diff --git a/go/packages/golist.go b/go/packages/golist.go
index 067b008d..c464f698 100644
--- a/go/packages/golist.go
+++ b/go/packages/golist.go
@@ -770,6 +770,16 @@ func invokeGo(cfg *Config, args ...string) (*bytes.Buffer, error) {
 			return nil, goTooOldError{fmt.Errorf("unsupported version of go: %s: %s", exitErr, stderr)}
 		}
 
+		// This error only appears in stderr. See golang.org/cl/166398 for a fix in go list to show
+		// the error in the Err section of stdout in case -e option is provided.
+		// This fix is provided for backwards compatibility.
+		if len(stderr.String()) > 0 && strings.Contains(stderr.String(), "named files must be .go files") {
+			output := fmt.Sprintf(`{"ImportPath": "","Incomplete": true,"Error": {"Pos": "","Err": %s}}`,
+				strconv.Quote(strings.Trim(stderr.String(), "\n")))
+			fmt.Println(output)
+			return bytes.NewBufferString(output), nil
+		}
+
 		// Export mode entails a build.
 		// If that build fails, errors appear on stderr
 		// (despite the -e flag) and the Export field is blank.
diff --git a/go/packages/packages_test.go b/go/packages/packages_test.go
index 0f584b14..82aeb0e5 100644
--- a/go/packages/packages_test.go
+++ b/go/packages/packages_test.go
@@ -317,6 +317,29 @@ func TestLoadAbsolutePath(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestReturnErrorWhenUsingNoneGoFiles(t *testing.T) {
+	exported := packagestest.Export(t, packagestest.GOPATH, []packagestest.Module{{
+		Name: "golang.org/gopatha",
+		Files: map[string]interface{}{
+			"a/a.go": `package a`,
+		}}, {
+		Name: "golang.org/gopathb",
+		Files: map[string]interface{}{
+			"b/b.c": `package b`,
+		}}})
+	defer exported.Cleanup()
+	config := packages.Config{}
+	_, err := packages.Load(&config, "a/a.go", "b/b.c")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("should have failed with an error")
+	}
+	got := err.Error()
+	want := "named files must be .go files"
+	if !strings.Contains(got, want) {
+		t.Fatalf("want error message: %s, got: %s", want, got)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestVendorImports(t *testing.T) {
 	exported := packagestest.Export(t, packagestest.GOPATH, []packagestest.Module{{
 		Name: "golang.org/fake",