diff --git a/__tests__/setup-go.test.ts b/__tests__/setup-go.test.ts
index 8cefcce..27c6c7e 100644
--- a/__tests__/setup-go.test.ts
+++ b/__tests__/setup-go.test.ts
@@ -265,6 +265,33 @@ describe('setup-go', () => {
     expect(fileName).toBe('go1.14rc1.linux-amd64.tar.gz');
   });
 
+  it('finds unstable pre-release version using Go-style version format', async () => {
+    os.platform = 'linux';
+    os.arch = 'x64';
+
+    // User specifies "1.14rc1" (Go-style) instead of "1.14.0-rc.1" (semver-style)
+    // This should match go1.14rc1
+    const match: im.IGoVersion | undefined = await im.findMatch('1.14rc1');
+    expect(match).toBeDefined();
+    const version: string = match ? match.version : '';
+    expect(version).toBe('go1.14rc1');
+    const fileName = match ? match.files[0].filename : '';
+    expect(fileName).toBe('go1.14rc1.linux-amd64.tar.gz');
+  });
+
+  it('finds latest version matching caret range with Go-style prerelease', async () => {
+    os.platform = 'linux';
+    os.arch = 'x64';
+
+    // spec: ^1.13beta1 should match go1.13.7 (latest 1.13.x)
+    const match: im.IGoVersion | undefined = await im.findMatch('^1.13beta1');
+    expect(match).toBeDefined();
+    const version: string = match ? match.version : '';
+    expect(version).toBe('go1.13.7');
+    const fileName = match ? match.files[0].filename : '';
+    expect(fileName).toBe('go1.13.7.linux-amd64.tar.gz');
+  });
+
   it('evaluates to stable with input as true', async () => {
     inputs['go-version'] = '1.13.0';
     inputs.stable = 'true';
@@ -683,6 +710,41 @@ describe('setup-go', () => {
     expect(im.makeSemver('1.13.1')).toBe('1.13.1');
   });
 
+  describe('normalizeVersionSpec', () => {
+    it('converts Go-style prerelease to semver format', () => {
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('1.14rc1')).toBe('1.14.0-rc.1');
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('1.14beta1')).toBe('1.14.0-beta.1');
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('1.21rc2')).toBe('1.21.0-rc.2');
+    });
+
+    it('preserves range prefixes when converting', () => {
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('^1.14rc1')).toBe('^1.14.0-rc.1');
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('~1.14beta1')).toBe('~1.14.0-beta.1');
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('>=1.14rc1')).toBe('>=1.14.0-rc.1');
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('>1.14rc1')).toBe('>1.14.0-rc.1');
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('<=1.14rc1')).toBe('<=1.14.0-rc.1');
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('<1.14rc1')).toBe('<1.14.0-rc.1');
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('=1.14rc1')).toBe('=1.14.0-rc.1');
+    });
+
+    it('preserves versions without Go-style prerelease', () => {
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('1.13')).toBe('1.13');
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('1.13.7')).toBe('1.13.7');
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('^1.13.6')).toBe('^1.13.6');
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('>=1.13')).toBe('>=1.13');
+    });
+
+    it('preserves already valid semver prerelease format', () => {
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('1.14.0-rc.1')).toBe('1.14.0-rc.1');
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('^1.14.0-beta.1')).toBe('^1.14.0-beta.1');
+    });
+
+    it('does not match false positives like "traced"', () => {
+      // "traced" contains "rc" but should not be treated as prerelease
+      expect(im.normalizeVersionSpec('1.13traced')).toBe('1.13traced');
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('check-latest flag', () => {
     it("use local version and don't check manifest if check-latest is not specified", async () => {
       os.platform = 'linux';
diff --git a/dist/setup/index.js b/dist/setup/index.js
index e35f338..0133c2f 100644
--- a/dist/setup/index.js
+++ b/dist/setup/index.js
@@ -94474,6 +94474,7 @@ exports.getManifest = getManifest;
 exports.getInfoFromManifest = getInfoFromManifest;
 exports.findMatch = findMatch;
 exports.getVersionsDist = getVersionsDist;
+exports.normalizeVersionSpec = normalizeVersionSpec;
 exports.makeSemver = makeSemver;
 exports.parseGoVersionFile = parseGoVersionFile;
 exports.resolveStableVersionInput = resolveStableVersionInput;
@@ -94758,12 +94759,13 @@ function findMatch(versionSpec_1) {
         if (!candidates) {
             throw new Error(`golang download url did not return results`);
         }
+        const normalizedVersionSpec = normalizeVersionSpec(versionSpec);
         let goFile;
         for (let i = 0; i < candidates.length; i++) {
             const candidate = candidates[i];
             const version = makeSemver(candidate.version);
-            core.debug(`check ${version} satisfies ${versionSpec}`);
-            if (semver.satisfies(version, versionSpec)) {
+            core.debug(`check ${version} satisfies ${normalizedVersionSpec}`);
+            if (semver.satisfies(version, normalizedVersionSpec)) {
                 goFile = candidate.files.find(file => {
                     core.debug(`${file.arch}===${archFilter} && ${file.os}===${platFilter}`);
                     return file.arch === archFilter && file.os === platFilter;
@@ -94794,6 +94796,24 @@ function getVersionsDist(dlUrl) {
     });
 }
 //
+// Normalize user-provided version spec for semver matching
+// Converts Go-style prerelease versions while preserving range semantics
+// 1.13 => 1.13 (preserved for range matching)
+// 1.14rc1 => 1.14.0-rc.1
+// ^1.14rc1 => ^1.14.0-rc.1
+// >=1.14beta1 => >=1.14.0-beta.1
+function normalizeVersionSpec(versionSpec) {
+    // Match semver range prefixes: ^, ~, >, >=, <, <=, =
+    const rangePrefixMatch = versionSpec.match(/^([~^]|[<>]=?|=)/);
+    const rangePrefix = (rangePrefixMatch === null || rangePrefixMatch === void 0 ? void 0 : rangePrefixMatch[0]) || '';
+    const version = versionSpec.slice(rangePrefix.length);
+    // Only convert if it has Go-style prerelease (e.g., rc1, beta1)
+    if (!/(?:rc|beta)\d+/.test(version)) {
+        return versionSpec;
+    }
+    return rangePrefix + makeSemver(version);
+}
+//
 // Convert the go version syntax into semver for semver matching
 // 1.13.1 => 1.13.1
 // 1.13 => 1.13.0
diff --git a/src/installer.ts b/src/installer.ts
index 9402a83..2c57eb8 100644
--- a/src/installer.ts
+++ b/src/installer.ts
@@ -417,13 +417,15 @@ export async function findMatch(
     throw new Error(`golang download url did not return results`);
   }
 
+  const normalizedVersionSpec = normalizeVersionSpec(versionSpec);
+
   let goFile: IGoVersionFile | undefined;
   for (let i = 0; i < candidates.length; i++) {
     const candidate: IGoVersion = candidates[i];
     const version = makeSemver(candidate.version);
 
-    core.debug(`check ${version} satisfies ${versionSpec}`);
-    if (semver.satisfies(version, versionSpec)) {
+    core.debug(`check ${version} satisfies ${normalizedVersionSpec}`);
+    if (semver.satisfies(version, normalizedVersionSpec)) {
       goFile = candidate.files.find(file => {
         core.debug(
           `${file.arch}===${archFilter} && ${file.os}===${platFilter}`
@@ -459,6 +461,27 @@ export async function getVersionsDist(
   return (await http.getJson<IGoVersion[]>(dlUrl)).result;
 }
 
+//
+// Normalize user-provided version spec for semver matching
+// Converts Go-style prerelease versions while preserving range semantics
+// 1.13 => 1.13 (preserved for range matching)
+// 1.14rc1 => 1.14.0-rc.1
+// ^1.14rc1 => ^1.14.0-rc.1
+// >=1.14beta1 => >=1.14.0-beta.1
+export function normalizeVersionSpec(versionSpec: string): string {
+  // Match semver range prefixes: ^, ~, >, >=, <, <=, =
+  const rangePrefixMatch = versionSpec.match(/^([~^]|[<>]=?|=)/);
+  const rangePrefix = rangePrefixMatch?.[0] || '';
+  const version = versionSpec.slice(rangePrefix.length);
+
+  // Only convert if it has Go-style prerelease (e.g., rc1, beta1)
+  if (!/(?:rc|beta)\d+/.test(version)) {
+    return versionSpec;
+  }
+
+  return rangePrefix + makeSemver(version);
+}
+
 //
 // Convert the go version syntax into semver for semver matching
 // 1.13.1 => 1.13.1