diff --git a/__tests__/setup-go.test.ts b/__tests__/setup-go.test.ts
index 70f2166eb..ddbe193e7 100644
--- a/__tests__/setup-go.test.ts
+++ b/__tests__/setup-go.test.ts
@@ -868,18 +868,6 @@ use .
       expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('matching 1.19...');
     });
 
-    it('reads version from .go-version', async () => {
-      inputs['go-version-file'] = '.go-version';
-      existsSpy.mockImplementation(() => true);
-      readFileSpy.mockImplementation(() => Buffer.from(`1.13.0${osm.EOL}`));
-
-      await main.run();
-
-      expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Setup go version spec 1.13.0');
-      expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Attempting to download 1.13.0...');
-      expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('matching 1.13.0...');
-    });
-
     it('is overwritten by go-version', async () => {
       inputs['go-version'] = '1.13.1';
       inputs['go-version-file'] = 'go.mod';
@@ -904,6 +892,29 @@ use .
       );
     });
 
+    it('go-version accepts a go.mod file', async () => {
+      inputs['go-version'] = 'go.mod';
+      existsSpy.mockImplementation(() => true);
+      readFileSpy.mockImplementation(() => Buffer.from(goModContents));
+
+      await main.run();
+
+      expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Setup go version spec 1.14');
+      expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Attempting to download 1.14...');
+      expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('matching 1.14...');
+    });
+
+    it('go-version reports a read failure', async () => {
+      inputs['go-version'] = 'path/to/go.mod';
+      existsSpy.mockImplementation(() => false);
+
+      await main.run();
+
+      expect(cnSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        `::error::The specified go version file at: path/to/go.mod does not exist${osm.EOL}`
+      );
+    });
+
     it('acquires specified architecture of go', async () => {
       for (const {arch, version, osSpec} of [
         {arch: 'amd64', version: '1.13.7', osSpec: 'linux'},
diff --git a/dist/setup/index.js b/dist/setup/index.js
index 9ad3784ea..7931411db 100644
--- a/dist/setup/index.js
+++ b/dist/setup/index.js
@@ -88244,7 +88244,7 @@ var __importDefault = (this && this.__importDefault) || function (mod) {
     return (mod && mod.__esModule) ? mod : { "default": mod };
 };
 Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", ({ value: true }));
-exports.resolveStableVersionInput = exports.parseGoVersionFile = exports.makeSemver = exports.getVersionsDist = exports.findMatch = exports.getInfoFromManifest = exports.getManifest = exports.extractGoArchive = exports.getGo = void 0;
+exports.resolveStableVersionInput = exports.makeSemver = exports.getVersionsDist = exports.findMatch = exports.getInfoFromManifest = exports.getManifest = exports.extractGoArchive = exports.getGo = void 0;
 const tc = __importStar(__nccwpck_require__(7784));
 const core = __importStar(__nccwpck_require__(2186));
 const path = __importStar(__nccwpck_require__(1017));
@@ -88540,16 +88540,6 @@ function makeSemver(version) {
     return fullVersion;
 }
 exports.makeSemver = makeSemver;
-function parseGoVersionFile(versionFilePath) {
-    const contents = fs_1.default.readFileSync(versionFilePath).toString();
-    if (path.basename(versionFilePath) === 'go.mod' ||
-        path.basename(versionFilePath) === 'go.work') {
-        const match = contents.match(/^go (\d+(\.\d+)*)/m);
-        return match ? match[1] : '';
-    }
-    return contents.trim();
-}
-exports.parseGoVersionFile = parseGoVersionFile;
 function resolveStableVersionDist(versionSpec, arch) {
     return __awaiter(this, void 0, void 0, function* () {
         const archFilter = sys.getArch(arch);
@@ -88749,18 +88739,22 @@ function parseGoVersion(versionString) {
 exports.parseGoVersion = parseGoVersion;
 function resolveVersionInput() {
     let version = core.getInput('go-version');
-    const versionFilePath = core.getInput('go-version-file');
+    let versionFilePath = core.getInput('go-version-file');
     if (version && versionFilePath) {
         core.warning('Both go-version and go-version-file inputs are specified, only go-version will be used');
-    }
-    if (version) {
-        return version;
+        versionFilePath = '';
     }
     if (versionFilePath) {
-        if (!fs_1.default.existsSync(versionFilePath)) {
-            throw new Error(`The specified go version file at: ${versionFilePath} does not exist`);
+        version = versionFilePath;
+    }
+    if (path_1.default.basename(version) === 'go.mod' ||
+        path_1.default.basename(version) === 'go.work') {
+        if (!fs_1.default.existsSync(version)) {
+            throw new Error(`The specified go version file at: ${version} does not exist`);
         }
-        version = installer.parseGoVersionFile(versionFilePath);
+        const contents = fs_1.default.readFileSync(version).toString();
+        const match = contents.match(/^go (\d+(\.\d+)*)/m);
+        return match ? match[1] : '';
     }
     return version;
 }
diff --git a/src/installer.ts b/src/installer.ts
index 817c334f6..28554d32d 100644
--- a/src/installer.ts
+++ b/src/installer.ts
@@ -417,20 +417,6 @@ export function makeSemver(version: string): string {
   return fullVersion;
 }
 
-export function parseGoVersionFile(versionFilePath: string): string {
-  const contents = fs.readFileSync(versionFilePath).toString();
-
-  if (
-    path.basename(versionFilePath) === 'go.mod' ||
-    path.basename(versionFilePath) === 'go.work'
-  ) {
-    const match = contents.match(/^go (\d+(\.\d+)*)/m);
-    return match ? match[1] : '';
-  }
-
-  return contents.trim();
-}
-
 async function resolveStableVersionDist(versionSpec: string, arch: string) {
   const archFilter = sys.getArch(arch);
   const platFilter = sys.getPlatform();
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index 690d277f9..91f031ce4 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -137,25 +137,31 @@ export function parseGoVersion(versionString: string): string {
 
 function resolveVersionInput(): string {
   let version = core.getInput('go-version');
-  const versionFilePath = core.getInput('go-version-file');
+  let versionFilePath = core.getInput('go-version-file');
 
   if (version && versionFilePath) {
     core.warning(
       'Both go-version and go-version-file inputs are specified, only go-version will be used'
     );
+    versionFilePath = '';
   }
-
-  if (version) {
-    return version;
+  if (versionFilePath) {
+    version = versionFilePath;
   }
 
-  if (versionFilePath) {
-    if (!fs.existsSync(versionFilePath)) {
+  if (
+    path.basename(version) === 'go.mod' ||
+    path.basename(version) === 'go.work'
+  ) {
+    if (!fs.existsSync(version)) {
       throw new Error(
-        `The specified go version file at: ${versionFilePath} does not exist`
+        `The specified go version file at: ${version} does not exist`
       );
     }
-    version = installer.parseGoVersionFile(versionFilePath);
+
+    const contents = fs.readFileSync(version).toString();
+    const match = contents.match(/^go (\d+(\.\d+)*)/m);
+    return match ? match[1] : '';
   }
 
   return version;