diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/query.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/query.go
index 269f60d620..8c5fdc8bf9 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/query.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/query.go
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ type NoMatchingVersionError struct {
 
 func (e *NoMatchingVersionError) Error() string {
 	currentSuffix := ""
-	if (e.query == "latest" || e.query == "patch") && e.current != "" {
+	if (e.query == "upgrade" || e.query == "patch") && e.current != "" {
 		currentSuffix = fmt.Sprintf(" (current version is %s)", e.current)
 	}
 	return fmt.Sprintf("no matching versions for query %q", e.query) + currentSuffix
diff --git a/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/query_test.go b/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/query_test.go
index 5c0527d40c..10d947e46f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/query_test.go
+++ b/src/cmd/go/internal/modload/query_test.go
@@ -115,12 +115,14 @@ var queryTests = []struct {
 	{path: queryRepo, query: "v1.9.10-pre2+wrongmetadata", err: `unknown revision v1.9.10-pre2+wrongmetadata`},
 	{path: queryRepo, query: "v1.9.10-pre2", err: `unknown revision v1.9.10-pre2`},
 	{path: queryRepo, query: "latest", vers: "v1.9.9"},
-	{path: queryRepo, query: "latest", current: "v1.9.10-pre1", vers: "v1.9.10-pre1"},
-	{path: queryRepo, query: "latest", current: "v1.9.10-pre2+metadata", vers: "v1.9.10-pre2.0.20190513201126-42abcb6df8ee"},
-	{path: queryRepo, query: "latest", current: "v0.0.0-20190513201126-42abcb6df8ee", vers: "v0.0.0-20190513201126-42abcb6df8ee"},
-	{path: queryRepo, query: "latest", allow: "NOMATCH", err: `no matching versions for query "latest"`},
-	{path: queryRepo, query: "latest", current: "v1.9.9", allow: "NOMATCH", err: `no matching versions for query "latest" (current version is v1.9.9)`},
-	{path: queryRepo, query: "latest", current: "v1.99.99", err: `unknown revision v1.99.99`},
+	{path: queryRepo, query: "latest", current: "v1.9.10-pre1", vers: "v1.9.9"},
+	{path: queryRepo, query: "upgrade", vers: "v1.9.9"},
+	{path: queryRepo, query: "upgrade", current: "v1.9.10-pre1", vers: "v1.9.10-pre1"},
+	{path: queryRepo, query: "upgrade", current: "v1.9.10-pre2+metadata", vers: "v1.9.10-pre2.0.20190513201126-42abcb6df8ee"},
+	{path: queryRepo, query: "upgrade", current: "v0.0.0-20190513201126-42abcb6df8ee", vers: "v0.0.0-20190513201126-42abcb6df8ee"},
+	{path: queryRepo, query: "upgrade", allow: "NOMATCH", err: `no matching versions for query "upgrade"`},
+	{path: queryRepo, query: "upgrade", current: "v1.9.9", allow: "NOMATCH", err: `no matching versions for query "upgrade" (current version is v1.9.9)`},
+	{path: queryRepo, query: "upgrade", current: "v1.99.99", err: `unknown revision v1.99.99`},
 	{path: queryRepo, query: "patch", current: "", vers: "v1.9.9"},
 	{path: queryRepo, query: "patch", current: "v0.1.0", vers: "v0.1.2"},
 	{path: queryRepo, query: "patch", current: "v1.9.0", vers: "v1.9.9"},