diff --git a/makefiles/include.mk b/makefiles/include.mk
index 2ce93de..43c894f 100644
--- a/makefiles/include.mk
+++ b/makefiles/include.mk
@@ -39,10 +39,10 @@
 include $(MAKEDIR)/virtualenv.mk
 
 include $(MAKEDIR)/help/variables.mk
+include $(MAKEDIR)/lint/include.mk
 include $(MAKEDIR)/todo.mk
 
 include $(MAKEDIR)/docker/include.mk
-include $(MAKEDIR)/lint/include.mk
 
 $(if $(DEBUG),$(warning LEAVE))
 
diff --git a/makefiles/lint/golang/include.mk b/makefiles/lint/golang/include.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5289a39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/makefiles/lint/golang/include.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+# -*- makefile -*-
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Copyright 2017-2023 Open Networking Foundation
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+# http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+$(if $(DEBUG),$(warning ENTER))
+
+##-------------------##
+##---]  GLOBALS  [---##
+##-------------------##
+
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+## Intent: Display command usage
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+help::
+	@echo '  lint-golang           Syntax check golang sources'
+	@echo '    FIX=1               In-place file update'
+
+include $(MAKEDIR)/lint/golang/sca.mk
+
+# [EOF]
diff --git a/makefiles/lint/golang/sca.mk b/makefiles/lint/golang/sca.mk
index eeecc42..20af593 100644
--- a/makefiles/lint/golang/sca.mk
+++ b/makefiles/lint/golang/sca.mk
@@ -17,12 +17,32 @@
 
 $(if $(DEBUG),$(warning ENTER))
 
-GOLANG_FILES ?= $(error PYTHON_FILES= is required)
+##-------------------##
+##---]  GLOBALS  [---##
+##-------------------##
+.PHONY: lint-golang lint-golang-sca-all lint-golang-sca-modified
 
-.PHONY: lint-golang-sca
+GOLANG_FILES ?= $(error GOLANG_FILES= is required)
 
-lint : lint-golang-sca
+$(info loading)
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+## Intent: Use the golang command to perform syntax checking.
+##   o If UNSTABLE=1 syntax check all sources
+##   o else only check sources modified by the developer.
+## Usage:
+##   % make lint UNSTABLE=1
+##   % make lint-golang-all
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+ifndef NO-LINT-GOLANG
+  lint-golang-mode := $(if $(have-golang-files),modified,all)
+  lint : lint-golang-sca-$(lint-golang-mode)
 
+  lint-golang-all      : lint-golang-sca-all
+  lint-golang-modified : lint-golang-sca-modified
+endif# NO-LINT-GOLANG
+
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+## Intent: exhaustive golint syntax checking
 ## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 ## Intent: Run goformat on files on sandbox files.
 ##   1) find . -name '*.go' -print0
@@ -47,13 +67,47 @@
   lint-golang-sca-args += -w
 endif
 
-lint-golang-sca:
-	find . -name '*.go' -print0 \
-	    | xargs $(lint-golang-sca-xargs) gofmt -d -s
+gofmt-args += -d# Do not output reformatted lines
+# gofmt-args += -e# Display all errors (including spurious)
+gofmt-args += -s# Try to simplify code
 
-help::
-	@echo "  lint-golang-sca            Syntax check golang sources"
-	@echo "    MODIFIER: FIX=1          Correct problems (gofmt -d -s -w)"
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+## Intent: exhaustive golang syntax checking
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+lint-golang-sca-all: $(venv-activate-script)
+#       $(MAKE) --no-print-directory lint-sca-install
+
+	find . -name '*.go' -print0 \
+	    | xargs $(lint-golang-sca-xargs) gofmt $(gofmt-args)
+
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+## Intent: check deps for format and cleanliness
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+lint-golang-sca-modified: lint-golang-all
+#	$(MAKE) --no-print-directory lint-golang-sca-install
+
+	gofmt $(gofmt-args) $(GOLANG_FILES)
+
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+## Intent: Tool installation as needed
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+.PHONY: lint-golang-sca-install
+lint-golang-sca-install:
+	@echo
+	@echo "** -----------------------------------------------------------------------"
+	@echo "** golang syntax checking"
+	@echo "** -----------------------------------------------------------------------"
+	@echo
+
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+## Intent: Display target help
+## -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+.PHONY: help-golang-sca
+help-verbose += help-golang-sca
+help-golang-sca :
+	@echo "  % $(MAKE) lint-golang GOLANG_FILES=..."
+	@echo '  lint-golang-sca-modified  golang checking: only modified'
+	@echo '  lint-golang-sca-all       golang checking: exhaustive'
 
 $(if $(DEBUG),$(warning LEAVE))
 
diff --git a/makefiles/lint/include.mk b/makefiles/lint/include.mk
index 32beda2..3048679 100644
--- a/makefiles/lint/include.mk
+++ b/makefiles/lint/include.mk
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 ONF_MAKE := $(MAKEDIR)
 
+include $(ONF_MAKE)/lint/golang/include.mk
 include $(ONF_MAKE)/lint/json.mk
 include $(ONF_MAKE)/lint/makefile.mk
 include $(ONF_MAKE)/lint/python.mk