diff --git a/version_test.go b/version_test.go
index 1f434e682..3d983a19d 100644
--- a/version_test.go
+++ b/version_test.go
@@ -6,21 +6,16 @@ package tailscaleroot
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
-	"regexp"
+	"os/exec"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+
+	"golang.org/x/mod/modfile"
 )
 
 func TestDockerfileVersion(t *testing.T) {
-	goMod, err := os.ReadFile("go.mod")
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	m := regexp.MustCompile(`(?m)^go (\d\.\d+)\r?($|\.)`).FindStringSubmatch(string(goMod))
-	if m == nil {
-		t.Fatalf("didn't find go version in go.mod")
-	}
-	goVersion := m[1]
+	goVersion := mustGetGoModVersion(t, false)
 
 	dockerFile, err := os.ReadFile("Dockerfile")
 	if err != nil {
@@ -31,3 +26,60 @@ func TestDockerfileVersion(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("didn't find %q in Dockerfile", wantSub)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestGoVersion tests that the Go version specified in go.mod matches ./tool/go version.
+func TestGoVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	// We could special-case ./tool/go path for Windows, but really there is no
+	// need to run it there.
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		t.Skip("Skipping test on Windows")
+	}
+	goModVersion := mustGetGoModVersion(t, true)
+
+	goToolCmd := exec.Command("./tool/go", "version")
+	goToolOutput, err := goToolCmd.Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Failed to get ./tool/go version: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Version info will approximately look like 'go version go1.24.4 linux/amd64'.
+	parts := strings.Fields(string(goToolOutput))
+	if len(parts) < 4 {
+		t.Fatalf("Unexpected ./tool/go version output format: %s", goToolOutput)
+	}
+
+	goToolVersion := strings.TrimPrefix(parts[2], "go")
+
+	if goModVersion != goToolVersion {
+		t.Errorf("Go version in go.mod (%q) does not match the version of ./tool/go (%q).\nEnsure that the go.mod refers to the same Go version as ./go.toolchain.rev.",
+			goModVersion, goToolVersion)
+	}
+}
+
+func mustGetGoModVersion(t *testing.T, includePatchVersion bool) string {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	goModBytes, err := os.ReadFile("go.mod")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	modFile, err := modfile.Parse("go.mod", goModBytes, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if modFile.Go == nil {
+		t.Fatal("no Go version found in go.mod")
+	}
+
+	version := modFile.Go.Version
+
+	parts := strings.Split(version, ".")
+	if !includePatchVersion {
+		if len(parts) >= 2 {
+			version = parts[0] + "." + parts[1]
+		}
+	}
+	return version
+}