Researchers studying self-handicapping have examined the effects of goals as either enduring personal orientations or contextual variables, but not both simultaneously. Two studies examined the combined impact of self-set goals and manipulated goal context on self-handicapping. Fear of failure was also examined as a mediating variable, measured after (Study 1) and before (Study 2) self-handicapping. Participants reported their goal orientations and later completed an achievement task in one of three goal context conditions (performance-approach, performance-avoidance, no-achievement goal). Before the task, participants had the opportunity to behaviorally self-handicap (practice) and claim self-handicapping (make excuses). Results from Study 1 indicated that self-set performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals positively predicted behavioral self-handicapping, but only in a performance-avoidance context. Self-set mastery-avoidance goals positively predicted claimed self-handicapping and fear of failure across goal contexts. Gender differences are discussed.