diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_compiler.c b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_compiler.c
index 542bd3d37dc..a16985208c7 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_compiler.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_compiler.c
@@ -1475,27 +1475,23 @@ rewrite_read_as_0(nir_builder *b, nir_instr *instr, void *data)
    if (deref_var != var)
       return false;
    b->cursor = nir_before_instr(instr);
-   nir_ssa_def *zero = nir_imm_zero(b, nir_dest_num_components(intr->dest), nir_dest_bit_size(intr->dest));
+   nir_ssa_def *zero = zero = nir_imm_zero(b, nir_dest_num_components(intr->dest), nir_dest_bit_size(intr->dest));
+   if (b->shader->info.stage == MESA_SHADER_FRAGMENT) {
+      switch (var->data.location) {
+      case VARYING_SLOT_COL0:
+      case VARYING_SLOT_COL1:
+      case VARYING_SLOT_BFC0:
+      case VARYING_SLOT_BFC1:
+         /* default color is 0,0,0,1 */
+         if (nir_dest_num_components(intr->dest) == 4)
+            zero = nir_vector_insert_imm(b, zero, nir_imm_float(b, 1.0), 3);
+         break;
+      default:
+         break;
+      }
+   }
    nir_ssa_def_rewrite_uses(&intr->dest.ssa, zero);
-   return true;
-}
-
-static bool
-rewrite_and_discard_read(nir_builder *b, nir_instr *instr, void *data)
-{
-   nir_variable *var = data;
-   if (instr->type != nir_instr_type_intrinsic)
-      return false;
-
-   nir_intrinsic_instr *intr = nir_instr_as_intrinsic(instr);
-   if (intr->intrinsic != nir_intrinsic_load_deref)
-      return false;
-   nir_variable *deref_var = nir_intrinsic_get_var(intr, 0);
-   if (deref_var != var)
-      return false;
-   b->cursor = nir_before_instr(instr);
-   nir_ssa_def *undef = nir_ssa_undef(b, nir_dest_num_components(intr->dest), nir_dest_bit_size(intr->dest));
-   nir_ssa_def_rewrite_uses(&intr->dest.ssa, undef);
+   nir_instr_remove(instr);
    return true;
 }
 
@@ -1532,8 +1528,8 @@ zink_compiler_assign_io(nir_shader *producer, nir_shader *consumer)
       nir_foreach_variable_with_modes_safe(var, consumer, nir_var_shader_in) {
          if (!assign_consumer_var_io(consumer->info.stage, var, &reserved, slot_map)) {
             do_fixup = true;
-            /* input needs to be rewritten as an undef to ensure the entire deref chain is deleted */
-            nir_shader_instructions_pass(consumer, rewrite_and_discard_read, nir_metadata_dominance, var);
+            /* input needs to be rewritten */
+            nir_shader_instructions_pass(consumer, rewrite_read_as_0, nir_metadata_dominance, var);
          }
       }
    }