diff --git a/lang/golang/golang-package.mk b/lang/golang/golang-package.mk
index 303ae0eb3..dc6038621 100644
--- a/lang/golang/golang-package.mk
+++ b/lang/golang/golang-package.mk
@@ -89,7 +89,12 @@ include $(GO_INCLUDE_DIR)/golang-values.mk
 #
 #   Additional go tool link arguments to use when building targets.
 #
-#   e.g. GO_PKG_LDFLAGS:=-s -w
+#   Note that the OpenWrt build system has an option to strip binaries
+#   (enabled by default), so -s (Omit the symbol table and debug
+#   information) and -w (Omit the DWARF symbol table) flags are not
+#   necessary.
+#
+#   e.g. GO_PKG_LDFLAGS:=-r dir1:dir2 -u
 #
 #
 # GO_PKG_LDFLAGS_X - list of string variable definitions, default empty
@@ -147,16 +152,6 @@ ifneq ($(CONFIG_USE_SSTRIP),)
     GO_PKG_STRIP_ARGS:=--strip-all
   endif
   STRIP:=$(TARGET_CROSS)strip $(GO_PKG_STRIP_ARGS)
-  RSTRIP= \
-    export CROSS="$(TARGET_CROSS)" \
-		$(if $(PKG_BUILD_ID),KEEP_BUILD_ID=1) \
-		$(if $(CONFIG_KERNEL_KALLSYMS),NO_RENAME=1) \
-		$(if $(CONFIG_KERNEL_PROFILING),KEEP_SYMBOLS=1); \
-    NM="$(TARGET_CROSS)nm" \
-    STRIP="$(STRIP)" \
-    STRIP_KMOD="$(SCRIPT_DIR)/strip-kmod.sh" \
-    PATCHELF="$(STAGING_DIR_HOST)/bin/patchelf" \
-    $(SCRIPT_DIR)/rstrip.sh
 endif
 
 define GoPackage/GoSubMenu
@@ -165,7 +160,7 @@ define GoPackage/GoSubMenu
   CATEGORY:=Languages
 endef
 
-define GoPackage/Environment/Target
+GO_PKG_TARGET_VARS= \
 	GOOS=$(GO_OS) \
 	GOARCH=$(GO_ARCH) \
 	GO386=$(GO_386) \
@@ -179,20 +174,57 @@ define GoPackage/Environment/Target
 	CGO_CPPFLAGS="$(TARGET_CPPFLAGS)" \
 	CGO_CXXFLAGS="$(filter-out $(GO_CFLAGS_TO_REMOVE),$(TARGET_CXXFLAGS))" \
 	CGO_LDFLAGS="$(TARGET_LDFLAGS)"
-endef
 
-define GoPackage/Environment/Build
+GO_PKG_BUILD_VARS= \
 	GOPATH=$(GO_PKG_BUILD_DIR) \
 	GOCACHE=$(GO_PKG_CACHE_DIR) \
 	GOENV=off
-endef
 
-define GoPackage/Environment/Default
-	$(call GoPackage/Environment/Target) \
-	$(call GoPackage/Environment/Build)
-endef
+GO_PKG_DEFAULT_VARS= \
+	$(GO_PKG_TARGET_VARS) \
+	$(GO_PKG_BUILD_VARS)
+
+GO_PKG_VARS=$(GO_PKG_DEFAULT_VARS)
+
+# do not use for new code; this will be removed after the next OpenWrt release
+GoPackage/Environment=$(GO_PKG_VARS)
+
+GO_PKG_DEFAULT_LDFLAGS= \
+	-buildid '$(SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH)' \
+	-linkmode external \
+	-extldflags '$(patsubst -z%,-Wl$(comma)-z$(comma)%,$(TARGET_LDFLAGS))'
+
+GO_PKG_INSTALL_ARGS= \
+	-v \
+	-trimpath \
+	-ldflags "all=$(GO_PKG_DEFAULT_LDFLAGS)"
+
+ifeq ($(GO_PKG_ENABLE_PIE),1)
+  GO_PKG_INSTALL_ARGS+= -buildmode pie
+endif
 
-GoPackage/Environment=$(call GoPackage/Environment/Default)
+ifeq ($(GO_ARCH),arm)
+  GO_PKG_INSTALL_ARGS+= -installsuffix "v$(GO_ARM)"
+
+else ifneq ($(filter $(GO_ARCH),mips mipsle),)
+  GO_PKG_INSTALL_ARGS+= -installsuffix "$(GO_MIPS)"
+
+else ifneq ($(filter $(GO_ARCH),mips64 mips64le),)
+  GO_PKG_INSTALL_ARGS+= -installsuffix "$(GO_MIPS64)"
+
+endif
+
+ifneq ($(strip $(GO_PKG_GCFLAGS)),)
+  GO_PKG_INSTALL_ARGS+= -gcflags "$(GO_PKG_GCFLAGS)"
+endif
+
+GO_PKG_CUSTOM_LDFLAGS= \
+	$(GO_PKG_LDFLAGS) \
+	$(patsubst %,-X %,$(GO_PKG_LDFLAGS_X))
+
+ifneq ($(strip $(GO_PKG_CUSTOM_LDFLAGS)),)
+  GO_PKG_INSTALL_ARGS+= -ldflags "$(GO_PKG_CUSTOM_LDFLAGS) $(GO_PKG_DEFAULT_LDFLAGS)"
+endif
 
 # false if directory does not exist
 GoPackage/is_dir_not_empty=$$$$($(FIND) $(1) -maxdepth 0 -type d \! -empty 2>/dev/null)
@@ -278,7 +310,7 @@ endef
 define GoPackage/Build/Compile
 	( \
 		cd $(GO_PKG_BUILD_DIR) ; \
-		export $(call GoPackage/Environment) ; \
+		export $(GO_PKG_VARS) ; \
 		\
 		echo "Finding targets" ; \
 		targets=$$$$(go list $(GO_PKG_BUILD_PKG)) ; \
@@ -295,27 +327,7 @@ define GoPackage/Build/Compile
 		\
 		if [ "$(strip $(GO_PKG_SOURCE_ONLY))" != 1 ]; then \
 			echo "Building targets" ; \
-			case $(GO_ARCH) in \
-			arm)             installsuffix="v$(GO_ARM)" ;; \
-			mips|mipsle)     installsuffix="$(GO_MIPS)" ;; \
-			mips64|mips64le) installsuffix="$(GO_MIPS64)" ;; \
-			esac ; \
-			ldflags="-linkmode external -extldflags '$(TARGET_LDFLAGS:-z%=-Wl,-z,%)'" ; \
-			pkg_gcflags="$(strip $(GO_PKG_GCFLAGS))" ; \
-			pkg_ldflags="$(strip $(GO_PKG_LDFLAGS))" ; \
-			for def in $(GO_PKG_LDFLAGS_X); do \
-				pkg_ldflags="$$$$pkg_ldflags -X $$$$def" ; \
-			done ; \
-			go install \
-				$(if $(GO_PKG_ENABLE_PIE),-buildmode pie) \
-				$$$${installsuffix:+-installsuffix $$$$installsuffix} \
-				-trimpath \
-				-ldflags "all=$$$$ldflags" \
-				-v \
-				$$$${pkg_gcflags:+-gcflags "$$$$pkg_gcflags"} \
-				$$$${pkg_ldflags:+-ldflags "$$$$pkg_ldflags $$$$ldflags"} \
-				$(1) \
-				$$$$targets ; \
+			go install $(GO_PKG_INSTALL_ARGS) $(1) $$$$targets ; \
 			retval=$$$$? ; \
 			echo ; \
 			\
diff --git a/lang/golang/golang-values.mk b/lang/golang/golang-values.mk
index 9792cd8aa..d52ad481f 100644
--- a/lang/golang/golang-values.mk
+++ b/lang/golang/golang-values.mk
@@ -156,32 +156,15 @@ ifeq ($(GO_ARCH),386)
 else ifeq ($(GO_ARCH),arm)
   GO_TARGET_FPU:=$(word 2,$(subst +,$(space),$(call qstrip,$(CONFIG_CPU_TYPE))))
 
-  # FPU names from https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-8.3.0/gcc/ARM-Options.html#index-mfpu-1
-  # see also https://github.com/gcc-mirror/gcc/blob/gcc-8_3_0-release/gcc/config/arm/arm-cpus.in
-  #
-  # Assumptions:
-  #
-  # * -d16 variants (16 instead of 32 double-precision registers) acceptable
-  #   Go doesn't appear to check the HWCAP_VFPv3D16 flag in
-  #   https://github.com/golang/go/blob/release-branch.go1.13/src/runtime/os_linux_arm.go
-  #
-  # * Double-precision required
-  #   Based on no evidence(!)
-  #   Excludes vfpv3xd, vfpv3xd-fp16, fpv4-sp-d16, fpv5-sp-d16
-
-  GO_ARM_7_FPUS:= \
-    vfpv3 vfpv3-fp16 vfpv3-d16 vfpv3-d16-fp16 neon neon-vfpv3 neon-fp16 \
-    vfpv4 vfpv4-d16 neon-vfpv4 \
-    fpv5-d16 fp-armv8 neon-fp-armv8 crypto-neon-fp-armv8
-
-  GO_ARM_6_FPUS:=vfp vfpv2
-
-  ifneq ($(filter $(GO_TARGET_FPU),$(GO_ARM_7_FPUS)),)
-    GO_ARM:=7
-  else ifneq ($(filter $(GO_TARGET_FPU),$(GO_ARM_6_FPUS)),)
+  # FPU names from https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-8.4.0/gcc/ARM-Options.html#index-mfpu-1
+  # see also https://github.com/gcc-mirror/gcc/blob/releases/gcc-8.4.0/gcc/config/arm/arm-cpus.in
+
+  ifeq ($(GO_TARGET_FPU),)
+    GO_ARM:=5
+  else ifneq ($(filter $(GO_TARGET_FPU),vfp vfpv2),)
     GO_ARM:=6
   else
-    GO_ARM:=5
+    GO_ARM:=7
   endif
 
 else ifneq ($(filter $(GO_ARCH),mips mipsle),)
diff --git a/lang/golang/golang/Makefile b/lang/golang/golang/Makefile
index 3df43d3de..51020253b 100644
--- a/lang/golang/golang/Makefile
+++ b/lang/golang/golang/Makefile
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ GO_VERSION_PATCH:=2
 
 PKG_NAME:=golang
 PKG_VERSION:=$(GO_VERSION_MAJOR_MINOR)$(if $(GO_VERSION_PATCH),.$(GO_VERSION_PATCH))
-PKG_RELEASE:=1
+PKG_RELEASE:=2
 
 GO_SOURCE_URLS:=https://dl.google.com/go/ \
                 https://mirrors.ustc.edu.cn/golang/ \
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ PKG_UNPACK:=$(HOST_TAR) -C $(PKG_BUILD_DIR) --strip-components=1 -xzf $(DL_DIR)/
 HOST_UNPACK:=$(HOST_TAR) -C $(HOST_BUILD_DIR) --strip-components=1 -xzf $(DL_DIR)/$(PKG_SOURCE)
 BOOTSTRAP_UNPACK:=$(HOST_TAR) -C $(BOOTSTRAP_BUILD_DIR) --strip-components=1 -xzf $(DL_DIR)/$(BOOTSTRAP_SOURCE)
 
-# don't strip ELF executables in test data (and go itself)
+# don't strip ELF executables in test data
 RSTRIP:=:
 STRIP:=:
 
@@ -154,6 +154,23 @@ This package provides an assembler, compiler, linker, and compiled
 libraries for the Go programming language.
 endef
 
+define Package/golang/config
+menu "Configuration"
+
+config GOLANG_EXTERNAL_BOOTSTRAP_ROOT
+	string "External bootstrap Go root directory"
+	help
+	  Path to a working Go tree (>= Go 1.4), with bin, pkg, and src
+	  subdirectories and the Go compiler at bin/go.
+
+	  If specified, the existing Go installation will be used to
+	  compile host (buildroot) Go.
+
+	  Leave blank to compile the default bootstrap Go.
+
+endmenu
+endef
+
 define Package/golang-doc
 $(call Package/golang/Default)
   TITLE+= (documentation)
@@ -177,22 +194,53 @@ This package provides the Go programming language source files needed
 for cross-compilation.
 endef
 
+EXTERNAL_BOOTSTRAP_DIR:=$(call qstrip,$(CONFIG_GOLANG_EXTERNAL_BOOTSTRAP_ROOT))
+USE_DEFAULT_BOOTSTRAP:=$(if $(EXTERNAL_BOOTSTRAP_DIR),,1)
+
+PKG_GO_ZBOOTSTRAP_MODS:= \
+	s/defaultGO386 = `[^`]*`/defaultGO386 = `$(if $(GO_386),$(GO_386),387)`/; \
+	s/defaultGOARM = `[^`]*`/defaultGOARM = `$(if $(GO_ARM),$(GO_ARM),5)`/; \
+	s/defaultGOMIPS = `[^`]*`/defaultGOMIPS = `$(if $(GO_MIPS),$(GO_MIPS),hardfloat)`/; \
+	s/defaultGOMIPS64 = `[^`]*`/defaultGOMIPS64 = `$(if $(GO_MIPS64),$(GO_MIPS64),hardfloat)`/; \
+	s/defaultGOPPC64 = `[^`]*`/defaultGOPPC64 = `power8`/;
+
+PKG_GO_LDFLAGS= \
+	-buildid '$(SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH)'
+
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_NO_STRIP)$(CONFIG_DEBUG),)
+  PKG_GO_LDFLAGS+= -s -w
+endif
+
+# setting -trimpath is not necessary here because the paths inside the
+# compiler binary are relative to GOROOT_FINAL (PKG_GO_ROOT), which is
+# static / not dependent on the build environment
+PKG_GO_INSTALL_ARGS= \
+	-ldflags "all=$(PKG_GO_LDFLAGS)"
+
+ifeq ($(PKG_GO_ENABLE_PIE),1)
+  PKG_GO_INSTALL_ARGS+= -buildmode pie
+endif
+
 define Download/golang-bootstrap
   FILE:=$(BOOTSTRAP_SOURCE)
   URL:=$(BOOTSTRAP_SOURCE_URL)
   HASH:=$(BOOTSTRAP_HASH)
 endef
-$(eval $(call Download,golang-bootstrap))
 
-$(eval $(call GoCompiler/AddProfile,Bootstrap,$(BOOTSTRAP_BUILD_DIR),,bootstrap,$(GO_HOST_OS_ARCH)))
 $(eval $(call GoCompiler/AddProfile,Host,$(HOST_BUILD_DIR),$(HOST_GO_PREFIX),$(HOST_GO_VERSION_ID),$(GO_HOST_OS_ARCH),$(HOST_GO_INSTALL_SUFFIX)))
 $(eval $(call GoCompiler/AddProfile,Package,$(PKG_BUILD_DIR),$(PKG_GO_PREFIX),$(PKG_GO_VERSION_ID),$(GO_OS_ARCH),$(PKG_GO_INSTALL_SUFFIX)))
 
-define Host/Prepare
+ifeq ($(USE_DEFAULT_BOOTSTRAP),1)
+  $(eval $(call GoCompiler/AddProfile,Bootstrap,$(BOOTSTRAP_BUILD_DIR),,bootstrap,$(GO_HOST_OS_ARCH)))
+
+  $(eval $(call Download,golang-bootstrap))
+
+  define Host/Prepare
 	$(call Host/Prepare/Default)
 	mkdir -p $(BOOTSTRAP_BUILD_DIR)
 	$(BOOTSTRAP_UNPACK)
-endef
+  endef
+endif
 
 # when https://github.com/golang/go/issues/31544 is fixed,
 # we should be able to set GO_LDFLAGS=-buildmode=pie for host make
@@ -212,7 +260,7 @@ define Host/Compile
 	)
 
 	$(call GoCompiler/Host/Make, \
-		GOROOT_BOOTSTRAP=$(BOOTSTRAP_BUILD_DIR) \
+		GOROOT_BOOTSTRAP=$(if $(USE_DEFAULT_BOOTSTRAP),$(BOOTSTRAP_BUILD_DIR),$(EXTERNAL_BOOTSTRAP_DIR)) \
 		GOCACHE=$(HOST_GO_CACHE_DIR) \
 		CC=$(HOSTCC_NOCACHE) \
 		CXX=$(HOSTCXX_NOCACHE) \
@@ -282,11 +330,16 @@ define Build/Compile
 		PATH=$(HOST_GO_ROOT)/openwrt:$$$$PATH \
 	)
 
+  ifneq ($(PKG_GO_ZBOOTSTRAP_MODS),)
+	$(SED) '$(PKG_GO_ZBOOTSTRAP_MODS)' \
+		$(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/src/cmd/internal/objabi/zbootstrap.go
+  endif
+
 	@echo "Building target Go second stage"
 
 	( \
 		cd $(PKG_BUILD_DIR)/bin ; \
-		export $(call GoPackage/Environment/Target) ; \
+		export $(GO_PKG_TARGET_VARS) ; \
 		$(CP) go go-host ; \
 		GOROOT_FINAL=$(PKG_GO_ROOT) \
 		GOCACHE=$(PKG_GO_TARGET_CACHE_DIR) \
@@ -298,7 +351,7 @@ define Build/Compile
 		CXX=g++ \
 		PKG_CONFIG=pkg-config \
 		PATH=$(HOST_GO_ROOT)/openwrt:$$$$PATH \
-		./go-host install -a $(if $(PKG_GO_ENABLE_PIE),-buildmode=pie) std cmd ; \
+		./go-host install -a $(PKG_GO_INSTALL_ARGS) std cmd ; \
 		retval=$$$$? ; \
 		rm -f go-host ; \
 		exit $$$$retval ; \
diff --git a/utils/containerd/Makefile b/utils/containerd/Makefile
index 3da8c8cb3..9afce5420 100644
--- a/utils/containerd/Makefile
+++ b/utils/containerd/Makefile
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ endef
 
 GO_PKG_INSTALL_ALL:=1
 MAKE_PATH:=$(GO_PKG_WORK_DIR_NAME)/build/src/$(GO_PKG)
-MAKE_VARS += $(call GoPackage/Environment)
+MAKE_VARS += $(GO_PKG_VARS)
 MAKE_FLAGS += \
 	DESTDIR="$(PKG_INSTALL_DIR)" \
 	VERSION=$(PKG_VERSION) \
diff --git a/utils/docker-ce/Makefile b/utils/docker-ce/Makefile
index a8735fcc7..0305a132f 100644
--- a/utils/docker-ce/Makefile
+++ b/utils/docker-ce/Makefile
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ endif
 
 define Build/Compile
 	( \
-		export $(call GoPackage/Environment) \
+		export $(GO_PKG_VARS) \
 			GITCOMMIT=$(PKG_SOURCE_VERSION) \
 			DOCKER_GITCOMMIT=$(PKG_SOURCE_VERSION) \
 			DOCKER_BUILDTAGS='$(BUILDTAGS)' \
diff --git a/utils/runc/Makefile b/utils/runc/Makefile
index eef25fa8e..605b852b7 100644
--- a/utils/runc/Makefile
+++ b/utils/runc/Makefile
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ endef
 
 GO_PKG_INSTALL_ALL:=1
 MAKE_PATH:=$(GO_PKG_WORK_DIR_NAME)/build/src/$(GO_PKG)
-MAKE_VARS += $(call GoPackage/Environment)
+MAKE_VARS += $(GO_PKG_VARS)
 MAKE_FLAGS += \
 	COMMIT=$(PKG_SOURCE_VERSION)