diff --git a/syntax_checkers/go/go.vim b/syntax_checkers/go/go.vim
index 37c297a0..a7f6b10a 100644
--- a/syntax_checkers/go/go.vim
+++ b/syntax_checkers/go/go.vim
@@ -50,20 +50,16 @@ function! SyntaxCheckers_go_go_GetLocList() dict
     " Test files, i.e. files with a name ending in `_test.go`, are not
     " compiled by `go build`, therefore `go test` must be called for those.
     if match(expand('%', 1), '\m_test\.go$') == -1
+        let cmd = 'build'
         let opts = syntastic#util#var('go_go_build_args')
-        if type(opts) != type('') || opts != ''
-            let opts = join(syntastic#util#argsescape(opts))
-        endif
-        let makeprg = self.getExec() . ' build ' . opts . ' ' . syntastic#c#NullOutput()
         let cleanup = 0
     else
+        let cmd = 'test -c'
         let opts = syntastic#util#var('go_go_test_args')
-        if type(opts) != type('') || opts != ''
-            let opts = join(syntastic#util#argsescape(opts))
-        endif
-        let makeprg = self.getExec() . ' test -c ' . opts . ' ' . syntastic#c#NullOutput()
         let cleanup = 1
     endif
+    let opt_str = (type(opts) != type('') || opts != '') ? join(syntastic#util#argsescape(opts)) : opts
+    let makeprg = self.getExec() . ' ' . cmd . ' ' . opt_str . ' ' . syntastic#c#NullOutput()
 
     " The first pattern is for warnings from C compilers.
     let errorformat =