diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/nir_to_spirv/nir_to_spirv.c b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/nir_to_spirv/nir_to_spirv.c
index 1c72505f45c..42ae81124c2 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/nir_to_spirv/nir_to_spirv.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/nir_to_spirv/nir_to_spirv.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "spirv_builder.h"
 
 #include "nir.h"
+#include "nir_builder.h"
 #include "pipe/p_state.h"
 #include "util/u_math.h"
 #include "util/u_memory.h"
@@ -5507,11 +5508,74 @@ optimize_nir(struct nir_shader *nir)
    NIR_PASS(progress, nir, nir_opt_shrink_vectors, true);
 }
 
+/* deref casts produce results with 2 components; direct derefs have 1 component */
+static void
+fixup_deref_components(nir_deref_instr *deref)
+{
+   nir_foreach_use(src, &deref->def) {
+      nir_instr *user_instr = nir_src_parent_instr(src);
+      if (user_instr->type != nir_instr_type_deref)
+         continue;
+      nir_deref_instr *user_deref = nir_instr_as_deref(user_instr);
+      user_deref->def.num_components = 1;
+      fixup_deref_components(user_deref);
+   }
+}
+
+/* convert (vulkan_resource_index -> load_vulkan_descriptor -> deref_cast) into deref_var */
+static bool
+lower_vri_to_var_instr(nir_builder *b, nir_instr *instr, void *data)
+{
+   if (instr->type != nir_instr_type_deref)
+      return false;
+
+   nir_deref_instr *deref = nir_instr_as_deref(instr);
+   if (deref->deref_type != nir_deref_type_cast)
+      return false;
+   if (!(deref->modes & (nir_var_mem_ubo | nir_var_mem_ssbo | nir_var_uniform | nir_var_image)))
+      return false;
+   if (!nir_src_is_intrinsic(deref->parent))
+      return false;
+   nir_intrinsic_instr *lvd = nir_src_as_intrinsic(deref->parent);
+   if (lvd->intrinsic != nir_intrinsic_load_vulkan_descriptor)
+      return false;
+   nir_intrinsic_instr *vri = nir_src_as_intrinsic(lvd->src[0]);
+   if (vri->intrinsic != nir_intrinsic_vulkan_resource_index)
+      return false;
+
+   int desc_set = nir_intrinsic_desc_set(vri);
+   int binding = nir_intrinsic_binding(vri);
+   nir_variable *var = NULL;
+   nir_foreach_variable_with_modes(i, b->shader, deref->modes) {
+      if (i->data.descriptor_set == desc_set && i->data.binding == binding) {
+         var = i;
+         break;
+      }
+   }
+   if (!var)
+      return false;
+
+   b->cursor = nir_after_instr(instr);
+   nir_deref_instr *var_deref = nir_build_deref_var(b, var);
+   fixup_deref_components(deref);
+   nir_def_rewrite_uses_after_instr(&deref->def, &var_deref->def, instr);
+
+   return true;
+}
+
+static bool
+lower_vri_to_var(nir_shader *nir)
+{
+   return nir_shader_instructions_pass(nir, lower_vri_to_var_instr,
+                                       nir_metadata_control_flow, NULL);
+}
+
 /* this is the bare minimum required to make vtn shaders work with ntv */
 void
 ntv_shader_prepare(nir_shader *nir)
 {
    struct nir_lower_compute_system_values_options cs_options = {0};
+   NIR_PASS(_, nir, lower_vri_to_var);
    NIR_PASS(_, nir, nir_lower_system_values);
    NIR_PASS(_, nir, nir_lower_compute_system_values, &cs_options);
    NIR_PASS(_, nir, nir_split_per_member_structs);