diff --git a/go/private/actions/compilepkg.bzl b/go/private/actions/compilepkg.bzl
index 6398616000..48eb6dc9b9 100644
--- a/go/private/actions/compilepkg.bzl
+++ b/go/private/actions/compilepkg.bzl
@@ -92,10 +92,7 @@ def emit_compilepkg(
     if testfilter:
         args.add("-testfilter", testfilter)
 
-    gc_flags = [
-        go._ctx.expand_make_variables("gc_goopts", f, {})
-        for f in gc_goopts
-    ]
+    gc_flags = list(gc_goopts)
     asm_flags = []
     if go.mode.race:
         gc_flags.append("-race")
diff --git a/go/private/context.bzl b/go/private/context.bzl
index f82ab66f4f..e5cef027a7 100644
--- a/go/private/context.bzl
+++ b/go/private/context.bzl
@@ -226,14 +226,14 @@ def _library_to_source(go, attr, library, coverage_instrumented):
         "embedsrcs": embedsrcs,
         "x_defs": {},
         "deps": getattr(attr, "deps", []),
-        "gc_goopts": getattr(attr, "gc_goopts", []),
+        "gc_goopts": _expand_opts(go, "gc_goopts", getattr(attr, "gc_goopts", [])),
         "runfiles": _collect_runfiles(go, getattr(attr, "data", []), getattr(attr, "deps", [])),
         "cgo": getattr(attr, "cgo", False),
         "cdeps": getattr(attr, "cdeps", []),
-        "cppopts": getattr(attr, "cppopts", []),
-        "copts": getattr(attr, "copts", []),
-        "cxxopts": getattr(attr, "cxxopts", []),
-        "clinkopts": getattr(attr, "clinkopts", []),
+        "cppopts": _expand_opts(go, "cppopts", getattr(attr, "cppopts", [])),
+        "copts": _expand_opts(go, "copts", getattr(attr, "copts", [])),
+        "cxxopts": _expand_opts(go, "cxxopts", getattr(attr, "cxxopts", [])),
+        "clinkopts": _expand_opts(go, "clinkopts", getattr(attr, "clinkopts", [])),
         "cgo_deps": [],
         "cgo_exports": [],
     }
@@ -815,3 +815,6 @@ go_config = rule(
     configuration. Rules may depend on this instead of depending on all
     the build settings directly.""",
 )
+
+def _expand_opts(go, attribute_name, opts):
+    return [go._ctx.expand_make_variables(attribute_name, opt, {}) for opt in opts]
diff --git a/tests/core/cgo/BUILD.bazel b/tests/core/cgo/BUILD.bazel
index 68a7668f91..fd8dfec486 100644
--- a/tests/core/cgo/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/tests/core/cgo/BUILD.bazel
@@ -7,6 +7,33 @@ go_test(
     embed = [":opts"],
 )
 
+genrule(
+    name = "generate_header_copts",
+    outs = ["generated_copts/generated_copts.h"],
+    cmd = "echo '#define GENERATED_COPTS 1' >$@",
+)
+
+genrule(
+    name = "generate_header_cppopts",
+    outs = ["generated_cppopts/generated_cppopts.h"],
+    cmd = "echo '#define GENERATED_CPPOPTS 1' >$@",
+)
+
+genrule(
+    name = "generate_header_cxxopts",
+    outs = ["generated_cxxopts/generated_cxxopts.h"],
+    cmd = "echo '#define GENERATED_CXXOPTS 1' >$@",
+)
+
+cc_library(
+    name = "generated_headers",
+    hdrs = [
+        "generated_copts/generated_copts.h",
+        "generated_cppopts/generated_cppopts.h",
+        "generated_cxxopts/generated_cxxopts.h",
+    ],
+)
+
 go_library(
     name = "opts",
     srcs = [
@@ -21,10 +48,23 @@ go_library(
         ],
         "//conditions:default": [],
     }),
+    cdeps = [":generated_headers"],
     cgo = True,
-    copts = ["-DRULES_GO_C"],
-    cppopts = ["-DRULES_GO_CPP"],
-    cxxopts = ["-DRULES_GO_CXX"],
+    copts = [
+        "-DRULES_GO_C",
+        "-I$(GENDIR)/tests/core/cgo/generated_copts",
+        "-DDOLLAR_SIGN_C=$$",  # the dollar sign should be escaped
+    ],
+    cppopts = [
+        "-DRULES_GO_CPP",
+        "-I$(GENDIR)/tests/core/cgo/generated_cppopts",
+        "-DDOLLAR_SIGN_CPP=$$",  # the dollar sign should be escaped
+    ],
+    cxxopts = [
+        "-DRULES_GO_CXX",
+        "-I$(GENDIR)/tests/core/cgo/generated_cxxopts",
+        "-DDOLLAR_SIGN_CXX=$$",  # the dollar sign should be escaped
+    ],
     importpath = "github.com/bazelbuild/rules_go/tests/core/cxx",
 )
 
diff --git a/tests/core/cgo/add.c b/tests/core/cgo/add.c
index ecb94d2946..fba09af282 100644
--- a/tests/core/cgo/add.c
+++ b/tests/core/cgo/add.c
@@ -1,9 +1,19 @@
 #include <add.h>
+#include <generated_cppopts.h>
+#include <generated_copts.h>
 
 #if !defined(RULES_GO_C) || !defined(RULES_GO_CPP) || defined(RULES_GO_CXX)
 #error This is a C file, only RULES_GO_C and RULES_GO_CPP should be defined.
 #endif
 
+#if !defined(GENERATED_COPTS) || !defined(GENERATED_CPPOPTS) || defined(GENERATED_CXXOPTS)
+#error Generated headers should be correctly included
+#endif
+
 int add_c(int a, int b) {
-    return a + b;
+    int $ = 0;
+    int sum = a + b;
+    sum += DOLLAR_SIGN_C;
+    sum += DOLLAR_SIGN_CPP;
+    return sum;
 }
diff --git a/tests/core/cgo/add.cpp b/tests/core/cgo/add.cpp
index 87d78e8035..e5dbc0a93b 100644
--- a/tests/core/cgo/add.cpp
+++ b/tests/core/cgo/add.cpp
@@ -1,9 +1,19 @@
 #include "add.h"
+#include <generated_cppopts.h>
+#include <generated_cxxopts.h>
 
 #if !defined(RULES_GO_CPP) || !defined(RULES_GO_CXX) || defined(RULES_GO_C)
 #error This is a C++ file, only RULES_GO_CXX and RULES_GO_CPP should be defined.
 #endif
 
+#if !defined(GENERATED_CPPOPTS) || !defined(GENERATED_CXXOPTS) || defined(GENERATED_COPTS)
+#error Generated headers should be correctly included
+#endif
+
 int add_cpp(int a, int b) {
-    return a + b;
+    int $ = 0;
+    int sum = a + b;
+    sum += DOLLAR_SIGN_CXX;
+    sum += DOLLAR_SIGN_CPP;
+    return sum;
 }
diff --git a/tests/core/cgo/add.m b/tests/core/cgo/add.m
index d0df575f78..5a321b29fd 100644
--- a/tests/core/cgo/add.m
+++ b/tests/core/cgo/add.m
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 #include "add.h"
+#include <generated_cppopts.h>
+#include <generated_copts.h>
 
 #if !defined(RULES_GO_C) || !defined(RULES_GO_CPP) || defined(RULES_GO_CXX)
 #error This is an Objective-C file, only RULES_GO_C and RULES_GO_CPP should be defined.
 #endif
+
+#if !defined(GENERATED_COPTS) || !defined(GENERATED_CPPOPTS) || defined(GENERATED_CXXOPTS)
+#error Generated headers should be correctly included
+#endif
diff --git a/tests/core/cgo/add.mm b/tests/core/cgo/add.mm
index 2b9693d171..aed54ab527 100644
--- a/tests/core/cgo/add.mm
+++ b/tests/core/cgo/add.mm
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 #include "add.h"
+#include <generated_cppopts.h>
+#include <generated_cxxopts.h>
 
 #if !defined(RULES_GO_CPP) || !defined(RULES_GO_CXX) || defined(RULES_GO_C)
 #error This is an Objective-C++ file, only RULES_GO_CXX and RULES_GO_CPP should be defined.
 #endif
+
+#if !defined(GENERATED_CPPOPTS) || !defined(GENERATED_CXXOPTS) || defined(GENERATED_COPTS)
+#error Generated headers should be correctly included
+#endif