diff --git a/src/gallium/auxiliary/draw/draw_vs_exec.c b/src/gallium/auxiliary/draw/draw_vs_exec.c
index 95e2e96693c..12904f995de 100644
--- a/src/gallium/auxiliary/draw/draw_vs_exec.c
+++ b/src/gallium/auxiliary/draw/draw_vs_exec.c
@@ -227,7 +227,6 @@ draw_create_vs_exec(struct draw_context *draw,
    if (state->type == PIPE_SHADER_IR_NIR) {
       vs->base.state.type = PIPE_SHADER_IR_TGSI;
       vs->base.state.tokens = nir_to_tgsi(state->ir.nir, draw->pipe->screen);
-      ralloc_free(state->ir.nir);
    } else {
       assert(state->type == PIPE_SHADER_IR_TGSI);
       vs->base.state.type = state->type;
diff --git a/src/gallium/auxiliary/nir/nir_to_tgsi.c b/src/gallium/auxiliary/nir/nir_to_tgsi.c
index 5b3760ea059..9384406d7ca 100644
--- a/src/gallium/auxiliary/nir/nir_to_tgsi.c
+++ b/src/gallium/auxiliary/nir/nir_to_tgsi.c
@@ -2539,8 +2539,8 @@ ntt_fix_nir_options(struct nir_shader *s)
        !options->lower_rotate ||
        !options->lower_uniforms_to_ubo ||
        !options->lower_vector_cmp) {
-      struct nir_shader_compiler_options *new_options =
-         mem_dup(s->options, sizeof(*s->options));
+      nir_shader_compiler_options *new_options = ralloc(s, nir_shader_compiler_options);
+      *new_options = *s->options;
 
       new_options->lower_extract_byte = true;
       new_options->lower_extract_word = true;
@@ -2555,6 +2555,13 @@ ntt_fix_nir_options(struct nir_shader *s)
    }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Translates the NIR shader to TGSI.
+ *
+ * This requires some lowering of the NIR shader to prepare it for translation.
+ * We take ownership of the NIR shader passed, returning a reference to the new
+ * TGSI tokens instead.  If you need to keep the NIR, then pass us a clone.
+ */
 const void *
 nir_to_tgsi(struct nir_shader *s,
             struct pipe_screen *screen)
@@ -2688,11 +2695,7 @@ nir_to_tgsi(struct nir_shader *s,
    ureg_destroy(c->ureg);
 
    ralloc_free(c);
-
-   if (s->options != original_options) {
-      free((void*)s->options);
-      s->options = original_options;
-   }
+   ralloc_free(s);
 
    return tgsi_tokens;
 }
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/softpipe/sp_state_shader.c b/src/gallium/drivers/softpipe/sp_state_shader.c
index 9fa2fdc061a..3a7b083e5a6 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/softpipe/sp_state_shader.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/softpipe/sp_state_shader.c
@@ -143,15 +143,10 @@ softpipe_create_shader_state(struct pipe_context *pipe,
                              bool debug)
 {
    if (templ->type == PIPE_SHADER_IR_NIR) {
-      shader->tokens = nir_to_tgsi(templ->ir.nir, pipe->screen);
-
-      /* Note: Printing the final NIR after nir-to-tgsi transformed and
-       * optimized it
-       */
       if (debug)
          nir_print_shader(templ->ir.nir, stderr);
 
-      ralloc_free(templ->ir.nir);
+      shader->tokens = nir_to_tgsi(templ->ir.nir, pipe->screen);
    } else {
       assert(templ->type == PIPE_SHADER_IR_TGSI);
       /* we need to keep a local copy of the tokens */
@@ -433,7 +428,6 @@ softpipe_create_compute_state(struct pipe_context *pipe,
          nir_print_shader(s, stderr);
 
       state->tokens = (void *)nir_to_tgsi(s, pipe->screen);
-      ralloc_free(s);
    } else {
       assert(templ->ir_type == PIPE_SHADER_IR_TGSI);
       /* we need to keep a local copy of the tokens */
diff --git a/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_nir_builtins.c b/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_nir_builtins.c
index cdeb5a0cd88..a5279dbc2af 100644
--- a/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_nir_builtins.c
+++ b/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_nir_builtins.c
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ st_nir_finish_builtin_shader(struct st_context *st,
        screen->get_shader_param(screen, sh, PIPE_SHADER_CAP_PREFERRED_IR)) {
       state.type = PIPE_SHADER_IR_TGSI;
       state.tokens = nir_to_tgsi(nir, screen);
-      ralloc_free(nir);
    }
 
    struct pipe_shader_state *shader;
diff --git a/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_program.c b/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_program.c
index 7b8d27cf101..07bb8d8436e 100644
--- a/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_program.c
+++ b/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_program.c
@@ -730,6 +730,7 @@ st_create_vp_variant(struct st_context *st,
          nir_print_shader(state.ir.nir, stderr);
 
       /* If the driver wants TGSI, then translate before handing off. */
+
       if (st->pipe->screen->get_shader_param(st->pipe->screen,
                                              PIPE_SHADER_VERTEX,
                                              PIPE_SHADER_CAP_PREFERRED_IR) !=
@@ -737,7 +738,6 @@ st_create_vp_variant(struct st_context *st,
          nir_shader *s = state.ir.nir;
          state.tokens = nir_to_tgsi(s, st->pipe->screen);
          state.type = PIPE_SHADER_IR_TGSI;
-         ralloc_free(s);
       }
 
       if (key->is_draw_shader)
@@ -1348,7 +1348,6 @@ st_create_fp_variant(struct st_context *st,
          nir_shader *s = state.ir.nir;
          state.tokens = nir_to_tgsi(s, st->pipe->screen);
          state.type = PIPE_SHADER_IR_TGSI;
-         ralloc_free(s);
       }
 
       variant->base.driver_shader = pipe->create_fs_state(pipe, &state);