diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/importer/ureader.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/importer/ureader.go
index a22cd2bb5317d..b8938cd2d678d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/importer/ureader.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/importer/ureader.go
@@ -148,11 +148,13 @@ func (pr *pkgReader) pkgIdx(idx int) *types2.Package {
 
 func (r *reader) doPkg() *types2.Package {
 	path := r.String()
-	if path == "builtin" {
-		return nil // universe
-	}
-	if path == "" {
+	switch path {
+	case "":
 		path = r.p.PkgPath()
+	case "builtin":
+		return nil // universe
+	case "unsafe":
+		return types2.Unsafe
 	}
 
 	if pkg := r.p.imports[path]; pkg != nil {
@@ -371,7 +373,7 @@ func (pr *pkgReader) objIdx(idx int) (*types2.Package, string) {
 	tag := pkgbits.CodeObj(rname.Code(pkgbits.SyncCodeObj))
 
 	if tag == pkgbits.ObjStub {
-		assert(objPkg == nil || objPkg == types2.Unsafe)
+		base.Assertf(objPkg == nil || objPkg == types2.Unsafe, "unexpected stub package: %v", objPkg)
 		return objPkg, objName
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/irgen.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/irgen.go
index 5499ccd405102..628c0f54fc76f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/irgen.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/irgen.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func checkFiles(noders []*noder) (posMap, *types2.Package, *types2.Info) {
 	ctxt := types2.NewContext()
 	importer := gcimports{
 		ctxt:     ctxt,
-		packages: map[string]*types2.Package{"unsafe": types2.Unsafe},
+		packages: make(map[string]*types2.Package),
 	}
 	conf := types2.Config{
 		Context:               ctxt,
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/reader.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/reader.go
index 1350c22467f98..83ebe2477927d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/reader.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/reader.go
@@ -282,11 +282,13 @@ func (pr *pkgReader) pkgIdx(idx int) *types.Pkg {
 
 func (r *reader) doPkg() *types.Pkg {
 	path := r.String()
-	if path == "builtin" {
-		return types.BuiltinPkg
-	}
-	if path == "" {
+	switch path {
+	case "":
 		path = r.p.PkgPath()
+	case "builtin":
+		return types.BuiltinPkg
+	case "unsafe":
+		return types.UnsafePkg
 	}
 
 	name := r.String()
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/writer.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/writer.go
index 0fb162d381b97..39f0ad794f0e5 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/writer.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/noder/writer.go
@@ -214,13 +214,21 @@ func (pw *pkgWriter) pkgIdx(pkg *types2.Package) int {
 	w := pw.newWriter(pkgbits.RelocPkg, pkgbits.SyncPkgDef)
 	pw.pkgsIdx[pkg] = w.Idx
 
-	if pkg == nil {
-		w.String("builtin")
-	} else {
+	// The universe and package unsafe need to be handled specially by
+	// importers anyway, so we serialize them using just their package
+	// path. This ensures that readers don't confuse them for
+	// user-defined packages.
+	switch pkg {
+	case nil: // universe
+		w.String("builtin") // same package path used by godoc
+	case types2.Unsafe:
+		w.String("unsafe")
+	default:
 		var path string
 		if pkg != w.p.curpkg {
 			path = pkg.Path()
 		}
+		base.Assertf(path != "builtin" && path != "unsafe", "unexpected path for user-defined package: %q", path)
 		w.String(path)
 		w.String(pkg.Name())
 		w.Len(pkg.Height())
diff --git a/src/go/internal/gcimporter/ureader.go b/src/go/internal/gcimporter/ureader.go
index 5260759c4fc1f..e27d3e0b4d27c 100644
--- a/src/go/internal/gcimporter/ureader.go
+++ b/src/go/internal/gcimporter/ureader.go
@@ -184,15 +184,14 @@ func (pr *pkgReader) pkgIdx(idx int) *types.Package {
 
 func (r *reader) doPkg() *types.Package {
 	path := r.String()
-	if path == "builtin" {
+	switch path {
+	case "":
+		path = r.p.PkgPath()
+	case "builtin":
 		return nil // universe
-	}
-	if path == "unsafe" {
+	case "unsafe":
 		return types.Unsafe
 	}
-	if path == "" {
-		path = r.p.PkgPath()
-	}
 
 	if pkg := r.p.imports[path]; pkg != nil {
 		return pkg