diff --git a/syft/pkg/cataloger/golang/parse_go_bin.go b/syft/pkg/cataloger/golang/parse_go_bin.go
index 1fc980d62d7..a736b8f512c 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/cataloger/golang/parse_go_bin.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/cataloger/golang/parse_go_bin.go
@@ -29,12 +29,13 @@ var (
 func makeGoMainPackage(mod *debug.BuildInfo, arch string, location source.Location) pkg.Package {
 	gbs := getBuildSettings(mod.Settings)
 	main := newGoBinaryPackage(&mod.Main, mod.GoVersion, arch, location, gbs)
-	main.Version = ""
+	main.Version = "(devel)"
 
 	if v, ok := gbs["vcs.revision"]; ok {
 		main.Version = v
 	}
 
+	main.SetID()
 	return main
 }
 
diff --git a/syft/pkg/cataloger/golang/parse_go_bin_test.go b/syft/pkg/cataloger/golang/parse_go_bin_test.go
index 8ac560d8c39..19888f79df4 100644
--- a/syft/pkg/cataloger/golang/parse_go_bin_test.go
+++ b/syft/pkg/cataloger/golang/parse_go_bin_test.go
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ func TestBuildGoPkgInfo(t *testing.T) {
 		FoundBy:  catalogerName,
 		Language: pkg.Go,
 		Type:     pkg.GoModulePkg,
+		Version:  "(devel)",
 		Locations: source.NewLocationSet(
 			source.Location{
 				Coordinates: source.Coordinates{