diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 692f1944e..db4810fea 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -3,14 +3,6 @@ sudo: false
 
 matrix:
   include:
-    - os: linux
-      go: "1.10.x"
-      env: RESTIC_TEST_FUSE=0 RESTIC_TEST_CLOUD_BACKENDS=0
-      cache:
-        directories:
-          - $HOME/.cache/go-build
-          - $HOME/gopath/pkg/mod
-
     - os: linux
       go: "1.11.x"
       env: RESTIC_TEST_FUSE=0 RESTIC_TEST_CLOUD_BACKENDS=0
@@ -27,9 +19,17 @@ matrix:
           - $HOME/.cache/go-build
           - $HOME/gopath/pkg/mod
 
-    # only run fuse and cloud backends tests on Travis for the latest Go on Linux
     - os: linux
       go: "1.13.x"
+      env: RESTIC_TEST_FUSE=0 RESTIC_TEST_CLOUD_BACKENDS=0
+      cache:
+        directories:
+          - $HOME/.cache/go-build
+          - $HOME/gopath/pkg/mod
+
+    # only run fuse and cloud backends tests on Travis for the latest Go on Linux
+    - os: linux
+      go: "1.14.x"
       sudo: true
       cache:
         directories:
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ matrix:
           - $HOME/gopath/pkg/mod
 
     - os: osx
-      go: "1.13.x"
+      go: "1.14.x"
       env: RESTIC_TEST_FUSE=0 RESTIC_TEST_CLOUD_BACKENDS=0
       cache:
         directories:
diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index 7e1ae7894..e4a412439 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ init:
 
 install:
   - rmdir c:\go /s /q
-  - appveyor DownloadFile https://dl.google.com/go/go1.13.4.windows-amd64.msi
-  - msiexec /i go1.13.4.windows-amd64.msi /q
+  - appveyor DownloadFile https://dl.google.com/go/go1.14.windows-amd64.msi
+  - msiexec /i go1.14.windows-amd64.msi /q
   - go version
   - go env
   - appveyor DownloadFile http://sourceforge.netcologne.de/project/gnuwin32/tar/1.13-1/tar-1.13-1-bin.zip -FileName tar.zip
diff --git a/build.go b/build.go
index 0b3a6a61a..aa5ae21ef 100644
--- a/build.go
+++ b/build.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ var config = Config{
 	Main:             "./cmd/restic",                           // package name for the main package
 	DefaultBuildTags: []string{"selfupdate"},                   // specify build tags which are always used
 	Tests:            []string{"./..."},                        // tests to run
-	MinVersion:       GoVersion{Major: 1, Minor: 10, Patch: 0}, // minimum Go version supported
+	MinVersion:       GoVersion{Major: 1, Minor: 11, Patch: 0}, // minimum Go version supported
 }
 
 // Config configures the build.
diff --git a/changelog/unreleased/pull-2600 b/changelog/unreleased/pull-2600
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..24722295b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/unreleased/pull-2600
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Change: Require Go >= 1.11
+
+Restic now requires Go to be at least 1.11. This allows simplifications in the
+build process and removing workarounds.
+
+https://github.com/restic/restic/pull/2600
diff --git a/doc/020_installation.rst b/doc/020_installation.rst
index 05acae259..005e44d32 100644
--- a/doc/020_installation.rst
+++ b/doc/020_installation.rst
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ From Source
 ***********
 
 restic is written in the Go programming language and you need at least
-Go version 1.9. Building restic may also work with older versions of Go,
+Go version 1.11. Building restic may also work with older versions of Go,
 but that's not supported. See the `Getting
 started <https://golang.org/doc/install>`__ guide of the Go project for
 instructions how to install Go.
@@ -261,13 +261,6 @@ In order to build restic from source, execute the following steps:
 
     $ go run -mod=vendor build.go
 
-For Go versions < 1.11, the option ``-mod=vendor`` needs to be removed, like
-this:
-
-.. code-block:: console
-
-    $ go run build.go
-
 You can easily cross-compile restic for all supported platforms, just
 supply the target OS and platform via the command-line options like this
 (for Windows and FreeBSD respectively):
@@ -280,8 +273,6 @@ supply the target OS and platform via the command-line options like this
 
     $ go run -mod=vendor build.go --goos linux --goarch arm --goarm 6
 
-Again, for Go < 1.11 ``-mod=vendor`` needs to be removed.
-
 The resulting binary is statically linked and does not require any
 libraries.
 
diff --git a/internal/backend/rclone/stdio_conn.go b/internal/backend/rclone/stdio_conn.go
index 4abbb7c9a..a44e6aa5c 100644
--- a/internal/backend/rclone/stdio_conn.go
+++ b/internal/backend/rclone/stdio_conn.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"sync"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/restic/restic/internal/debug"
 )
@@ -58,6 +59,26 @@ func (s *StdioConn) RemoteAddr() net.Addr {
 	return Addr{}
 }
 
+// SetDeadline sets the read/write deadline.
+func (s *StdioConn) SetDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+	err1 := s.stdin.SetReadDeadline(t)
+	err2 := s.stdout.SetWriteDeadline(t)
+	if err1 != nil {
+		return err1
+	}
+	return err2
+}
+
+// SetReadDeadline sets the read/write deadline.
+func (s *StdioConn) SetReadDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+	return s.stdin.SetReadDeadline(t)
+}
+
+// SetWriteDeadline sets the read/write deadline.
+func (s *StdioConn) SetWriteDeadline(t time.Time) error {
+	return s.stdout.SetWriteDeadline(t)
+}
+
 // make sure StdioConn implements net.Conn
 var _ net.Conn = &StdioConn{}
 
diff --git a/internal/backend/rclone/stdio_conn_go110.go b/internal/backend/rclone/stdio_conn_go110.go
deleted file mode 100644
index b21f65f04..000000000
--- a/internal/backend/rclone/stdio_conn_go110.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-// +build go1.10
-
-package rclone
-
-import "time"
-
-// SetDeadline sets the read/write deadline.
-func (s *StdioConn) SetDeadline(t time.Time) error {
-	err1 := s.stdin.SetReadDeadline(t)
-	err2 := s.stdout.SetWriteDeadline(t)
-	if err1 != nil {
-		return err1
-	}
-	return err2
-}
-
-// SetReadDeadline sets the read/write deadline.
-func (s *StdioConn) SetReadDeadline(t time.Time) error {
-	return s.stdin.SetReadDeadline(t)
-}
-
-// SetWriteDeadline sets the read/write deadline.
-func (s *StdioConn) SetWriteDeadline(t time.Time) error {
-	return s.stdout.SetWriteDeadline(t)
-}
diff --git a/internal/backend/rclone/stdio_conn_other.go b/internal/backend/rclone/stdio_conn_other.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 07f85961b..000000000
--- a/internal/backend/rclone/stdio_conn_other.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-// +build !go1.10
-
-package rclone
-
-import "time"
-
-// On Go < 1.10, it's not possible to set read/write deadlines on files, so we just ignore that.
-
-// SetDeadline sets the read/write deadline.
-func (s *StdioConn) SetDeadline(t time.Time) error {
-	return nil
-}
-
-// SetReadDeadline sets the read/write deadline.
-func (s *StdioConn) SetReadDeadline(t time.Time) error {
-	return nil
-}
-
-// SetWriteDeadline sets the read/write deadline.
-func (s *StdioConn) SetWriteDeadline(t time.Time) error {
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/internal/test/helper.go b/internal/test/helper.go
index f0fc1f61b..c5fe3188c 100644
--- a/internal/test/helper.go
+++ b/internal/test/helper.go
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-// +build go1.9
-
 package test
 
 import "testing"
diff --git a/internal/test/helper_go18.go b/internal/test/helper_go18.go
deleted file mode 100644
index d4f8b8de6..000000000
--- a/internal/test/helper_go18.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-// +build !go1.9
-
-package test
-
-import "testing"
-
-// Helperer marks the current function as a test helper.
-type Helperer interface {
-	Helper()
-}
-
-type fakeHelper struct{}
-
-func (fakeHelper) Helper() {}
-
-// Helper returns a function that marks the current function as a helper function.
-func Helper(t testing.TB) Helperer {
-	return fakeHelper{}
-}