diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/modcmd/verify.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/modcmd/verify.go
index a5f7f24563..20fa966792 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/modcmd/verify.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/modcmd/verify.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func runVerify(ctx context.Context, cmd *base.Command, args []string) {
 
 	// Use a slice of result channels, so that the output is deterministic.
 	const defaultGoVersion = ""
-	mods := modload.LoadModGraph(ctx, defaultGoVersion).BuildList()[1:]
+	mods := modload.LoadModGraph(ctx, defaultGoVersion).BuildList()[modload.MainModules.Len():]
 	errsChans := make([]<-chan []error, len(mods))
 
 	for i, mod := range mods {
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/buildlist.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/buildlist.go
index 005f306ff4..046743b59e 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/buildlist.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/buildlist.go
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ func (mg *ModuleGraph) WalkBreadthFirst(f func(m module.Version)) {
 }
 
 // BuildList returns the selected versions of all modules present in the graph,
-// beginning with Target.
+// beginning with the main modules.
 //
 // The order of the remaining elements in the list is deterministic
 // but arbitrary.
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/work_issue54372.txt b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/work_issue54372.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bd3108abab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cmd/go/testdata/script/work_issue54372.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# go mod verify should not try to verify the workspace modules.
+# This is a test for #54372.
+
+go mod verify
+stdout 'all modules verified'
+! stderr .
+
+-- go.work --
+go 1.21
+
+use (
+    ./a
+    ./b
+    ./c
+    ./d
+)
+-- a/go.mod --
+module example.com/a
+
+go 1.21
+
+require rsc.io/quote v1.1.0
+-- a/a.go --
+package a
+import _ "rsc.io/quote"
+-- b/go.mod --
+module example.com/b
+
+go 1.21
+-- c/go.mod --
+module example.com/c
+
+go 1.21
+-- d/go.mod --
+module example.com/d
+
+go 1.21
\ No newline at end of file