diff --git a/go/tools/generate_test_main.go b/go/tools/generate_test_main.go
index a2632e7bc3..dc82aee7ce 100644
--- a/go/tools/generate_test_main.go
+++ b/go/tools/generate_test_main.go
@@ -25,18 +25,20 @@ import (
 	"log"
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"text/template"
 )
 
 // Cases holds template data.
 type Cases struct {
-	Package        string
-	RunDir         string
-	TestNames      []string
-	BenchmarkNames []string
-	HasTestMain    bool
-	Version        string
+	Package          string
+	RunDir           string
+	TestNames        []string
+	BenchmarkNames   []string
+	HasTestMain      bool
+	Version17        bool
+	Version18OrNewer bool
 }
 
 var codeTpl = `
@@ -44,11 +46,11 @@ package main
 import (
 	"flag"
 	"os"
-{{if eq .Version "go1.7.5"}}
+{{if .Version17}}
 	"regexp"
 {{end}}
 	"testing"
-{{if eq .Version "go1.8"}}
+{{if .Version18OrNewer}}
 	"testing/internal/testdeps"
 {{end}}
 
@@ -79,14 +81,14 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
-{{if eq .Version "go1.8"}}
+{{if .Version18OrNewer}}
 	m := testing.MainStart(testdeps.TestDeps{}, tests, benchmarks, nil)
 	{{if not .HasTestMain}}
 	os.Exit(m.Run())
 	{{else}}
 	undertest.TestMain(m)
 	{{end}}
-{{else}}
+{{else if .Version17}}
 	{{if not .HasTestMain}}
 	testing.Main(regexp.MatchString, tests, benchmarks, nil)
 	{{else}}
@@ -185,9 +187,46 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
-	cases.Version = runtime.Version()
+	goVersion := parseVersion(runtime.Version())
+	if goVersion.Less(version{1, 7}) {
+		log.Fatalf("go version %s not supported", runtime.Version())
+	} else if goVersion.Less(version{1, 8}) {
+		cases.Version17 = true
+	} else {
+		cases.Version18OrNewer = true
+	}
+
 	tpl := template.Must(template.New("source").Parse(codeTpl))
 	if err := tpl.Execute(outFile, &cases); err != nil {
 		log.Fatalf("template.Execute(%v): %v", cases, err)
 	}
 }
+
+type version []int
+
+func parseVersion(s string) version {
+	strParts := strings.Split(s[len("go"):], ".")
+	intParts := make([]int, len(strParts))
+	for i, s := range strParts {
+		v, err := strconv.Atoi(s)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+		intParts[i] = v
+	}
+	return intParts
+}
+
+func (x version) Less(y version) bool {
+	n := len(x)
+	if len(y) < n {
+		n = len(y)
+	}
+	for i := 0; i < n; i++ {
+		cmp := x[i] - y[i]
+		if cmp != 0 {
+			return cmp < 0
+		}
+	}
+	return len(x) < len(y)
+}