diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index cd75b1e..a30914b 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -268,7 +268,10 @@ type errJustExit int
 func (e errJustExit) Error() string { return fmt.Sprintf("exit: %d", e) }
 
 func goVersionOK() bool {
-	const minGoVersion = "go1.22"
+	const (
+		minGoVersion = "go1.22" // the first major version we support
+		maxGoVersion = "go1.23" // the first major version we don't support
+	)
 
 	// rxVersion looks for a version like "go1.2" or "go1.2.3" in `go env GOVERSION`.
 	rxVersion := regexp.MustCompile(`go\d+\.\d+(?:\.\d+)?`)
@@ -285,6 +288,10 @@ func goVersionOK() bool {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Go version %q is too old; please upgrade to %s or newer\n", toolchainVersionFull, minGoVersion)
 		return false
 	}
+	if version.Compare(sharedCache.GoVersion, maxGoVersion) >= 0 {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Go version %q is too new; Go linker patches aren't available for %s or later yet\n", toolchainVersionFull, maxGoVersion)
+		return false
+	}
 
 	// Ensure that the version of Go that built the garble binary is equal or
 	// newer than cache.GoVersionSemver.
diff --git a/testdata/script/goversion.txtar b/testdata/script/goversion.txtar
index 9ef85cc..fb07ae2 100644
--- a/testdata/script/goversion.txtar
+++ b/testdata/script/goversion.txtar
@@ -32,15 +32,15 @@ env TOOLCHAIN_GOVERSION='go1.14'
 ! exec garble build
 stderr 'Go version "go1\.14" is too old; please upgrade to go1\.22 or newer'
 
-# We should accept a future stable version.
+# We should reject a future stable version, as we don't have linker patches yet.
 # Note that we need to bump the version of Go that supposedly built it, too.
 env GARBLE_TEST_GOVERSION='go1.28.2'
 env TOOLCHAIN_GOVERSION='go1.28.2'
 ! exec garble build
-stderr 'mocking the real build'
+stderr 'Go version "go1\.28\.2" is too new; Go linker patches aren''t available for go1\.23 or later yet'
 
 # We should accept custom devel strings.
-env TOOLCHAIN_GOVERSION='devel go1.23-somecustomversion'
+env TOOLCHAIN_GOVERSION='devel go1.22-somecustomversion'
 ! exec garble build
 stderr 'mocking the real build'