diff --git a/go/packages/packages.go b/go/packages/packages.go
index 1d5f0e45b2b..0f1505b808a 100644
--- a/go/packages/packages.go
+++ b/go/packages/packages.go
@@ -878,12 +878,19 @@ func (ld *loader) loadPackage(lpkg *loaderPackage) {
 	// never has to create a types.Package for an indirect dependency,
 	// which would then require that such created packages be explicitly
 	// inserted back into the Import graph as a final step after export data loading.
+	// (Hence this return is after the Types assignment.)
 	// The Diamond test exercises this case.
 	if !lpkg.needtypes && !lpkg.needsrc {
 		return
 	}
 	if !lpkg.needsrc {
-		ld.loadFromExportData(lpkg)
+		if err := ld.loadFromExportData(lpkg); err != nil {
+			lpkg.Errors = append(lpkg.Errors, Error{
+				Pos:  "-",
+				Msg:  err.Error(),
+				Kind: UnknownError, // e.g. can't find/open/parse export data
+			})
+		}
 		return // not a source package, don't get syntax trees
 	}
 
@@ -970,7 +977,8 @@ func (ld *loader) loadPackage(lpkg *loaderPackage) {
 		// The config requested loading sources and types, but sources are missing.
 		// Add an error to the package and fall back to loading from export data.
 		appendError(Error{"-", fmt.Sprintf("sources missing for package %s", lpkg.ID), ParseError})
-		ld.loadFromExportData(lpkg)
+		_ = ld.loadFromExportData(lpkg) // ignore any secondary errors
+
 		return // can't get syntax trees for this package
 	}
 
@@ -1194,9 +1202,10 @@ func sameFile(x, y string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-// loadFromExportData returns type information for the specified
+// loadFromExportData ensures that type information is present for the specified
 // package, loading it from an export data file on the first request.
-func (ld *loader) loadFromExportData(lpkg *loaderPackage) (*types.Package, error) {
+// On success it sets lpkg.Types to a new Package.
+func (ld *loader) loadFromExportData(lpkg *loaderPackage) error {
 	if lpkg.PkgPath == "" {
 		log.Fatalf("internal error: Package %s has no PkgPath", lpkg)
 	}
@@ -1207,8 +1216,8 @@ func (ld *loader) loadFromExportData(lpkg *loaderPackage) (*types.Package, error
 	// must be sequential. (Finer-grained locking would require
 	// changes to the gcexportdata API.)
 	//
-	// The exportMu lock guards the Package.Pkg field and the
-	// types.Package it points to, for each Package in the graph.
+	// The exportMu lock guards the lpkg.Types field and the
+	// types.Package it points to, for each loaderPackage in the graph.
 	//
 	// Not all accesses to Package.Pkg need to be protected by exportMu:
 	// graph ordering ensures that direct dependencies of source
@@ -1217,18 +1226,18 @@ func (ld *loader) loadFromExportData(lpkg *loaderPackage) (*types.Package, error
 	defer ld.exportMu.Unlock()
 
 	if tpkg := lpkg.Types; tpkg != nil && tpkg.Complete() {
-		return tpkg, nil // cache hit
+		return nil // cache hit
 	}
 
 	lpkg.IllTyped = true // fail safe
 
 	if lpkg.ExportFile == "" {
 		// Errors while building export data will have been printed to stderr.
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no export data file")
+		return fmt.Errorf("no export data file")
 	}
 	f, err := os.Open(lpkg.ExportFile)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return err
 	}
 	defer f.Close()
 
@@ -1240,7 +1249,7 @@ func (ld *loader) loadFromExportData(lpkg *loaderPackage) (*types.Package, error
 	// queries.)
 	r, err := gcexportdata.NewReader(f)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("reading %s: %v", lpkg.ExportFile, err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("reading %s: %v", lpkg.ExportFile, err)
 	}
 
 	// Build the view.
@@ -1284,7 +1293,7 @@ func (ld *loader) loadFromExportData(lpkg *loaderPackage) (*types.Package, error
 	// (May modify incomplete packages in view but not create new ones.)
 	tpkg, err := gcexportdata.Read(r, ld.Fset, view, lpkg.PkgPath)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("reading %s: %v", lpkg.ExportFile, err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("reading %s: %v", lpkg.ExportFile, err)
 	}
 	if _, ok := view["go.shape"]; ok {
 		// Account for the pseudopackage "go.shape" that gets
@@ -1297,8 +1306,7 @@ func (ld *loader) loadFromExportData(lpkg *loaderPackage) (*types.Package, error
 
 	lpkg.Types = tpkg
 	lpkg.IllTyped = false
-
-	return tpkg, nil
+	return nil
 }
 
 // impliedLoadMode returns loadMode with its dependencies.