+
+func RegisteredCounterNames() []string {
+	var names []string
+	for name := range counterNames {
+		names = append(names, name)
+	}
+	sort.Strings(names)
+	return names
+}
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/help/help.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/help/help.go
index 501f08eb2d..22a39ee40a 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/help/help.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/help/help.go
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ import (
 	"cmd/go/internal/base"
 )
 
+var counterErrorHelpUnknownTopic = base.NewCounter("cmd/go/error:help-unknown-topic")
+
 // Help implements the 'help' command.
 func Help(w io.Writer, args []string) {
 	// 'go help documentation' generates doc.go.
@@ -57,6 +59,7 @@ Args:
 		if i > 0 {
 			helpSuccess += " " + strings.Join(args[:i], " ")
 		}
+		counterErrorHelpUnknownTopic.Inc()
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "go help %s: unknown help topic. Run '%s'.\n", strings.Join(args, " "), helpSuccess)
 		base.SetExitStatus(2) // failed at 'go help cmd'
 		base.Exit()
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/modfetch/cache.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/modfetch/cache.go
index 5a727c6dfa..c9364783af 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/modfetch/cache.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/modfetch/cache.go
@@ -777,6 +777,8 @@ func rewriteVersionList(ctx context.Context, dir string) (err error) {
 var (
 	statCacheOnce sync.Once
 	statCacheErr  error
+
+	counterErrorGOMODCACHEEntryRelative = base.NewCounter("cmd/go/error:gomodcache-entry-relative")
 )
 
 // checkCacheDir checks if the directory specified by GOMODCACHE exists. An
@@ -788,6 +790,7 @@ func checkCacheDir(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("module cache not found: neither GOMODCACHE nor GOPATH is set")
 	}
 	if !filepath.IsAbs(cfg.GOMODCACHE) {
+		counterErrorGOMODCACHEEntryRelative.Inc()
 		return fmt.Errorf("GOMODCACHE entry is relative; must be absolute path: %q.\n", cfg.GOMODCACHE)
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/toolchain/select.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/toolchain/select.go
index dcf3be92cc..661a48317f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/toolchain/select.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/toolchain/select.go
@@ -81,6 +81,8 @@ func FilterEnv(env []string) []string {
 	return out
 }
 
+var counterErrorInvalidToolchainInFile = base.NewCounter("cmd/go/error:invalid-toolchain-in-file")
+
 // Select invokes a different Go toolchain if directed by
 // the GOTOOLCHAIN environment variable or the user's configuration
 // or go.mod file.
@@ -174,6 +176,7 @@ func Select() {
 				// has a suffix like "go1.21.1-foo" and toolchain is "go1.21.1".)
 				toolVers := gover.FromToolchain(toolchain)
 				if toolVers == "" || (!strings.HasPrefix(toolchain, "go") && !strings.Contains(toolchain, "-go")) {
+					counterErrorInvalidToolchainInFile.Inc()
 					base.Fatalf("invalid toolchain %q in %s", toolchain, base.ShortPath(file))
 				}
 				if gover.Compare(toolVers, minVers) > 0 {
@@ -230,9 +233,12 @@ func Select() {
 		base.Fatalf("invalid GOTOOLCHAIN %q", gotoolchain)
 	}
 
+	counterSelectExec.Inc()
 	Exec(gotoolchain)
 }
 
+var counterSelectExec = base.NewCounter("cmd/go/select-exec")
+
 // TestVersionSwitch is set in the test go binary to the value in $TESTGO_VERSION_SWITCH.
 // Valid settings are:
 //
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/toolchain/switch.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/toolchain/switch.go
index 2c6a2b8f43..06819c5467 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/toolchain/switch.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/toolchain/switch.go
@@ -98,10 +98,13 @@ func (s *Switcher) Switch(ctx context.Context) {
 	}
 
 	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "go: %v requires go >= %v; switching to %v\n", s.TooNew.What, s.TooNew.GoVersion, tv)
+	counterSwitchExec.Inc()
 	Exec(tv)
 	panic("unreachable")
 }
 
+var counterSwitchExec = base.NewCounter("cmd/go/switch-exec")
+
 // SwitchOrFatal attempts a toolchain switch based on the information in err
 // and otherwise falls back to base.Fatal(err).
 func SwitchOrFatal(ctx context.Context, err error) {
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/main.go b/src/cmd/go/main.go
index c1433b47ad..dbb581d279 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/main.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/main.go
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ func init() {
 
 var _ = go11tag
 
+var counterErrorGOPATHEntryRelative = base.NewCounter("cmd/go/error:gopath-entry-relative")
+
 func main() {
 	log.SetFlags(0)
 	TelemetryStart() // Open the telemetry counter file so counters can be written to it.
@@ -107,6 +109,7 @@ func main() {
 
 	cfg.CmdName = args[0] // for error messages
 	if args[0] == "help" {
+		counter.Inc("cmd/go/subcommand:" + strings.Join(append([]string{"help"}, args[1:]...), "-"))
 		help.Help(os.Stdout, args[1:])
 		return
 	}
@@ -145,6 +148,7 @@ func main() {
 					// Instead of dying, uninfer it.
 					cfg.BuildContext.GOPATH = ""
 				} else {
+					counterErrorGOPATHEntryRelative.Inc()
 					fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "go: GOPATH entry is relative; must be absolute path: %q.\nFor more details see: 'go help gopath'\n", p)
 					os.Exit(2)
 				}
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/script_test.go b/src/cmd/go/script_test.go
index 6efa9217de..6daa5d9e9a 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/script_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/script_test.go
@@ -410,6 +410,11 @@ func checkCounters(t *testing.T, telemetryDir string) {
 		}
 	})
 	counters := readCounters(t, telemetryDir)
+	if _, ok := scriptGoInvoked.Load(testing.TB(t)); ok {
+		if len(counters) == 0 {
+			t.Fatal("go was invoked but no counters were incremented")
+		}
+	}
 	for name := range counters {
 		if !allowedCounters[name] {
 			t.Fatalf("incremented counter %q is not in testdata/counters.txt. "+
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/scriptcmds_test.go b/src/cmd/go/scriptcmds_test.go
index db5e6cafda..4ddf7ee654 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/scriptcmds_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/scriptcmds_test.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -69,9 +70,23 @@ func scriptCC(cmdExec script.Cmd) script.Cmd {
 		})
 }
 
+var scriptGoInvoked sync.Map // testing.TB → go command was invoked
+
 // scriptGo runs the go command.
 func scriptGo(cancel func(*exec.Cmd) error, waitDelay time.Duration) script.Cmd {
-	return script.Program(testGo, cancel, waitDelay)
+	cmd := script.Program(testGo, cancel, waitDelay)
+	// Inject code to update scriptGoInvoked before invoking the Go command.
+	return script.Command(*cmd.Usage(), func(state *script.State, s ...string) (script.WaitFunc, error) {
+		t, ok := tbFromContext(state.Context())
+		if !ok {
+			return nil, errors.New("script Context unexpectedly missing testing.TB key")
+		}
+		_, dup := scriptGoInvoked.LoadOrStore(t, true)
+		if !dup {
+			t.Cleanup(func() { scriptGoInvoked.Delete(t) })
+		}
+		return cmd.Run(state, s...)
+	})
 }
 
 // scriptStale checks that the named build targets are stale.
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/testdata/counters.txt b/src/cmd/go/testdata/counters.txt
index 5e1a565cfd..9fd1323293 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/testdata/counters.txt
+++ b/src/cmd/go/testdata/counters.txt
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ cmd/go/flag:test.v
 cmd/go/flag:testsum
 cmd/go/flag:testwork
 cmd/go/flag:update
+cmd/go/subcommand:help
 cmd/go/subcommand:bug
 cmd/go/flag:bug-C
 cmd/go/flag:bug-v
@@ -659,3 +660,9 @@ cmd/go/subcommand:help-private
 cmd/go/subcommand:help-testflag
 cmd/go/subcommand:help-testfunc
 cmd/go/subcommand:help-vcs
+cmd/go/error:gomodcache-entry-relative
+cmd/go/error:gopath-entry-relative
+cmd/go/error:help-unknown-topic
+cmd/go/error:invalid-toolchain-in-file
+cmd/go/select-exec
+cmd/go/switch-exec