diff --git a/go/ssa/create.go b/go/ssa/create.go
index 69ac12b1..85163a0c 100644
--- a/go/ssa/create.go
+++ b/go/ssa/create.go
@@ -251,12 +251,19 @@ func (prog *Program) AllPackages() []*Package {
 	return pkgs
 }
 
-// ImportedPackage returns the importable SSA Package whose import
-// path is path, or nil if no such SSA package has been created.
+// ImportedPackage returns the importable Package whose PkgPath
+// is path, or nil if no such Package has been created.
 //
-// Not all packages are importable.  For example, no import
-// declaration can resolve to the x_test package created by 'go test'
-// or the ad-hoc main package created 'go build foo.go'.
+// A parameter to CreatePackage determines whether a package should be
+// considered importable. For example, no import declaration can resolve
+// to the ad-hoc main package created by 'go build foo.go'.
+//
+// TODO(adonovan): rethink this function and the "importable" concept;
+// most packages are importable. This function assumes that all
+// types.Package.Path values are unique within the ssa.Program, which is
+// false---yet this function remains very convenient.
+// Clients should use (*Program).Package instead where possible.
+// SSA doesn't really need a string-keyed map of packages.
 //
 func (prog *Program) ImportedPackage(path string) *Package {
 	return prog.imported[path]
diff --git a/go/ssa/doc.go b/go/ssa/doc.go
index 2aa04f43..1a13640f 100644
--- a/go/ssa/doc.go
+++ b/go/ssa/doc.go
@@ -23,11 +23,13 @@
 // such as multi-way branch can be reconstructed as needed; see
 // ssautil.Switches() for an example.
 //
-// To construct an SSA-form program, call ssautil.CreateProgram on a
-// loader.Program, a set of type-checked packages created from
-// parsed Go source files.  The resulting ssa.Program contains all the
-// packages and their members, but SSA code is not created for
-// function bodies until a subsequent call to (*Package).Build.
+// The simplest way to create the SSA representation of a package is
+// to load typed syntax trees using golang.org/x/tools/go/packages, then
+// invoke the ssautil.Packages helper function. See ExampleLoadPackages
+// and ExampleWholeProgram for examples.
+// The resulting ssa.Program contains all the packages and their
+// members, but SSA code is not created for function bodies until a
+// subsequent call to (*Package).Build or (*Program).Build.
 //
 // The builder initially builds a naive SSA form in which all local
 // variables are addresses of stack locations with explicit loads and
diff --git a/go/ssa/example_test.go b/go/ssa/example_test.go
index 31fa5613..8bbe2d63 100644
--- a/go/ssa/example_test.go
+++ b/go/ssa/example_test.go
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@ import (
 	"go/parser"
 	"go/token"
 	"go/types"
+	"log"
 	"os"
 
-	"golang.org/x/tools/go/loader"
+	"golang.org/x/tools/go/packages"
 	"golang.org/x/tools/go/ssa"
 	"golang.org/x/tools/go/ssa/ssautil"
 )
@@ -113,26 +114,44 @@ func ExampleBuildPackage() {
 	// 	return
 }
 
-// This program shows how to load a main package (cmd/cover) and all its
-// dependencies from source, using the loader, and then build SSA code
-// for the entire program.  This is what you'd typically use for a
-// whole-program analysis.
-//
-func ExampleLoadProgram() {
-	// Load cmd/cover and its dependencies.
-	var conf loader.Config
-	conf.Import("cmd/cover")
-	lprog, err := conf.Load()
+// This example builds SSA code for a set of packages using the
+// x/tools/go/packages API. This is what you would typically use for a
+// analysis capable of operating on a single package.
+func ExampleLoadPackages() {
+	// Load, parse, and type-check the initial packages.
+	cfg := &packages.Config{Mode: packages.LoadSyntax}
+	initial, err := packages.Load(cfg, "fmt", "net/http")
 	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Print(err) // type error in some package
-		return
+		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	// Create SSA-form program representation.
-	prog := ssautil.CreateProgram(lprog, ssa.SanityCheckFunctions)
+	// Create SSA packages for all well-typed packages.
+	prog, pkgs := ssautil.Packages(initial, ssa.PrintPackages)
+	_ = prog
 
-	// Build SSA code for the entire cmd/cover program.
-	prog.Build()
-
-	// Output:
+	// Build SSA code for the well-typed initial packages.
+	for _, p := range pkgs {
+		if p != nil {
+			p.Build()
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// This example builds SSA code for a set of packages plus all their dependencies,
+// using the x/tools/go/packages API.
+// This is what you'd typically use for a whole-program analysis.
+func ExampleLoadWholeProgram() {
+	// Load, parse, and type-check the whole program.
+	cfg := packages.Config{Mode: packages.LoadAllSyntax}
+	initial, err := packages.Load(&cfg, "fmt", "net/http")
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Create SSA packages for all well-typed packages.
+	prog, pkgs := ssautil.Packages(initial, ssa.PrintPackages)
+	_ = pkgs
+
+	// Build SSA code for the whole program.
+	prog.Build()
 }
diff --git a/go/ssa/ssautil/load.go b/go/ssa/ssautil/load.go
index 30b8053c..9a69034b 100644
--- a/go/ssa/ssautil/load.go
+++ b/go/ssa/ssautil/load.go
@@ -12,9 +12,57 @@ import (
 	"go/types"
 
 	"golang.org/x/tools/go/loader"
+	"golang.org/x/tools/go/packages"
 	"golang.org/x/tools/go/ssa"
 )
 
+// Packages creates an SSA program for a set of packages loaded from
+// source syntax using the golang.org/x/tools/go/packages.Load function.
+// It creates and returns an SSA package for each well-typed package in
+// the initial list. The resulting list of packages has the same length
+// as initial, and contains a nil if SSA could not be constructed for
+// the corresponding initial package.
+//
+// Code for bodies of functions is not built until Build is called
+// on the resulting Program.
+//
+// The mode parameter controls diagnostics and checking during SSA construction.
+//
+func Packages(initial []*packages.Package, mode ssa.BuilderMode) (*ssa.Program, []*ssa.Package) {
+	var fset *token.FileSet
+	if len(initial) > 0 {
+		fset = initial[0].Fset
+	}
+
+	prog := ssa.NewProgram(fset, mode)
+	seen := make(map[*packages.Package]*ssa.Package)
+	var create func(p *packages.Package) *ssa.Package
+	create = func(p *packages.Package) *ssa.Package {
+		ssapkg, ok := seen[p]
+		if !ok {
+			if p.Types == nil || p.IllTyped {
+				// not well typed
+				seen[p] = nil
+				return nil
+			}
+
+			ssapkg = prog.CreatePackage(p.Types, p.Syntax, p.TypesInfo, true)
+			seen[p] = ssapkg
+
+			for _, imp := range p.Imports {
+				create(imp)
+			}
+		}
+		return ssapkg
+	}
+
+	var ssapkgs []*ssa.Package
+	for _, p := range initial {
+		ssapkgs = append(ssapkgs, create(p))
+	}
+	return prog, ssapkgs
+}
+
 // CreateProgram returns a new program in SSA form, given a program
 // loaded from source.  An SSA package is created for each transitively
 // error-free package of lprog.
@@ -22,7 +70,10 @@ import (
 // Code for bodies of functions is not built until Build is called
 // on the result.
 //
-// mode controls diagnostics and checking during SSA construction.
+// The mode parameter controls diagnostics and checking during SSA construction.
+//
+// Deprecated: use golang.org/x/tools/go/packages and the Packages
+// function instead; see ssa.ExampleLoadPackages.
 //
 func CreateProgram(lprog *loader.Program, mode ssa.BuilderMode) *ssa.Program {
 	prog := ssa.NewProgram(lprog.Fset, mode)
diff --git a/go/ssa/ssautil/load_test.go b/go/ssa/ssautil/load_test.go
index 8ccd4637..5a1efe62 100644
--- a/go/ssa/ssautil/load_test.go
+++ b/go/ssa/ssautil/load_test.go
@@ -5,14 +5,17 @@
 package ssautil_test
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"go/ast"
 	"go/importer"
 	"go/parser"
 	"go/token"
 	"go/types"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
+	"golang.org/x/tools/go/packages"
 	"golang.org/x/tools/go/ssa/ssautil"
 )
 
@@ -49,6 +52,42 @@ func TestBuildPackage(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestPackages(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := &packages.Config{Mode: packages.LoadSyntax}
+	initial, err := packages.Load(cfg, "bytes")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	prog, pkgs := ssautil.Packages(initial, 0)
+	bytesNewBuffer := pkgs[0].Func("NewBuffer")
+	bytesNewBuffer.Pkg.Build()
+
+	// We'll dump the SSA of bytes.NewBuffer because it is small and stable.
+	out := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	bytesNewBuffer.WriteTo(out)
+
+	// For determinism, sanitize the location.
+	location := prog.Fset.Position(bytesNewBuffer.Pos()).String()
+	got := strings.Replace(out.String(), location, "$GOROOT/src/bytes/buffer.go:1", -1)
+
+	want := `
+# Name: bytes.NewBuffer
+# Package: bytes
+# Location: $GOROOT/src/bytes/buffer.go:1
+func NewBuffer(buf []byte) *Buffer:
+0:                                                                entry P:0 S:0
+	t0 = new Buffer (complit)                                       *Buffer
+	t1 = &t0.buf [#0]                                               *[]byte
+	*t1 = buf
+	return t0
+
+`[1:]
+	if got != want {
+		t.Errorf("bytes.NewBuffer SSA = <<%s>>, want <<%s>>", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestBuildPackage_MissingImport(t *testing.T) {
 	fset := token.NewFileSet()
 	f, err := parser.ParseFile(fset, "bad.go", `package bad; import "missing"`, 0)
diff --git a/go/ssa/testmain.go b/go/ssa/testmain.go
index ea232ada..8ec15ba5 100644
--- a/go/ssa/testmain.go
+++ b/go/ssa/testmain.go
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ package ssa
 // tests of the supplied packages.
 // It is closely coupled to $GOROOT/src/cmd/go/test.go and $GOROOT/src/testing.
 //
-// TODO(adonovan): this file no longer needs to live in the ssa package.
-// Move it to ssautil.
+// TODO(adonovan): throws this all away now that x/tools/go/packages
+// provides access to the actual synthetic test main files.
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import (
 // FindTests returns the Test, Benchmark, and Example functions
 // (as defined by "go test") defined in the specified package,
 // and its TestMain function, if any.
+//
+// Deprecated: use x/tools/go/packages to access synthetic testmain packages.
 func FindTests(pkg *Package) (tests, benchmarks, examples []*Function, main *Function) {
 	prog := pkg.Prog
 
@@ -109,6 +111,8 @@ func isTest(name, prefix string) bool {
 //
 // Subsequent calls to prog.AllPackages include the new package.
 // The package pkg must belong to the program prog.
+//
+// Deprecated: use x/tools/go/packages to access synthetic testmain packages.
 func (prog *Program) CreateTestMainPackage(pkg *Package) *Package {
 	if pkg.Prog != prog {
 		log.Fatal("Package does not belong to Program")