diff --git a/pkgs/build-support/go/module.nix b/pkgs/build-support/go/module.nix
index 30542b1d16c6..ce699c213454 100644
--- a/pkgs/build-support/go/module.nix
+++ b/pkgs/build-support/go/module.nix
@@ -253,6 +253,9 @@ lib.extendMkDerivation {
             if [ -f "$NIX_CC_FOR_TARGET/nix-support/dynamic-linker" ]; then
               export GO_LDSO=$(cat $NIX_CC_FOR_TARGET/nix-support/dynamic-linker)
             fi
+            if [ "$CGO_ENABLED" = "0" ]; then
+              export GOFLAGS="-buildmode=exe $GOFLAGS"
+            fi
             cd "$modRoot"
           ''
           + lib.optionalString (finalAttrs.vendorHash != null) ''
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.24.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.24.nix
index 17be8a607ec0..da57d07f7205 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.24.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.24.nix
@@ -9,16 +9,13 @@
   buildPackages,
   pkgsBuildTarget,
   targetPackages,
-  testers,
-  skopeo,
   buildGo124Module,
+  callPackage,
 }:
 
 let
   goBootstrap = buildPackages.callPackage ./bootstrap122.nix { };
 
-  skopeoTest = skopeo.override { buildGoModule = buildGo124Module; };
-
   # We need a target compiler which is still runnable at build time,
   # to handle the cross-building case where build != host == target
   targetCC = pkgsBuildTarget.targetPackages.stdenv.cc;
@@ -195,14 +192,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
   disallowedReferences = [ goBootstrap ];
 
   passthru = {
-    inherit goBootstrap skopeoTest;
-    tests = {
-      skopeo = testers.testVersion { package = skopeoTest; };
-      version = testers.testVersion {
-        package = finalAttrs.finalPackage;
-        command = "go version";
-        version = "go${finalAttrs.version}";
-      };
+    inherit goBootstrap;
+    tests = callPackage ./tests.nix {
+      go = finalAttrs.finalPackage;
+      buildGoModule = buildGo124Module;
     };
   };
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.25.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.25.nix
index fcf12a2d82be..fc472c987040 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.25.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/go/1.25.nix
@@ -10,20 +10,13 @@
   pkgsBuildTarget,
   targetPackages,
   # for testing
-  testers,
-  runCommand,
-  bintools,
-  skopeo,
-  clickhouse-backup,
   buildGo125Module,
+  callPackage,
 }:
 
 let
   goBootstrap = buildPackages.callPackage ./bootstrap122.nix { };
 
-  skopeoTest = skopeo.override { buildGoModule = buildGo125Module; };
-  clickhouse-backupTest = clickhouse-backup.override { buildGoModule = buildGo125Module; };
-
   # We need a target compiler which is still runnable at build time,
   # to handle the cross-building case where build != host == target
   targetCC = pkgsBuildTarget.targetPackages.stdenv.cc;
@@ -200,31 +193,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
   disallowedReferences = [ goBootstrap ];
 
   passthru = {
-    inherit goBootstrap skopeoTest;
-    tests = {
-      skopeo = testers.testVersion { package = skopeoTest; };
-      version = testers.testVersion {
-        package = finalAttrs.finalPackage;
-        command = "go version";
-        version = "go${finalAttrs.version}";
-      };
-      # Picked clickhouse-backup as a package that sets CGO_ENABLED=0
-      # Running and outputting the right version proves a working ELF interpreter was picked
-      clickhouse-backup = testers.testVersion { package = clickhouse-backupTest; };
-      clickhouse-backup-is-pie = runCommand "has-pie" { meta.broken = stdenv.hostPlatform.isStatic; } ''
-        ${lib.optionalString (!isCross) ''
-          if ${lib.getExe' bintools "readelf"} -p .comment ${lib.getExe clickhouse-backup} | grep -Fq "GCC: (GNU)"; then
-            echo "${lib.getExe clickhouse-backup} has a GCC .comment, but it should have used the internal go linker"
-            exit 1
-          fi
-        ''}
-        if ${lib.getExe' bintools "readelf"} -h ${lib.getExe clickhouse-backup} | grep -q "Type:.*DYN"; then
-          touch $out
-        else
-          echo "ERROR: clickhouse-backup is NOT PIE"
-          exit 1
-        fi
-      '';
+    inherit goBootstrap;
+    tests = callPackage ./tests.nix {
+      go = finalAttrs.finalPackage;
+      buildGoModule = buildGo125Module;
     };
   };
 
diff --git a/pkgs/development/compilers/go/tests.nix b/pkgs/development/compilers/go/tests.nix
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3eeaa8b53262
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/development/compilers/go/tests.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+{
+  lib,
+  stdenv,
+  go,
+  buildGoModule,
+  # A package that relies on CGO
+  skopeo,
+  testers,
+  runCommand,
+  bintools,
+  # A package with CGO_ENABLED=0
+  athens,
+}:
+let
+  skopeo' = skopeo.override { buildGoModule = buildGoModule; };
+  athens' = athens.override { buildGoModule = buildGoModule; };
+  expectedCgoEnabledType = "DYN";
+  expectedCgoDisabledType = "EXE";
+in
+{
+  skopeo = testers.testVersion { package = skopeo'; };
+  version = testers.testVersion {
+    package = go;
+    command = "go version";
+    version = "go${go.version}";
+  };
+  athens = testers.testVersion { package = athens'; };
+}
+# bin type tests assume ELF file + linux-specific exe types
+// lib.optionalAttrs stdenv.hostPlatform.isLinux {
+  skopeo-bin-type = runCommand "skopeo-bin-type" { meta.broken = stdenv.hostPlatform.isStatic; } ''
+    bin="${lib.getExe' skopeo' ".skopeo-wrapped"}"
+    if ! ${lib.getExe' bintools "readelf"} -p .comment $bin | grep -Fq "GCC: (GNU)"; then
+      echo "${lib.getExe skopeo} should have been externally linked, but no GNU .comment section found"
+      exit 1
+    fi
+    if ${lib.getExe' bintools "readelf"} -h $bin | grep -q "Type:.*${expectedCgoEnabledType}"; then
+      touch $out
+    else
+      echo "ERROR: $bin is NOT ${expectedCgoEnabledType}"
+      exit 1
+    fi
+  '';
+  athens-bin-type = runCommand "athens-bin-type" { meta.broken = stdenv.hostPlatform.isStatic; } ''
+    bin="${lib.getExe athens'}"
+    ${lib.optionalString (stdenv.buildPlatform == stdenv.targetPlatform) ''
+      # For CGO_ENABLED=0 the internal linker should be used, except
+      # for cross where we rely on external linking by default
+      if ${lib.getExe' bintools "readelf"} -p .comment ${lib.getExe athens'} | grep -Fq "GCC: (GNU)"; then
+        echo "${lib.getExe athens'} has a GCC .comment, but it should have used the internal go linker"
+        exit 1
+      fi
+    ''}
+    if ${lib.getExe' bintools "readelf"} -h "$bin" | grep -q "Type:.*${expectedCgoDisabledType}"; then
+      touch $out
+    else
+      echo "ERROR: $bin is NOT ${expectedCgoDisabledType}"
+      exit 1
+    fi
+  '';
+}