diff --git a/.github/workflows/go.yml b/.github/workflows/go.yml
index 984dd034a..62b2b54eb 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/go.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/go.yml
@@ -23,13 +23,10 @@ jobs:
         go-version: 1.15
 
     - name: Build
-      run: cd go && go build -v mlr.go
+      run: make build
 
     - name: Test
-      # In the event of needing to debug failures you can modify `./mlr regtest` verbosity
-      # using `-v`, `-vv`, or `-vvv`. Commit changes to this file and re-push to GitHub
-      # and let the GitHub Actions re-run.
-      run: cd go && go test -v mlr/src/... && ./mlr regtest -s 5
+      run: make check
 
     - name: PrepareArtifactNonWindows
       if: matrix.os != 'windows-latest'
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..beaf67828
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+build:
+	make -C go build
+
+check:
+	make -C go check
+
+install:
+	make -C go install
+	make -C man install
+
+# Go does its own dependency management, outside of make.
+.PHONY: build
diff --git a/go/Makefile b/go/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..786ec1621
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# TODO: take from ../configure
+INSTALLDIR=/usr/local/bin
+
+build:
+	go build
+
+check:
+	# Unit tests (small number)
+	go test -v mlr/src/...
+	# Regression tests (large number)
+	#
+	# See ./regression_test.go for information on how to get more details
+	# for debugging.  TL;DR is for CI jobs, we have 'go test -v'; for
+	# interactive use, instead of 'go test -v' simply use 'mlr regtest
+	# -vvv' or 'mlr regtest -s 20'. See also src/auxents/regtest.
+	go test -v
+
+install: build
+	cp mlr $(INSTALLDIR)
+
+# Go does its own dependency management, outside of make.
+.PHONY: build
diff --git a/go/regression_test.go b/go/regression_test.go
index 8c41c6479..3f9ab3006 100644
--- a/go/regression_test.go
+++ b/go/regression_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"testing"
 
 	"mlr/src/auxents/regtest"
@@ -11,12 +13,52 @@ import (
 // is a standard location so people can get at them via 'go test'.  Please see
 // (as of this writing) src/auxents/regtest for the Miller regtest package.
 func TestRegression(t *testing.T) {
+	// How much detail to show?  There are thousands of cases, organized into a
+	// few hundred top-level directories under ./regtest/cases.
+	//
+	// Default behavior is to show PASS/FAIL for those top-level directories.
+	// If (for whatever reason) lots of tests are systematically failing then
+	// verbosityLevel = 3 for all cases is probably too much output to be
+	// useful.
+	//
+	// Also note our regtest framework supports four verbosity levels, 'mlr
+	// regtest' (0) through 'mlr regtest -vvv' (3), while 'go test' has only
+	// 'go test' and 'go test -v'. Our regtest framework also has 'mlr regtest
+	// -s 20' which means *re-run* up to 20 failing tests (after having failed
+	// once with verbosityLevel = 0) as if those had been invoked with
+	// verbosityLevel = 3.
+	//
+	// What we do is:
+	// * go test:    like 'mlr regtest'
+	// * go test -v: like 'mlr regtest -s 20'
+	//
+	// This is (I hope) sufficient flexibility for use in GitHub Actions
+	// continuous-integration jobs. If more detail is needed then one may:
+	//
+	// * For CI debugging: simply edit the below parameters verbosityLevel
+	//   and firstNFailsToShow and re-push to GitHub.
+	// * For interactive debug: run 'mlr regtest -v', 'mlr regtest -vv', 'mlr
+	//   regtest -vvv' instead of going through 'go test'.
+	firstNFailsToShow := 0
+	if testing.Verbose() {
+		firstNFailsToShow = 20
+	}
+
+	// Let the tests find ./mlr
+	cwd, err := os.Getwd()
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "mlr: could not find current working directory.")
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	path := os.Getenv("PATH")
+	os.Setenv("PATH", cwd + ":" + path)
+
 	regtester := regtest.NewRegTester(
 		"mlr", // exeName
 		false, // doPopulate
 		0,     // verbosityLevel
 		false, // plainMode
-		0,     // firstNFailsToShow
+		firstNFailsToShow,
 	)
 
 	paths := []string{} // use default
diff --git a/go/todo.txt b/go/todo.txt
index ce8c88476..8d0aebfe8 100644
--- a/go/todo.txt
+++ b/go/todo.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 PUNCHDOWN LIST
 
 * ./configure equivalent
+  o make:
+    - windoc note 'choco install make'
+    - (works in GH CI due to their toolchain)
 
 ? twi-dm re all-contribs: all-contributors.org
 * nikos materials -> fold in
diff --git a/man/Makefile b/man/Makefile
index 1552a5ab7..01fd668a0 100644
--- a/man/Makefile
+++ b/man/Makefile
@@ -5,24 +5,30 @@
 INSTALLDIR=/usr/local/share/man/man1
 INSTALLHOME=$(HOME)/man/man1
 
-top: .always
+# This is normally done only on a development host. Through CI and
+# package-installer, mlr.1 should be treated as an already-built artifact,
+# needing only to be copied to its install dir.
+build: .always
 	echo mkman start
 	./mkman.rb > mlr.1
 	./mkman.rb | groff -man -Tascii | col -b | expand -8 > manpage.txt
 	cp manpage.txt ../docs/src/
 	echo mkman end
 
-# These targets are only for local dev work.
-install: top
+install:
 	mkdir -p $(INSTALLDIR)
 	cp mlr.1 $(INSTALLDIR)/mlr.1
-installhome: top
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
+# These targets are only for local dev work.
+installhome: build
 	mkdir -p $(INSTALLHOME)
 	cp mlr.1 $(INSTALLHOME)/mlr.1
 # This is an out-of-tree operation so do it only if the user is using out-of-tree manpage setup
 # (e.g. their $MANPATH as $HOME/man as a component).
-maybeinstallhome: top
+maybeinstallhome: build
 	if [ -d $(INSTALLHOME) ]; then cp mlr.1 $(INSTALLHOME)/mlr.1; else echo No $(INSTALLHOME) -- skipping ; fi
 
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------
 .always:
 	true