diff --git a/plugins/golang/_golang b/plugins/golang/_golang
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..01b976b12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/golang/_golang
@@ -0,0 +1,249 @@
+#compdef go
+
+__go_packages() {
+  local gopaths
+  declare -a gopaths
+  gopaths=("${(s/:/)$(go env GOPATH)}")
+  gopaths+=("$(go env GOROOT)")
+  for p in $gopaths; do
+    _path_files -W "$p/src" -/
+  done
+}
+
+__go_identifiers() {
+  local tmpl_path="${functions_source[$0]:h}/templates"
+  compadd $(godoc -templates "$tmpl_path" ${words[-2]} 2> /dev/null)
+}
+
+_go() {
+  typeset -a commands build_flags
+  commands+=(
+    'build[compile packages and dependencies]'
+    'clean[remove object files]'
+    'doc[run godoc on package sources]'
+    'env[print Go environment information]'
+    'fix[run go tool fix on packages]'
+    'fmt[run gofmt on package sources]'
+    'generate[generate Go files by processing source]'
+    'get[download and install packages and dependencies]'
+    'help[display help]'
+    'install[compile and install packages and dependencies]'
+    'list[list packages]'
+    'mod[modules maintenance]'
+    'run[compile and run Go program]'
+    'test[test packages]'
+    'tool[run specified go tool]'
+    'version[print Go version]'
+    'vet[run go tool vet on packages]'
+  )
+  if (( CURRENT == 2 )); then
+    # explain go commands
+    _values 'go tool commands' ${commands[@]}
+    return
+  fi
+  build_flags=(
+    '-a[force reinstallation of packages that are already up to date]'
+    '-n[print the commands but do not run them]'
+    '-p[number of parallel builds]:number'
+    '-race[enable data race detection]'
+    '-x[print the commands]'
+    '-work[print temporary directory name and keep it]'
+    '-ccflags[flags for 5c/6c/8c]:flags'
+    '-gcflags[flags for 5g/6g/8g]:flags'
+    '-ldflags[flags for 5l/6l/8l]:flags'
+    '-gccgoflags[flags for gccgo]:flags'
+    '-compiler[name of compiler to use]:name'
+    '-installsuffix[suffix to add to package directory]:suffix'
+    '-tags[list of build tags to consider satisfied]:tags'
+  )
+
+  case ${words[2]} in
+  doc)
+    _arguments -s -w \
+      "-c[symbol matching honors case (paths not affected)]" \
+      "-cmd[show symbols with package docs even if package is a command]" \
+      "-u[show unexported symbols as well as exported]" \
+      "2:importpaths:__go_packages" \
+      ":next identifiers:__go_identifiers"
+    ;;
+  clean)
+    _arguments -s -w \
+      "-i[remove the corresponding installed archive or binary (what 'go install' would create)]" \
+      "-n[print the remove commands it would execute, but not run them]" \
+      "-r[apply recursively to all the dependencies of the packages named by the import paths]" \
+      "-x[print remove commands as it executes them]" \
+      "*:importpaths:__go_packages"
+    ;;
+  fix|fmt|vet)
+    _alternative ':importpaths:__go_packages' ':files:_path_files -g "*.go"'
+    ;;
+  install)
+    _arguments -s -w : ${build_flags[@]} \
+      "-v[show package names]" \
+      '*:importpaths:__go_packages'
+    ;;
+  get)
+    _arguments -s -w : \
+      ${build_flags[@]}
+    ;;
+  build)
+    _arguments -s -w : \
+      ${build_flags[@]} \
+      "-v[show package names]" \
+      "-o[output file]:file:_files" \
+      "*:args:{ _alternative ':importpaths:__go_packages' ':files:_path_files -g \"*.go\"' }"
+    ;;
+  test)
+    _arguments -s -w : \
+      ${build_flags[@]} \
+      "-c[do not run, compile the test binary]" \
+      "-i[do not run, install dependencies]" \
+      "-v[print test output]" \
+      "-x[print the commands]" \
+      "-short[use short mode]" \
+      "-parallel[number of parallel tests]:number" \
+      "-cpu[values of GOMAXPROCS to use]:number list" \
+      "-run[run tests and examples matching regexp]:regexp" \
+      "-bench[run benchmarks matching regexp]:regexp" \
+      "-benchmem[print memory allocation stats]" \
+      "-benchtime[run each benchmark until taking this long]:duration" \
+      "-blockprofile[write goroutine blocking profile to file]:file" \
+      "-blockprofilerate[set sampling rate of goroutine blocking profile]:number" \
+      "-timeout[kill test after that duration]:duration" \
+      "-cpuprofile[write CPU profile to file]:file:_files" \
+      "-memprofile[write heap profile to file]:file:_files" \
+      "-memprofilerate[set heap profiling rate]:number" \
+      "*:args:{ _alternative ':importpaths:__go_packages' ':files:_path_files -g \"*.go\"' }"
+    ;;
+  list)
+    _arguments -s -w : \
+      "-f[alternative format for the list]:format" \
+      "-json[print data in json format]" \
+      "-compiled[set CompiledGoFiles to the Go source files presented to the compiler]" \
+      "-deps[iterate over not just the named packages but also all their dependencies]" \
+      "-e[change the handling of erroneous packages]" \
+      "-export[set the Export field to the name of a file containing up-to-date export information for the given package]" \
+      "-find[identify the named packages but not resolve their dependencies]" \
+      "-test[report not only the named packages but also their test binaries]" \
+      "-m[list modules instead of packages]" \
+      "-u[adds information about available upgrades]" \
+      "-versions[set the Module's Versions field to a list of all known versions of that module]:number" \
+      "*:importpaths:__go_packages"
+    ;;
+  mod)
+    local -a mod_commands
+    mod_commands+=(
+      'download[download modules to local cache]'
+      'edit[edit go.mod from tools or scripts]'
+      'graph[print module requirement graph]'
+      'init[initialize new module in current directory]'
+      'tidy[add missing and remove unused modules]'
+      'vendor[make vendored copy of dependencies]'
+      'verify[verify dependencies have expected content]'
+      'why[explain why packages or modules are needed]'
+    )
+
+    if (( CURRENT == 3 )); then
+      _values 'go mod commands' ${mod_commands[@]} "help[display help]"
+      return
+    fi
+
+    case ${words[3]} in
+    help)
+      _values 'go mod commands' ${mod_commands[@]}
+      ;;
+    download)
+      _arguments -s -w : \
+        "-json[print a sequence of JSON objects standard output]" \
+        "*:flags"
+      ;;
+    edit)
+      _arguments -s -w : \
+        "-fmt[reformat the go.mod file]" \
+        "-module[change the module's path]" \
+        "-replace[=old{@v}=new{@v} add a replacement of the given module path and version pair]:name" \
+        "-dropreplace[=old{@v}=new{@v} drop a replacement of the given module path and version pair]:name" \
+        "-go[={version} set the expected Go language version]:number" \
+        "-print[print the final go.mod in its text format]" \
+        "-json[print the final go.mod file in JSON format]" \
+        "*:flags"
+      ;;
+    graph)
+      ;;
+    init)
+      ;;
+    tidy)
+      _arguments -s -w : \
+        "-v[print information about removed modules]" \
+        "*:flags"
+      ;;
+    vendor)
+      _arguments -s -w : \
+        "-v[print the names of vendored]" \
+        "*:flags"
+      ;;
+    verify)
+      ;;
+    why)
+      _arguments -s -w : \
+        "-m[treats the arguments as a list of modules and finds a path to any package in each of the modules]" \
+        "-vendor[exclude tests of dependencies]" \
+        "*:importpaths:__go_packages"
+      ;;
+    esac
+    ;;
+  help)
+    _values "${commands[@]}" \
+      'environment[show Go environment variables available]' \
+      'gopath[GOPATH environment variable]' \
+      'packages[description of package lists]' \
+      'remote[remote import path syntax]' \
+      'testflag[description of testing flags]' \
+      'testfunc[description of testing functions]'
+    ;;
+  run)
+    _arguments -s -w : \
+      ${build_flags[@]} \
+      '*:file:_files -g "*.go"'
+    ;;
+  tool)
+    if (( CURRENT == 3 )); then
+        _values "go tool" $(go tool)
+        return
+    fi
+    case ${words[3]} in
+    [568]g)
+        _arguments -s -w : \
+            '-I[search for packages in DIR]:includes:_path_files -/' \
+            '-L[show full path in file:line prints]' \
+            '-S[print the assembly language]' \
+            '-V[print the compiler version]' \
+            '-e[no limit on number of errors printed]' \
+            '-h[panic on an error]' \
+            '-l[disable inlining]' \
+            '-m[print optimization decisions]' \
+            '-o[file specify output file]:file' \
+            '-p[assumed import path for this code]:importpath' \
+            '-u[disable package unsafe]' \
+            "*:file:_files -g '*.go'"
+        ;;
+    [568]l)
+        local O=${words[3]%l}
+        _arguments -s -w : \
+            '-o[file specify output file]:file' \
+            '-L[search for packages in DIR]:includes:_path_files -/' \
+            "*:file:_files -g '*.[ao$O]'"
+        ;;
+    dist)
+        _values "dist tool" banner bootstrap clean env install version
+        ;;
+    *)
+        # use files by default
+        _files
+        ;;
+    esac
+    ;;
+  esac
+}
+
+_go "$@"
diff --git a/plugins/golang/golang.plugin.zsh b/plugins/golang/golang.plugin.zsh
index 6d1eb40c2..4dafecd86 100644
--- a/plugins/golang/golang.plugin.zsh
+++ b/plugins/golang/golang.plugin.zsh
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## completion
+compctl -g "*.go" gofmt # standard go tools
+compctl -g "*.go" gccgo # gccgo
+
 # gc
 for p in 5 6 8; do
   compctl -g "*.${p}" ${p}l
@@ -5,256 +9,7 @@ for p in 5 6 8; do
 done
 unset p
 
-# standard go tools
-compctl -g "*.go" gofmt
-
-# gccgo
-compctl -g "*.go" gccgo
-
-# go tool
-__go_tool_complete() {
-  typeset -a commands build_flags
-  commands+=(
-    'build[compile packages and dependencies]'
-    'clean[remove object files]'
-    'doc[run godoc on package sources]'
-    'env[print Go environment information]'
-    'fix[run go tool fix on packages]'
-    'fmt[run gofmt on package sources]'
-    'generate[generate Go files by processing source]'
-    'get[download and install packages and dependencies]'
-    'help[display help]'
-    'install[compile and install packages and dependencies]'
-    'list[list packages]'
-    'mod[modules maintenance]'
-    'run[compile and run Go program]'
-    'test[test packages]'
-    'tool[run specified go tool]'
-    'version[print Go version]'
-    'vet[run go tool vet on packages]'
-  )
-  if (( CURRENT == 2 )); then
-    # explain go commands
-    _values 'go tool commands' ${commands[@]}
-    return
-  fi
-  build_flags=(
-    '-a[force reinstallation of packages that are already up to date]'
-    '-n[print the commands but do not run them]'
-    '-p[number of parallel builds]:number'
-    '-race[enable data race detection]'
-    '-x[print the commands]'
-    '-work[print temporary directory name and keep it]'
-    '-ccflags[flags for 5c/6c/8c]:flags'
-    '-gcflags[flags for 5g/6g/8g]:flags'
-    '-ldflags[flags for 5l/6l/8l]:flags'
-    '-gccgoflags[flags for gccgo]:flags'
-    '-compiler[name of compiler to use]:name'
-    '-installsuffix[suffix to add to package directory]:suffix'
-    '-tags[list of build tags to consider satisfied]:tags'
-  )
-  __go_packages() {
-      local gopaths
-      declare -a gopaths
-      gopaths=("${(s/:/)$(go env GOPATH)}")
-      gopaths+=("$(go env GOROOT)")
-      for p in $gopaths; do
-        _path_files -W "$p/src" -/
-      done
-  }
-  __go_identifiers() {
-      compadd $(godoc -templates $ZSH/plugins/golang/templates ${words[-2]} 2> /dev/null)
-  }
-  case ${words[2]} in
-  doc)
-    _arguments -s -w \
-      "-c[symbol matching honors case (paths not affected)]" \
-      "-cmd[show symbols with package docs even if package is a command]" \
-      "-u[show unexported symbols as well as exported]" \
-      "2:importpaths:__go_packages" \
-      ":next identifiers:__go_identifiers"
-      ;;
-  clean)
-    _arguments -s -w \
-      "-i[remove the corresponding installed archive or binary (what 'go install' would create)]" \
-      "-n[print the remove commands it would execute, but not run them]" \
-      "-r[apply recursively to all the dependencies of the packages named by the import paths]" \
-      "-x[print remove commands as it executes them]" \
-      "*:importpaths:__go_packages"
-      ;;
-  fix|fmt|vet)
-      _alternative ':importpaths:__go_packages' ':files:_path_files -g "*.go"'
-      ;;
-  install)
-      _arguments -s -w : ${build_flags[@]} \
-        "-v[show package names]" \
-        '*:importpaths:__go_packages'
-      ;;
-  get)
-      _arguments -s -w : \
-        ${build_flags[@]}
-      ;;
-  build)
-      _arguments -s -w : \
-        ${build_flags[@]} \
-        "-v[show package names]" \
-        "-o[output file]:file:_files" \
-        "*:args:{ _alternative ':importpaths:__go_packages' ':files:_path_files -g \"*.go\"' }"
-      ;;
-  test)
-      _arguments -s -w : \
-        ${build_flags[@]} \
-        "-c[do not run, compile the test binary]" \
-        "-i[do not run, install dependencies]" \
-        "-v[print test output]" \
-        "-x[print the commands]" \
-        "-short[use short mode]" \
-        "-parallel[number of parallel tests]:number" \
-        "-cpu[values of GOMAXPROCS to use]:number list" \
-        "-run[run tests and examples matching regexp]:regexp" \
-        "-bench[run benchmarks matching regexp]:regexp" \
-        "-benchmem[print memory allocation stats]" \
-        "-benchtime[run each benchmark until taking this long]:duration" \
-        "-blockprofile[write goroutine blocking profile to file]:file" \
-        "-blockprofilerate[set sampling rate of goroutine blocking profile]:number" \
-        "-timeout[kill test after that duration]:duration" \
-        "-cpuprofile[write CPU profile to file]:file:_files" \
-        "-memprofile[write heap profile to file]:file:_files" \
-        "-memprofilerate[set heap profiling rate]:number" \
-        "*:args:{ _alternative ':importpaths:__go_packages' ':files:_path_files -g \"*.go\"' }"
-      ;;
-  list)
-      _arguments -s -w : \
-        "-f[alternative format for the list]:format" \
-        "-json[print data in json format]" \
-        "-compiled[set CompiledGoFiles to the Go source files presented to the compiler]" \
-        "-deps[iterate over not just the named packages but also all their dependencies]" \
-        "-e[change the handling of erroneous packages]" \
-        "-export[set the Export field to the name of a file containing up-to-date export information for the given package]" \
-        "-find[identify the named packages but not resolve their dependencies]" \
-        "-test[report not only the named packages but also their test binaries]" \
-        "-m[list modules instead of packages]" \
-        "-u[adds information about available upgrades]" \
-        "-versions[set the Module's Versions field to a list of all known versions of that module]:number" \
-        "*:importpaths:__go_packages"
-      ;;
-  mod)
-      typeset -a mod_commands
-      mod_commands+=(
-        'download[download modules to local cache]'
-        'edit[edit go.mod from tools or scripts]'
-        'graph[print module requirement graph]'
-        'init[initialize new module in current directory]'
-        'tidy[add missing and remove unused modules]'
-        'vendor[make vendored copy of dependencies]'
-        'verify[verify dependencies have expected content]'
-        'why[explain why packages or modules are needed]'
-      )
-      if (( CURRENT == 3 )); then
-          _values 'go mod commands' ${mod_commands[@]} "help[display help]"
-          return
-      fi
-      case ${words[3]} in
-      help)
-        _values 'go mod commands' ${mod_commands[@]}
-        ;;
-      download)
-        _arguments -s -w : \
-          "-json[print a sequence of JSON objects standard output]" \
-          "*:flags"
-        ;;
-      edit)
-        _arguments -s -w : \
-          "-fmt[reformat the go.mod file]" \
-          "-module[change the module's path]" \
-          "-replace[=old{@v}=new{@v} add a replacement of the given module path and version pair]:name" \
-          "-dropreplace[=old{@v}=new{@v} drop a replacement of the given module path and version pair]:name" \
-          "-go[={version} set the expected Go language version]:number" \
-          "-print[print the final go.mod in its text format]" \
-          "-json[print the final go.mod file in JSON format]" \
-          "*:flags"
-        ;;
-      graph)
-        ;;
-      init)   
-        ;;
-      tidy)
-        _arguments -s -w : \
-          "-v[print information about removed modules]" \
-          "*:flags"
-        ;;
-      vendor)
-        _arguments -s -w : \
-          "-v[print the names of vendored]" \
-          "*:flags"
-        ;;
-      verify)
-        ;;
-      why)
-        _arguments -s -w : \
-          "-m[treats the arguments as a list of modules and finds a path to any package in each of the modules]" \
-          "-vendor[exclude tests of dependencies]" \
-          "*:importpaths:__go_packages"
-        ;;
-      esac
-      ;;
-  help)
-      _values "${commands[@]}" \
-        'environment[show Go environment variables available]' \
-        'gopath[GOPATH environment variable]' \
-        'packages[description of package lists]' \
-        'remote[remote import path syntax]' \
-        'testflag[description of testing flags]' \
-        'testfunc[description of testing functions]'
-      ;;
-  run)
-      _arguments -s -w : \
-          ${build_flags[@]} \
-          '*:file:_files -g "*.go"'
-      ;;
-  tool)
-      if (( CURRENT == 3 )); then
-          _values "go tool" $(go tool)
-          return
-      fi
-      case ${words[3]} in
-      [568]g)
-          _arguments -s -w : \
-              '-I[search for packages in DIR]:includes:_path_files -/' \
-              '-L[show full path in file:line prints]' \
-              '-S[print the assembly language]' \
-              '-V[print the compiler version]' \
-              '-e[no limit on number of errors printed]' \
-              '-h[panic on an error]' \
-              '-l[disable inlining]' \
-              '-m[print optimization decisions]' \
-              '-o[file specify output file]:file' \
-              '-p[assumed import path for this code]:importpath' \
-              '-u[disable package unsafe]' \
-              "*:file:_files -g '*.go'"
-          ;;
-      [568]l)
-          local O=${words[3]%l}
-          _arguments -s -w : \
-              '-o[file specify output file]:file' \
-              '-L[search for packages in DIR]:includes:_path_files -/' \
-              "*:file:_files -g '*.[ao$O]'"
-          ;;
-      dist)
-          _values "dist tool" banner bootstrap clean env install version
-          ;;
-      *)
-          # use files by default
-          _files
-          ;;
-      esac
-      ;;
-  esac
-}
-
-compdef __go_tool_complete go
-
-# aliases: go<~>
+## aliases
 alias gob='go build'
 alias goc='go clean'
 alias god='go doc'