diff --git a/BUILD b/BUILD
index 199b2b9fb3..bf2f00a66e 100644
--- a/BUILD
+++ b/BUILD
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:def.bzl", "gazelle", "go_prefix", "go_path")
+load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:def.bzl", "gazelle", "go_prefix", "go_path", "go_vet_test")
 load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go/private:lines_sorted_test.bzl", "lines_sorted_test")
 load("@io_bazel_rules_go//proto:go_proto_library.bzl", "go_google_protobuf")
 
@@ -46,3 +46,8 @@ go_path(
     ],
     tags = ["manual"],
 )
+
+go_vet_test(
+    name = "vet",
+    data = [":all_srcs"]
+)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/go/def.bzl b/go/def.bzl
index 62f4090f3b..270f6bde81 100644
--- a/go/def.bzl
+++ b/go/def.bzl
@@ -26,9 +26,12 @@ load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go/private:wrappers.bzl",
     _go_binary_macro = "go_binary_macro",
     _go_test_macro = "go_test_macro",
 )
-load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go/private:path.bzl", 
+load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go/private/tools:path.bzl", 
   _go_path = "go_path",
 )
+load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go/private/tools:vet.bzl", 
+  _go_vet_test = "go_vet_test",
+)
 
 GoLibrary = _GoLibrary
 """
@@ -126,6 +129,11 @@ go_path = _go_path
         "mode": attr.string(default="link", values=["link", "copy"]) # Whether to copy files or produce soft links
 """
 
+go_vet_test = _go_vet_test
+"""
+    go_vet_test 
+"""
+
 
 # Compatability shims
 def cgo_genrule(name, tags=[], **kwargs):
diff --git a/go/private/BUILD b/go/private/BUILD
index 72593b4af7..c26acb3002 100644
--- a/go/private/BUILD
+++ b/go/private/BUILD
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 filegroup(
     name = "all_rules",
-    srcs = glob(["*.bzl"]),
+    srcs = glob(["*.bzl"]) + ["//go/private/tools:all_rules"],
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
 )
diff --git a/go/private/tools/BUILD b/go/private/tools/BUILD
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..72593b4af7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go/private/tools/BUILD
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+filegroup(
+    name = "all_rules",
+    srcs = glob(["*.bzl"]),
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+)
diff --git a/go/private/path.bzl b/go/private/tools/path.bzl
similarity index 95%
rename from go/private/path.bzl
rename to go/private/tools/path.bzl
index 034c96b279..92b377338a 100644
--- a/go/private/path.bzl
+++ b/go/private/tools/path.bzl
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ and
         ctx.template_action(template=src, output=out, substitutions={})
       elif ctx.attr.mode == "link":
         ctx.action(
-            command='ln -s $(realpath "$1") "$2"',
+            command='ln -s $(readlink "$1") "$2"',
             arguments=[src.path, out.path],
             inputs=[src],
             outputs=[out],
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ and
   gopath, _, _ = envscript.short_path.rpartition("/")
   ctx.file_action(envscript, content="""
 export GOROOT="{goroot}"
-export GOPATH=$(realpath "{gopath}")
+export GOPATH="$(pwd)/{gopath}")
 """.format(
       goroot=go_toolchain.root.path,
       gopath = gopath,
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ go_path = rule(
     _go_path_impl,
     attrs = {
         "deps": attr.label_list(providers=[GoLibrary]),
-        "mode": attr.string(default="link", values=["link", "copy"]),
+        "mode": attr.string(default="copy", values=["link", "copy"]),
         "_go_toolchain": attr.label(default = Label("@io_bazel_rules_go_toolchain//:go_toolchain")),
     },
 )
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/go/private/tools/vet.bzl b/go/private/tools/vet.bzl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..112cbf39fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go/private/tools/vet.bzl
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+# Copyright 2014 The Bazel Authors. All rights reserved.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go/private:providers.bzl", "GoPath")
+load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go/private:common.bzl", "get_go_toolchain")
+
+def _go_vet_generate_impl(ctx):
+  print("""
+EXPERIMENTAL: the go_vet_test rule is still very experimental
+Please do not rely on it for production use, but feel free to use it and file issues
+""")
+  go_toolchain = get_go_toolchain(ctx)
+  script_file = ctx.new_file(ctx.label.name+".bash")
+  gopath = []
+  files = ctx.files.data + [go_toolchain.go]
+  gopath = []
+  packages = []
+  for data in ctx.attr.data:
+    entry = data[GoPath]
+    gopath += [entry.gopath]
+    packages += [package.dir for package in entry.packages]
+  ctx.file_action(output=script_file, executable=True, content="""
+export GOROOT="{goroot}"
+export GOPATH="{gopath}"
+{go} tool vet {packages}
+""".format(
+      go=go_toolchain.go.path,
+      goroot=go_toolchain.root.path,
+      gopath=":".join(['$(pwd)/{})'.format(entry) for entry in gopath]),
+      packages=" ".join(packages),
+  ))
+  return struct(
+    files = depset([script_file]),
+    runfiles = ctx.runfiles(files, collect_data = True),
+  )
+
+_go_vet_generate = rule(
+    _go_vet_generate_impl,
+    attrs = {
+        "data": attr.label_list(providers=[GoPath], cfg = "data"),
+        "_go_toolchain": attr.label(default = Label("@io_bazel_rules_go_toolchain//:go_toolchain")),
+    },
+)
+
+def go_vet_test(name, data, **kwargs):
+  script_name = "generate_"+name
+  _go_vet_generate(
+    name=script_name,
+    data=data,
+    tags = ["manual"],
+  )
+  native.sh_test(
+    name=name,
+    srcs=[script_name],
+    data=data,
+    **kwargs
+  )
\ No newline at end of file