diff --git a/internal/scan/source.go b/internal/scan/source.go
index 89285f1..764e732 100644
--- a/internal/scan/source.go
+++ b/internal/scan/source.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func runSource(ctx context.Context, handler govulncheck.Handler, cfg *config, cl
 		Tests: cfg.test,
 		Env:   cfg.env,
 	}
-	if err := graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(pkgConfig, cfg.tags, cfg.patterns); err != nil {
+	if err := graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(pkgConfig, cfg.tags, cfg.patterns, cfg.ScanLevel == govulncheck.ScanLevelSymbol); err != nil {
 		if isGoVersionMismatchError(err) {
 			return fmt.Errorf("%v\n\n%v", errGoVersionMismatch, err)
 		}
diff --git a/internal/vulncheck/packages.go b/internal/vulncheck/packages.go
index f68bd2a..feb6e35 100644
--- a/internal/vulncheck/packages.go
+++ b/internal/vulncheck/packages.go
@@ -194,18 +194,12 @@ func (g *PackageGraph) GetPackage(path string) *packages.Package {
 
 // LoadPackages loads the packages specified by the patterns into the graph.
 // See golang.org/x/tools/go/packages.Load for details of how it works.
-func (g *PackageGraph) LoadPackagesAndMods(cfg *packages.Config, tags []string, patterns []string) error {
+func (g *PackageGraph) LoadPackagesAndMods(cfg *packages.Config, tags []string, patterns []string, wantSymbols bool) error {
 	if len(tags) > 0 {
 		cfg.BuildFlags = []string{fmt.Sprintf("-tags=%s", strings.Join(tags, ","))}
 	}
-	cfg.Mode |=
-		packages.NeedDeps |
-			packages.NeedImports |
-			packages.NeedModule |
-			packages.NeedSyntax |
-			packages.NeedTypes |
-			packages.NeedTypesInfo |
-			packages.NeedName
+
+	addLoadMode(cfg, wantSymbols)
 
 	pkgs, err := packages.Load(cfg, patterns...)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -230,6 +224,17 @@ func (g *PackageGraph) LoadPackagesAndMods(cfg *packages.Config, tags []string,
 	return err
 }
 
+func addLoadMode(cfg *packages.Config, wantSymbols bool) {
+	cfg.Mode |=
+		packages.NeedModule |
+			packages.NeedName |
+			packages.NeedDeps |
+			packages.NeedImports
+	if wantSymbols {
+		cfg.Mode |= packages.NeedSyntax | packages.NeedTypes | packages.NeedTypesInfo
+	}
+}
+
 // packageError contains errors from loading a set of packages.
 type packageError struct {
 	Errors []packages.Error
diff --git a/internal/vulncheck/slicing_test.go b/internal/vulncheck/slicing_test.go
index 6ad5968..df8fd28 100644
--- a/internal/vulncheck/slicing_test.go
+++ b/internal/vulncheck/slicing_test.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func Do(i I, input string) {
 	})
 
 	graph := NewPackageGraph("go1.18")
-	err := graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "/module/slice")})
+	err := graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "/module/slice")}, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/vulncheck/source_test.go b/internal/vulncheck/source_test.go
index 44bd7e0..2d94cee 100644
--- a/internal/vulncheck/source_test.go
+++ b/internal/vulncheck/source_test.go
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ func TestCalls(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Load x and y as entry packages.
 	graph := NewPackageGraph("go1.18")
-	err := graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "entry/x"), path.Join(e.Temp(), "entry/y")})
+	err := graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "entry/x"), path.Join(e.Temp(), "entry/y")}, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ func TestAllSymbolsVulnerable(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Load x as entry package.
 	graph := NewPackageGraph("go1.18")
-	err = graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "entry/x")})
+	err = graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "entry/x")}, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ func TestNoSyntheticNodes(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Load x as entry package.
 	graph := NewPackageGraph("go1.18")
-	err := graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "entry/x")})
+	err := graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "entry/x")}, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ func TestRecursion(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Load x as entry package.
 	graph := NewPackageGraph("go1.18")
-	err := graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "entry/x")})
+	err := graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "entry/x")}, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -500,7 +500,7 @@ func TestIssue57174(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Load x as entry package.
 	graph := NewPackageGraph("go1.18")
-	err := graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "entry/x")})
+	err := graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "entry/x")}, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/vulncheck/utils_test.go b/internal/vulncheck/utils_test.go
index d9c103d..20905fe 100644
--- a/internal/vulncheck/utils_test.go
+++ b/internal/vulncheck/utils_test.go
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ func TestDbSymbolName(t *testing.T) {
 	defer e.Cleanup()
 
 	graph := NewPackageGraph("go1.18")
-	err := graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "package/x")})
+	err := graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "package/x")}, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/vulncheck/witness_test.go b/internal/vulncheck/witness_test.go
index d6f740f..526aa69 100644
--- a/internal/vulncheck/witness_test.go
+++ b/internal/vulncheck/witness_test.go
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ func TestInits(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Load x as entry package.
 	graph := NewPackageGraph("go1.18")
-	err = graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "entry/x")})
+	err = graph.LoadPackagesAndMods(e.Config, nil, []string{path.Join(e.Temp(), "entry/x")}, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}