golang/go · error

can't query specific version

Error message

can't query specific version (%q) of standard-library module %q

What it means

Returned by queryProxy when the queried path is the standard-library module 'std' or 'cmd' and a specific version query is requested. The standard library is part of the toolchain and has no independent downloadable versions, so version queries against it are meaningless and rejected.

Solutions

1. Remove the version query for std/cmd — these are provided by the Go toolchain itself, not fetched.
2. If upgrading the standard library is the goal, upgrade the Go toolchain (e.g. via the 'toolchain' directive or installing a newer Go).
3. Filter std/cmd out of any batch 'go get' loop over required modules.

Example fix

// before
$ go get std@latest
// error: can't query specific version ("latest") of standard-library module "std"

// after
$ go version   // std comes from this; upgrade Go to change it
$ go get example.com/realdep@latest

// Skip version queries for standard-library modules:
//   if path == "std" || path == "cmd" { /* do not call queryProxy with a version */ }

func isQueryableModule(path string) bool {
    return path != "std" && path != "cmd"
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running 'go get std@v1.2.3', 'go list -m -versions std', 'go get cmd@latest', or any version-specific query targeting the std or cmd module path.

Common situations: Scripts or Makefiles that indiscriminately 'go get' every module in go.mod including std/cmd; copy-pasting a 'go get <path>@latest' loop that hits the standard library; tooling that resolves dependencies generically.

Related errors

• invalid previous version
• invalid semantic version
• ambiguous semantic version
• can't request explicit version
• can't request explicit version

AI-assisted analysis of golang/go@b6b368adc5 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/1d14fbea368e35b6. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/cmd/go/internal/modload/query.go:223

		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid previous version %v@%v", path, current)
	}
	if cfg.BuildMod == "vendor" {
		return nil, errQueryDisabled
	}
	if allowed == nil {
		allowed = func(context.Context, module.Version) error { return nil }
	}

	if ld.MainModules.Contains(path) && (query == "upgrade" || query == "patch") {
		m := module.Version{Path: path}
		if err := allowed(ctx, m); err != nil {
			return nil, fmt.Errorf("internal error: main module version is not allowed: %w", err)
		}
		return &modfetch.RevInfo{Version: m.Version}, nil
	}

	if path == "std" || path == "cmd" {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("can't query specific version (%q) of standard-library module %q", query, path)
	}

	repo, err := lookupRepo(ld, ctx, proxy, path)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}

	if old := reuse[module.Version{Path: path, Version: query}]; old != nil {
		if err := checkReuseRepo(ctx, repo, path, query, old.Origin); err == nil {
			info := &modfetch.RevInfo{
				Version: old.Version,
				Origin:  old.Origin,
			}
			if old.Time != nil {
				info.Time = *old.Time
			}
			return info, nil
		}

View on GitHub (pinned to b6b368adc5)