diff --git a/lib/languages.js b/lib/languages.js
index f7b71b4f9a..cd478bdc0a 100644
--- a/lib/languages.js
+++ b/lib/languages.js
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ function parseLanguage(language) {
 }
 exports.parseLanguage = parseLanguage;
 function isTracedLanguage(language) {
+    if (process.env["CODEQL_EXTRACTOR_GO_BUILD_TRACING"] === "true") {
+        throw new Error("The CODEQL_EXTRACTOR_GO_BUILD_TRACING environment variable is set to an invalid value. " +
+            "Please set it to 'on' instead to enable Go build tracing.");
+    }
     return (["cpp", "java", "csharp", "swift"].includes(language) ||
         (process.env["CODEQL_EXTRACTOR_GO_BUILD_TRACING"] === "on" &&
             language === Language.go));
diff --git a/lib/languages.js.map b/lib/languages.js.map
index 8fe2134410..0fd147d8ed 100644
--- a/lib/languages.js.map
+++ b/lib/languages.js.map
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"version":3,"file":"languages.js","sourceRoot":"","sources":["../src/languages.ts"],"names":[],"mappings":";;;AAAA,wCAAwC;AACxC,IAAY,QASX;AATD,WAAY,QAAQ;IAClB,6BAAiB,CAAA;IACjB,uBAAW,CAAA;IACX,qBAAS,CAAA;IACT,yBAAa,CAAA;IACb,qCAAyB,CAAA;IACzB,6BAAiB,CAAA;IACjB,yBAAa,CAAA;IACb,2BAAe,CAAA;AACjB,CAAC,EATW,QAAQ,GAAR,gBAAQ,KAAR,gBAAQ,QASnB;AAED,iCAAiC;AACjC,MAAM,gBAAgB,GAAiC;IACrD,CAAC,EAAE,QAAQ,CAAC,GAAG;IACf,KAAK,EAAE,QAAQ,CAAC,GAAG;IACnB,IAAI,EAAE,QAAQ,CAAC,MAAM;IACrB,UAAU,EAAE,QAAQ,CAAC,UAAU;CAChC,CAAC;AAEF,gGAAgG;AAChG,SAAgB,aAAa,CAAC,QAAgB;IAC5C,0BAA0B;IAC1B,QAAQ,GAAG,QAAQ,CAAC,WAAW,EAAE,CAAC;IAElC,6BAA6B;IAC7B,IAAI,QAAQ,IAAI,QAAQ,EAAE;QACxB,OAAO,QAAoB,CAAC;KAC7B;IAED,yBAAyB;IACzB,IAAI,QAAQ,IAAI,gBAAgB,EAAE;QAChC,OAAO,gBAAgB,CAAC,QAAQ,CAAC,CAAC;KACnC;IAED,OAAO,SAAS,CAAC;AACnB,CAAC;AAfD,sCAeC;AAED,SAAgB,gBAAgB,CAAC,QAAkB;IACjD,OAAO,CACL,CAAC,KAAK,EAAE,MAAM,EAAE,QAAQ,EAAE,OAAO,CAAC,CAAC,QAAQ,CAAC,QAAQ,CAAC;QACrD,CAAC,OAAO,CAAC,GAAG,CAAC,mCAAmC,CAAC,KAAK,IAAI;YACxD,QAAQ,KAAK,QAAQ,CAAC,EAAE,CAAC,CAC5B,CAAC;AACJ,CAAC;AAND,4CAMC;AAED,SAAgB,iBAAiB,CAAC,QAAkB;IAClD,OAAO,CAAC,gBAAgB,CAAC,QAAQ,CAAC,CAAC;AACrC,CAAC;AAFD,8CAEC"}
\ No newline at end of file
+{"version":3,"file":"languages.js","sourceRoot":"","sources":["../src/languages.ts"],"names":[],"mappings":";;;AAAA,wCAAwC;AACxC,IAAY,QASX;AATD,WAAY,QAAQ;IAClB,6BAAiB,CAAA;IACjB,uBAAW,CAAA;IACX,qBAAS,CAAA;IACT,yBAAa,CAAA;IACb,qCAAyB,CAAA;IACzB,6BAAiB,CAAA;IACjB,yBAAa,CAAA;IACb,2BAAe,CAAA;AACjB,CAAC,EATW,QAAQ,GAAR,gBAAQ,KAAR,gBAAQ,QASnB;AAED,iCAAiC;AACjC,MAAM,gBAAgB,GAAiC;IACrD,CAAC,EAAE,QAAQ,CAAC,GAAG;IACf,KAAK,EAAE,QAAQ,CAAC,GAAG;IACnB,IAAI,EAAE,QAAQ,CAAC,MAAM;IACrB,UAAU,EAAE,QAAQ,CAAC,UAAU;CAChC,CAAC;AAEF,gGAAgG;AAChG,SAAgB,aAAa,CAAC,QAAgB;IAC5C,0BAA0B;IAC1B,QAAQ,GAAG,QAAQ,CAAC,WAAW,EAAE,CAAC;IAElC,6BAA6B;IAC7B,IAAI,QAAQ,IAAI,QAAQ,EAAE;QACxB,OAAO,QAAoB,CAAC;KAC7B;IAED,yBAAyB;IACzB,IAAI,QAAQ,IAAI,gBAAgB,EAAE;QAChC,OAAO,gBAAgB,CAAC,QAAQ,CAAC,CAAC;KACnC;IAED,OAAO,SAAS,CAAC;AACnB,CAAC;AAfD,sCAeC;AAED,SAAgB,gBAAgB,CAAC,QAAkB;IACjD,IAAI,OAAO,CAAC,GAAG,CAAC,mCAAmC,CAAC,KAAK,MAAM,EAAE;QAC/D,MAAM,IAAI,KAAK,CACb,yFAAyF;YACvF,2DAA2D,CAC9D,CAAC;KACH;IAED,OAAO,CACL,CAAC,KAAK,EAAE,MAAM,EAAE,QAAQ,EAAE,OAAO,CAAC,CAAC,QAAQ,CAAC,QAAQ,CAAC;QACrD,CAAC,OAAO,CAAC,GAAG,CAAC,mCAAmC,CAAC,KAAK,IAAI;YACxD,QAAQ,KAAK,QAAQ,CAAC,EAAE,CAAC,CAC5B,CAAC;AACJ,CAAC;AAbD,4CAaC;AAED,SAAgB,iBAAiB,CAAC,QAAkB;IAClD,OAAO,CAAC,gBAAgB,CAAC,QAAQ,CAAC,CAAC;AACrC,CAAC;AAFD,8CAEC"}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/languages.ts b/src/languages.ts
index 357cea5c18..2ddd4905b6 100644
--- a/src/languages.ts
+++ b/src/languages.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,13 @@ export function parseLanguage(language: string): Language | undefined {
 }
 
 export function isTracedLanguage(language: Language): boolean {
+  if (process.env["CODEQL_EXTRACTOR_GO_BUILD_TRACING"] === "true") {
+    throw new Error(
+      "The CODEQL_EXTRACTOR_GO_BUILD_TRACING environment variable is set to an invalid value. " +
+        "Please set it to 'on' instead to enable Go build tracing."
+    );
+  }
+
   return (
     ["cpp", "java", "csharp", "swift"].includes(language) ||
     (process.env["CODEQL_EXTRACTOR_GO_BUILD_TRACING"] === "on" &&