diff --git a/src/nouveau/compiler/meson.build b/src/nouveau/compiler/meson.build
index 1b7aeb1b6b4..1960e77aa7a 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/compiler/meson.build
+++ b/src/nouveau/compiler/meson.build
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ libnak_c_files = files(
   'nak_nir_lower_tex.c',
   'nak_nir_lower_vtg_io.c',
   'nak_nir_lower_gs_intrinsics.c',
+  'nak_memstream.c',
 )
 
 _libbitview_rs = static_library(
diff --git a/src/nouveau/compiler/nak/from_nir.rs b/src/nouveau/compiler/nak/from_nir.rs
index f89f2842bcc..3cf85f1b17f 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/compiler/nak/from_nir.rs
+++ b/src/nouveau/compiler/nak/from_nir.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 use crate::cfg::CFGBuilder;
 use crate::ir::*;
 use crate::nir::*;
+use crate::nir_instr_printer::NirInstrPrinter;
 use crate::sph::{OutputTopology, PixelImap};
 
 use nak_bindings::*;
@@ -239,6 +240,7 @@ struct ShaderFromNir<'a> {
     end_block_id: u32,
     ssa_map: HashMap<u32, Vec<SSAValue>>,
     saturated: HashSet<*const nir_def>,
+    nir_instr_printer: NirInstrPrinter,
 }
 
 impl<'a> ShaderFromNir<'a> {
@@ -255,6 +257,7 @@ impl<'a> ShaderFromNir<'a> {
             end_block_id: 0,
             ssa_map: HashMap::new(),
             saturated: HashSet::new(),
+            nir_instr_printer: NirInstrPrinter::new(),
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/nouveau/compiler/nak/lib.rs b/src/nouveau/compiler/nak/lib.rs
index d0053679bc5..7e5a39a8526 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/compiler/nak/lib.rs
+++ b/src/nouveau/compiler/nak/lib.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ mod liveness;
 mod lower_copy_swap;
 mod lower_par_copies;
 mod nir;
+mod nir_instr_printer;
 mod opt_bar_prop;
 mod opt_copy_prop;
 mod opt_dce;
diff --git a/src/nouveau/compiler/nak/nir_instr_printer.rs b/src/nouveau/compiler/nak/nir_instr_printer.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bfd21e778d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nouveau/compiler/nak/nir_instr_printer.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+// Copyright © 2024 Collabora, Ltd.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+use std::pin::Pin;
+
+use nak_bindings::nak_clear_memstream;
+use nak_bindings::nak_close_memstream;
+use nak_bindings::nak_memstream;
+use nak_bindings::nak_nir_asprint_instr;
+use nak_bindings::nak_open_memstream;
+use nak_bindings::nir_instr;
+
+/// A memstream that holds the printed NIR instructions.
+pub struct NirInstrPrinter {
+    //  XXX: we need this to be pinned because we've passed references to its
+    //  fields when calling open_memstream.
+    stream: Pin<Box<nak_memstream>>,
+}
+
+impl NirInstrPrinter {
+    pub fn new() -> Self {
+        let mut stream =
+            Box::pin(unsafe { std::mem::zeroed::<nak_memstream>() });
+        unsafe {
+            nak_open_memstream(stream.as_mut().get_unchecked_mut());
+        }
+        Self { stream }
+    }
+
+    /// Prints the given NIR instruction.
+    pub fn instr_to_string(&mut self, instr: &nir_instr) -> String {
+        unsafe {
+            let stream = self.stream.as_mut().get_unchecked_mut();
+            nak_nir_asprint_instr(stream, instr);
+            let c_str = std::ffi::CStr::from_ptr(stream.buffer);
+            let string = c_str.to_string_lossy().into_owned();
+            nak_clear_memstream(stream);
+            string
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Drop for NirInstrPrinter {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        unsafe {
+            let stream = self.stream.as_mut().get_unchecked_mut();
+            nak_close_memstream(stream)
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/nouveau/compiler/nak_memstream.c b/src/nouveau/compiler/nak_memstream.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b3b0b3ac9a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nouveau/compiler/nak_memstream.c
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright © 2024 Collabora, Ltd.
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+ *
+ * This file exposes a nice interface that can be consumed from Rust. We would
+ * have to have Rust libc bindings otherwise.
+ */
+
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+#include "nak_private.h"
+#include "nir.h"
+
+void nak_open_memstream(struct nak_memstream *memstream)
+{
+    memstream->stream = open_memstream(&memstream->buffer, &memstream->written);
+    fflush(memstream->stream);
+    assert(memstream->stream);
+    assert(memstream->buffer);
+}
+
+void nak_close_memstream(struct nak_memstream *memstream)
+{
+    fclose(memstream->stream);
+    free(memstream->buffer);
+}
+
+void nak_nir_asprint_instr(struct nak_memstream *memstream, const nir_instr *instr)
+{
+    nir_print_instr(instr, memstream->stream);
+    fflush(memstream->stream);
+}
+
+void nak_clear_memstream(struct nak_memstream *memstream)
+{
+    rewind(memstream->stream);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/nouveau/compiler/nak_private.h b/src/nouveau/compiler/nak_private.h
index 3c487b89223..877e875dee7 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/compiler/nak_private.h
+++ b/src/nouveau/compiler/nak_private.h
@@ -205,6 +205,18 @@ bool nak_nir_add_barriers(nir_shader *nir, const struct nak_compiler *nak);
 
 #define NAK_FS_OUT_COLOR(n) (NAK_FS_OUT_COLOR0 + (n) * 16)
 
+struct nak_memstream {
+   FILE *stream;
+   char *buffer;
+   size_t written;
+};
+
+void nak_open_memstream(struct nak_memstream *memstream);
+void nak_close_memstream(struct nak_memstream *memstream);
+void nak_flush_memstream(struct nak_memstream *memstream);
+void nak_clear_memstream(struct nak_memstream *memstream);
+void nak_nir_asprint_instr(struct nak_memstream *memstream, const nir_instr *instr);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif