diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fa5073b..0ad6d57 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ latest-patches-only:
   description: When patch-level is true, only include the latest patch version of each major.minor version in the matrix. Does nothing if patch-level is false. Cannot be used with unstable.
   required: false
   default: 'false'
+strict-semver:
+  default: Use strict semver version. E.g. `1.16` -> `1.16.0` and `1.18beta2` -> `1.18.0-beta.2`.
+  required: false
+  default: 'false'
 ```
 
 ## Outputs
diff --git a/__tests__/main.test.js b/__tests__/main.test.js
index e62dec0..ef41967 100644
--- a/__tests__/main.test.js
+++ b/__tests__/main.test.js
@@ -28,13 +28,13 @@ test('test latest version', () => {
 
 test('test version matrix', () => {
   const t = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('__tests__/testdata/dl.json', 'utf8'))
-  const m = matrix('1.16', false, false, false, t)
+  const m = matrix('1.16', false, false, false, false, t)
   expect(m).toEqual(['1.16', '1.17', '1.18'])
 })
 
 test('test unstable version matrix', () => {
   const t = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('__tests__/testdata/dl.json', 'utf8'))
-  const m = matrix('1.16', true, false, false, t)
+  const m = matrix('1.16', true, false, false, false, t)
   expect(m).toEqual([
     '1.16beta1',
     '1.16rc1',
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ test('test unstable version matrix', () => {
 
 test('test patch level version matrix', () => {
   const t = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('__tests__/testdata/dl.json', 'utf8'))
-  const m = matrix('1.16', false, true, false, t)
+  const m = matrix('1.16', false, true, false, false, t)
   expect(m).toEqual([
     '1.16',
     '1.16.1',
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ test('test patch level version matrix', () => {
 
 test('test patch level, unstable version matrix', () => {
   const t = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('__tests__/testdata/dl.json', 'utf8'))
-  const m = matrix('1.16', true, true, false, t)
+  const m = matrix('1.16', true, true, false, false, t)
   expect(m).toEqual([
     '1.16beta1',
     '1.16rc1',
@@ -124,15 +124,58 @@ test('test patch level, unstable version matrix', () => {
   ])
 })
 
+test('test patch level, unstable, semver clean version matrix', () => {
+  const t = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('__tests__/testdata/dl.json', 'utf8'))
+  const m = matrix('1.16', true, true, false, true, t)
+  expect(m).toEqual([
+    '1.16.0-beta.1',
+    '1.16.0-rc.1',
+    '1.16.0',
+    '1.16.1',
+    '1.16.2',
+    '1.16.3',
+    '1.16.4',
+    '1.16.5',
+    '1.16.6',
+    '1.16.7',
+    '1.16.8',
+    '1.16.9',
+    '1.16.10',
+    '1.16.11',
+    '1.16.12',
+    '1.16.13',
+    '1.16.14',
+    '1.16.15',
+    '1.17.0-beta.1',
+    '1.17.0-rc.1',
+    '1.17.0-rc.2',
+    '1.17.0',
+    '1.17.1',
+    '1.17.2',
+    '1.17.3',
+    '1.17.4',
+    '1.17.5',
+    '1.17.6',
+    '1.17.7',
+    '1.17.8',
+    '1.18.0-beta.1',
+    '1.18.0-beta.2',
+    '1.18.0-rc.1',
+    '1.18.0'
+  ])
+})
+
 test('test patch level with latest patches only', () => {
   const t = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('__tests__/testdata/dl.json', 'utf8'))
-  const m = matrix('1.16', false, true, true, t)
+  const m = matrix('1.16', false, true, true, false, t)
   expect(m).toEqual(['1.16.15', '1.17.8', '1.18'])
 })
 
 test('test patch level with latest patches only and unstable throws error', () => {
   const t = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('__tests__/testdata/dl.json', 'utf8'))
   expect(() => {
-    matrix('1.16', true, true, true, t)
-  }).toThrow('The options "unstable" and "latest-patches-only" cannot be used together')
+    matrix('1.16', true, true, true, false, t)
+  }).toThrow(
+    'The options "unstable" and "latest-patches-only" cannot be used together'
+  )
 })
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 743e080..d57849a 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ inputs:
     description: When patch-level is true, only include the latest patch version of each major.minor version in the matrix. Does nothing if patch-level is false. Cannot be used with unstable.
     required: false
     default: 'false'
+  strict-semver:
+    description: Use strict semver version in matrix. E.g. `1.16` -> `1.16.0` and `1.18beta2` -> `1.18.0-beta.2`.
+    required: false
+    default: 'false'
 outputs:
   go-mod-version:
     description: The Go version specified by go.mod
diff --git a/src/go-versions.js b/src/go-versions.js
index 9642341..4ef71e7 100644
--- a/src/go-versions.js
+++ b/src/go-versions.js
@@ -41,7 +41,14 @@ const getVersions = async withUnsupported => {
   return result
 }
 
-const matrix = (min, withUnstable, withPatchLevel, withLatestPatches, tags) => {
+const matrix = (
+  min,
+  withUnstable,
+  withPatchLevel,
+  withLatestPatches,
+  withStrictSemver,
+  tags
+) => {
   const minClean = semverCoerce(min)
   if (minClean === null) {
     throw new Error(`Minimal version isn't quite right: ${min}`)
@@ -63,6 +70,17 @@ const matrix = (min, withUnstable, withPatchLevel, withLatestPatches, tags) => {
     const v2 = semverCoerce(v)
     return v2 !== null && semverGte(v2, minClean)
   })
+  if (withStrictSemver) {
+    versions = versions.map(version => {
+      // Alpha and beta versions on https://go.dev/dl are named like
+      // `1.18beta2`. We rewrite into strict semver syntax:
+      // `1.18.0-beta.2`.
+      version = version.replace(/([^0-9\\.]+)/, '-$1.')
+      return semverCoerce(version, {
+        includePrerelease: true
+      }).version
+    })
+  }
   if (!withPatchLevel) {
     versions = versions.map(version => {
       const parts = version.split('.')
@@ -117,11 +135,11 @@ const minimal = versions => {
 }
 
 export {
+  getGoModVersion,
+  getVersions,
   gomod,
   latest,
   matrix,
   minimal,
-  modulename,
-  getGoModVersion,
-  getVersions
+  modulename
 }
diff --git a/src/main.js b/src/main.js
index 65a5429..b3c5735 100644
--- a/src/main.js
+++ b/src/main.js
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 import * as core from '@actions/core'
 import {
+  getGoModVersion,
   getVersions,
   gomod,
   latest,
   matrix,
   minimal,
-  modulename,
-  getGoModVersion
+  modulename
 } from './go-versions.js'
 
 async function run() {
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ async function run() {
     const withUnstable = core.getBooleanInput('unstable')
     const withPatchLevel = core.getBooleanInput('patch-level')
     const withLatestPatches = core.getBooleanInput('latest-patches-only')
+    const withStrictSemver = core.getBooleanInput('strict-semver')
     const content = gomod(`${workingDirectory}/go.mod`)
     const name = modulename(content)
     const goModVersion = getGoModVersion(content)
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ async function run() {
       withUnstable,
       withPatchLevel,
       withLatestPatches,
+      withStrictSemver,
       versions
     )
     const lat = latest(mat)