diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/r300/compiler/radeon_variable.c b/src/gallium/drivers/r300/compiler/radeon_variable.c
index 5cd9485094e..615cd31ae89 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/r300/compiler/radeon_variable.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/r300/compiler/radeon_variable.c
@@ -486,21 +486,28 @@ rc_variable_list_get_writers(struct rc_list *var_list, unsigned int src_type, vo
    struct rc_list *writer_list = NULL;
    for (list_ptr = var_list; list_ptr; list_ptr = list_ptr->Next) {
       struct rc_variable *var = list_ptr->Item;
-      if (variable_writes_src(var, src_type, src)) {
-         struct rc_variable *friend;
-         rc_list_add(&writer_list, rc_list(&var->C->Pool, var));
-         for (friend = var->Friend; friend; friend = friend->Friend) {
-            if (variable_writes_src(friend, src_type, src)) {
-               rc_list_add(&writer_list, rc_list(&var->C->Pool, friend));
+      while (var) {
+         if (variable_writes_src(var, src_type, src)) {
+            struct rc_variable *friend;
+            rc_list_add(&writer_list, rc_list(&var->C->Pool, var));
+            for (friend = var->Friend; friend; friend = friend->Friend) {
+               if (variable_writes_src(friend, src_type, src)) {
+                  rc_list_add(&writer_list, rc_list(&var->C->Pool, friend));
+               }
             }
+            /* Once we have identified the variable and its
+             * friends that write this source, we can stop
+             * stop searching, because we know none of the
+             * other variables in the list will write this source.
+             * If they did they would be friends of var.
+             */
+            return writer_list;
+         } else {
+            if (var->Friend)
+               var = var->Friend;
+            else
+               break;
          }
-         /* Once we have identified the variable and its
-          * friends that write this source, we can stop
-          * stop searching, because we know none of the
-          * other variables in the list will write this source.
-          * If they did they would be friends of var.
-          */
-         break;
       }
    }
    return writer_list;