diff --git a/docs/go/core/rules.md b/docs/go/core/rules.md
index d30a47378d..52507673af 100644
--- a/docs/go/core/rules.md
+++ b/docs/go/core/rules.md
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ This builds an executable from a set of source files,
 | <a id="go_binary-goos"></a>goos |  Forces a binary to be cross-compiled for a specific operating system. It's             usually better to control this on the command line with <code>--platforms</code>.<br><br>            This disables cgo by default, since a cross-compiling C/C++ toolchain is             rarely available. To force cgo, set <code>pure</code> = <code>off</code>.<br><br>            See [Cross compilation] for more information.   | String | optional | "auto" |
 | <a id="go_binary-gotags"></a>gotags |  Enables a list of build tags when evaluating [build constraints]. Useful for             conditional compilation.   | List of strings | optional | [] |
 | <a id="go_binary-importpath"></a>importpath |  The import path of this binary. Binaries can't actually be imported, but this             may be used by [go_path] and other tools to report the location of source             files. This may be inferred from embedded libraries.   | String | optional | "" |
-| <a id="go_binary-linkmode"></a>linkmode |  Determines how the binary should be built and linked. This accepts some of             the same values as `go build -buildmode` and works the same way.             <br><br>             <ul>             <li>`normal`: Builds a normal executable with position-dependent code.</li>             <li>`pie`: Builds a position-independent executable.</li>             <li>`plugin`: Builds a shared library that can be loaded as a Go plugin. Only supported on platforms that support plugins.</li>             <li>`c-shared`: Builds a shared library that can be linked into a C program.</li>             <li>`c-archive`: Builds an archive that can be linked into a C program.</li>             </ul>   | String | optional | "normal" |
+| <a id="go_binary-linkmode"></a>linkmode |  Determines how the binary should be built and linked. This accepts some of             the same values as `go build -buildmode` and works the same way.             <br><br>             <ul>             <li>`auto` (default): Controlled by `//go/config:linkmode`, which defaults to `normal`.</li>             <li>`normal`: Builds a normal executable with position-dependent code.</li>             <li>`pie`: Builds a position-independent executable.</li>             <li>`plugin`: Builds a shared library that can be loaded as a Go plugin. Only supported on platforms that support plugins.</li>             <li>`c-shared`: Builds a shared library that can be linked into a C program.</li>             <li>`c-archive`: Builds an archive that can be linked into a C program.</li>             </ul>   | String | optional | "auto" |
 | <a id="go_binary-msan"></a>msan |  Controls whether code is instrumented for memory sanitization. May be one of             <code>on</code>, <code>off</code>, or <code>auto</code>. Not available when cgo is             disabled. In most cases, it's better to control this on the command line with             <code>--@io_bazel_rules_go//go/config:msan</code>. See [mode attributes], specifically             [msan].   | String | optional | "auto" |
 | <a id="go_binary-out"></a>out |  Sets the output filename for the generated executable. When set, <code>go_binary</code>             will write this file without mode-specific directory prefixes, without             linkmode-specific prefixes like "lib", and without platform-specific suffixes             like ".exe". Note that without a mode-specific directory prefix, the             output file (but not its dependencies) will be invalidated in Bazel's cache             when changing configurations.   | String | optional | "" |
 | <a id="go_binary-pure"></a>pure |  Controls whether cgo source code and dependencies are compiled and linked,             similar to setting <code>CGO_ENABLED</code>. May be one of <code>on</code>, <code>off</code>,             or <code>auto</code>. If <code>auto</code>, pure mode is enabled when no C/C++             toolchain is configured or when cross-compiling. It's usually better to             control this on the command line with             <code>--@io_bazel_rules_go//go/config:pure</code>. See [mode attributes], specifically             [pure].   | String | optional | "auto" |
diff --git a/go/private/rules/binary.bzl b/go/private/rules/binary.bzl
index 51530b04ca..690eb14a5e 100644
--- a/go/private/rules/binary.bzl
+++ b/go/private/rules/binary.bzl
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@ load(
 )
 load(
     "//go/private:mode.bzl",
+    "LINKMODES",
     "LINKMODES_EXECUTABLE",
     "LINKMODE_C_ARCHIVE",
     "LINKMODE_C_SHARED",
-    "LINKMODE_NORMAL",
     "LINKMODE_PLUGIN",
     "LINKMODE_SHARED",
 )
@@ -385,11 +385,13 @@ _go_binary_kwargs = {
             """,
         ),
         "linkmode": attr.string(
-            default = LINKMODE_NORMAL,
+            default = "auto",
+            values = ["auto"] + LINKMODES,
             doc = """Determines how the binary should be built and linked. This accepts some of
             the same values as `go build -buildmode` and works the same way.
             <br><br>
             <ul>
+            <li>`auto` (default): Controlled by `//go/config:linkmode`, which defaults to `normal`.</li>
             <li>`normal`: Builds a normal executable with position-dependent code.</li>
             <li>`pie`: Builds a position-independent executable.</li>
             <li>`plugin`: Builds a shared library that can be loaded as a Go plugin. Only supported on platforms that support plugins.</li>
diff --git a/tests/core/go_binary/BUILD.bazel b/tests/core/go_binary/BUILD.bazel
index 99a2d78492..89c211b7ac 100644
--- a/tests/core/go_binary/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/tests/core/go_binary/BUILD.bazel
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go:def.bzl", "go_binary", "go_library", "go_test")
 load("@io_bazel_rules_go//go/tools/bazel_testing:def.bzl", "go_bazel_test")
 load(":many_deps.bzl", "many_deps")
+load(":linkmode.bzl", "linkmode_pie_wrapper")
 
 test_suite(name = "go_binary")
 
@@ -101,6 +102,12 @@ go_binary(
     tags = ["manual"],
 )
 
+linkmode_pie_wrapper(
+    name = "hello_pie_setting_bin",
+    tags = ["manual"],
+    target = ":hello_nopie_bin",
+)
+
 go_test(
     name = "pie_test",
     srcs = [
@@ -112,10 +119,12 @@ go_test(
         "@io_bazel_rules_go//go/platform:darwin": [
             ":hello_nopie_bin",
             ":hello_pie_bin",
+            ":hello_pie_setting_bin",
         ],
         "@io_bazel_rules_go//go/platform:linux": [
             ":hello_nopie_bin",
             ":hello_pie_bin",
+            ":hello_pie_setting_bin",
         ],
         "//conditions:default": [],
     }),
diff --git a/tests/core/go_binary/linkmode.bzl b/tests/core/go_binary/linkmode.bzl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5dfb353020
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/core/go_binary/linkmode.bzl
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+_LINKMODE_SETTING = "//go/config:linkmode"
+
+def _linkmode_pie_transition_impl(settings, attr):
+    return {
+        _LINKMODE_SETTING: "pie",
+    }
+
+_linkmode_pie_transition = transition(
+    implementation = _linkmode_pie_transition_impl,
+    inputs = [_LINKMODE_SETTING],
+    outputs = [_LINKMODE_SETTING],
+)
+
+def _linkmode_pie_wrapper(ctx):
+    in_binary = ctx.attr.target[0][DefaultInfo].files.to_list()[0]
+    out_binary = ctx.actions.declare_file(ctx.attr.name)
+    ctx.actions.symlink(output = out_binary, target_file = in_binary)
+    return [
+        DefaultInfo(
+            files = depset([out_binary]),
+        ),
+    ]
+
+linkmode_pie_wrapper = rule(
+    implementation = _linkmode_pie_wrapper,
+    doc = """Provides the (only) file produced by target, but after transitioning the linkmode setting to PIE.""",
+    attrs = {
+        "target": attr.label(
+            cfg = _linkmode_pie_transition,
+        ),
+        "_allowlist_function_transition": attr.label(
+            default = "@bazel_tools//tools/allowlists/function_transition_allowlist",
+        ),
+    },
+)
diff --git a/tests/core/go_binary/pie_linux_test.go b/tests/core/go_binary/pie_linux_test.go
index 8b13550060..9248575c21 100644
--- a/tests/core/go_binary/pie_linux_test.go
+++ b/tests/core/go_binary/pie_linux_test.go
@@ -23,6 +23,18 @@ func openELF(dir, bin string) (*elf.File, error) {
 	return elf.NewFile(f)
 }
 
+func TestPIESetting(t *testing.T) {
+	e, err := openELF("tests/core/go_binary", "hello_pie_setting_bin")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// PIE binaries are implemented as shared libraries.
+	if e.Type != elf.ET_DYN {
+		t.Error("ELF binary is not position-independent.")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestPIE(t *testing.T) {
 	e, err := openELF("tests/core/go_binary", "hello_pie_bin")
 	if err != nil {