diff --git a/go/private/BUILD.sdk.bazel b/go/private/BUILD.sdk.bazel
index d33813e098..305fce8c5b 100644
--- a/go/private/BUILD.sdk.bazel
+++ b/go/private/BUILD.sdk.bazel
@@ -97,6 +97,13 @@ config_setting(
     },
 )
 
+config_setting(
+    name = "match_sdk_type",
+    flag_values = {
+        sdk_version_label: "{sdk_type}",
+    },
+)
+
 selects.config_setting_group(
     name = "sdk_version_setting",
     match_any = [
@@ -105,6 +112,7 @@ selects.config_setting_group(
         ":match_major_minor_version",
         ":match_patch_version",
         ":match_prerelease_version",
+        ":match_sdk_type",
     ],
 )
 
diff --git a/go/private/sdk.bzl b/go/private/sdk.bzl
index 3bc23d9fa8..9a092e12c3 100644
--- a/go/private/sdk.bzl
+++ b/go/private/sdk.bzl
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ def _go_host_sdk_impl(ctx):
     goroot = _detect_host_sdk(ctx)
     platform = _detect_sdk_platform(ctx, goroot)
     version = _detect_sdk_version(ctx, goroot)
-    _sdk_build_file(ctx, platform, version)
+    _sdk_build_file(ctx, platform, version, "host")
     _local_sdk(ctx, goroot)
 
 _go_host_sdk = repository_rule(
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ def _local_sdk(ctx, path):
     for entry in ["src", "pkg", "bin", "lib"]:
         ctx.symlink(path + "/" + entry, entry)
 
-def _sdk_build_file(ctx, platform, version):
+def _sdk_build_file(ctx, platform, version, sdk_type = "remote"):
     ctx.file("ROOT")
     goos, _, goarch = platform.partition("_")
 
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@ def _sdk_build_file(ctx, platform, version):
             "{minor_version}": str(minor),
             "{patch_version}": str(patch),
             "{prerelease_suffix}": prerelease,
+            "{sdk_type}": sdk_type,
         },
     )
 
diff --git a/go/toolchains.rst b/go/toolchains.rst
index 25b7ee84c5..74f01e724b 100644
--- a/go/toolchains.rst
+++ b/go/toolchains.rst
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ the flag ``--@io_bazel_rules_go//go/toolchain:sdk_version="version"`` where
 ``"version"`` is the SDK version you would like to build with, eg. ``"1.18.3"``.
 The SDK version can omit the patch, or include a prerelease part, eg. ``"1"``,
 ``"1.18"``, ``"1.18.0"``, and ``"1.19.0beta1"`` are all valid values for ``sdk_version``.
+When ``go_host_sdk`` is used, ``"version"`` can be set to ``host`` to refer to the host Go SDK.
+It can also be set ``remote`` to match any non-host version.
 
 The toolchain
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/tests/core/go_download_sdk/go_download_sdk_test.go b/tests/core/go_download_sdk/go_download_sdk_test.go
index 51dd5c0ae4..4a5999ee10 100644
--- a/tests/core/go_download_sdk/go_download_sdk_test.go
+++ b/tests/core/go_download_sdk/go_download_sdk_test.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ go_download_sdk(
 		{
 			desc: "multiple_sdks",
 			rule: `
-load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:deps.bzl", "go_download_sdk")
+load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:deps.bzl", "go_download_sdk", "go_host_sdk")
 
 go_download_sdk(
     name = "go_sdk",
@@ -107,7 +107,8 @@ go_download_sdk(
 `,
 			optToWantVersion: map[string]string{
 				"": "go1.16",
-				"--@io_bazel_rules_go//go/toolchain:sdk_version=1":   "go1.16",
+				"--@io_bazel_rules_go//go/toolchain:sdk_version=remote": "go1.16",
+				"--@io_bazel_rules_go//go/toolchain:sdk_version=1":      "go1.16",
 				"--@io_bazel_rules_go//go/toolchain:sdk_version=1.17":   "go1.17",
 				"--@io_bazel_rules_go//go/toolchain:sdk_version=1.17.0": "go1.17",
 				"--@io_bazel_rules_go//go/toolchain:sdk_version=1.17.1": "go1.17.1",
@@ -122,7 +123,7 @@ go_download_sdk(
 
 			i := bytes.Index(origWorkspaceData, []byte("go_rules_dependencies()"))
 			if i < 0 {
-				t.Fatalf("%s: could not find call to go_rules_dependencies()")
+				t.Fatal("could not find call to go_rules_dependencies()")
 			}
 
 			buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
@@ -143,17 +144,19 @@ go_register_toolchains()
 			}()
 
 			for opt, wantVersion := range test.optToWantVersion {
-				args := []string{
-					"test",
-					"//:version_test",
-					"--test_arg=-version=" + wantVersion,
-				}
-				if opt != "" {
-					args = append(args, opt)
-				}
-				if err := bazel_testing.RunBazel(args...); err != nil {
-					t.Fatal(err)
-				}
+				t.Run(wantVersion, func(t *testing.T) {
+					args := []string{
+						"test",
+						"//:version_test",
+						"--test_arg=-version=" + wantVersion,
+					}
+					if opt != "" {
+						args = append(args, opt)
+					}
+					if err := bazel_testing.RunBazel(args...); err != nil {
+						t.Fatal(err)
+					}
+				})
 			}
 		})
 	}