diff --git a/src/compiler/nir/nir.h b/src/compiler/nir/nir.h
index 971d8c4979f..0042f803eb2 100644
--- a/src/compiler/nir/nir.h
+++ b/src/compiler/nir/nir.h
@@ -1292,9 +1292,11 @@ typedef struct {
    /** number of components of each input register
     *
     * If this value is 0, the number of components is given by the
-    * num_components field of nir_intrinsic_instr.
+    * num_components field of nir_intrinsic_instr.  If this value is -1, the
+    * intrinsic consumes however many components are provided and it is not
+    * validated at all.
     */
-   unsigned src_components[NIR_INTRINSIC_MAX_INPUTS];
+   int src_components[NIR_INTRINSIC_MAX_INPUTS];
 
    bool has_dest;
 
@@ -1322,10 +1324,12 @@ nir_intrinsic_src_components(nir_intrinsic_instr *intr, unsigned srcn)
 {
    const nir_intrinsic_info *info = &nir_intrinsic_infos[intr->intrinsic];
    assert(srcn < info->num_srcs);
-   if (info->src_components[srcn])
+   if (info->src_components[srcn] > 0)
       return info->src_components[srcn];
-   else
+   else if (info->src_components[srcn] == 0)
       return intr->num_components;
+   else
+      return nir_src_num_components(intr->src[srcn]);
 }
 
 static inline unsigned
diff --git a/src/compiler/nir/nir_intrinsics.py b/src/compiler/nir/nir_intrinsics.py
index 6ea6ad1198f..24bcd6bb169 100644
--- a/src/compiler/nir/nir_intrinsics.py
+++ b/src/compiler/nir/nir_intrinsics.py
@@ -132,9 +132,9 @@ intrinsic("nop", flags=[CAN_ELIMINATE])
 
 intrinsic("load_param", dest_comp=0, indices=[PARAM_IDX], flags=[CAN_ELIMINATE])
 
-intrinsic("load_deref", dest_comp=0, src_comp=[1], flags=[CAN_ELIMINATE])
-intrinsic("store_deref", src_comp=[1, 0], indices=[WRMASK])
-intrinsic("copy_deref", src_comp=[1, 1])
+intrinsic("load_deref", dest_comp=0, src_comp=[-1], flags=[CAN_ELIMINATE])
+intrinsic("store_deref", src_comp=[-1, 0], indices=[WRMASK])
+intrinsic("copy_deref", src_comp=[-1, -1])
 
 # Interpolation of input.  The interp_deref_at* intrinsics are similar to the
 # load_var intrinsic acting on a shader input except that they interpolate the
@@ -269,15 +269,15 @@ intrinsic("set_vertex_count", src_comp=[1])
 # lowered, variants take a constant buffer index and register offset.
 
 def atomic(name, flags=[]):
-    intrinsic(name + "_deref", src_comp=[1], dest_comp=1, flags=flags)
+    intrinsic(name + "_deref", src_comp=[-1], dest_comp=1, flags=flags)
     intrinsic(name, src_comp=[1], dest_comp=1, indices=[BASE], flags=flags)
 
 def atomic2(name):
-    intrinsic(name + "_deref", src_comp=[1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+    intrinsic(name + "_deref", src_comp=[-1, 1], dest_comp=1)
     intrinsic(name, src_comp=[1, 1], dest_comp=1, indices=[BASE])
 
 def atomic3(name):
-    intrinsic(name + "_deref", src_comp=[1, 1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+    intrinsic(name + "_deref", src_comp=[-1, 1, 1], dest_comp=1)
     intrinsic(name, src_comp=[1, 1, 1], dest_comp=1, indices=[BASE])
 
 atomic("atomic_counter_inc")
@@ -374,20 +374,20 @@ intrinsic("vulkan_resource_reindex", src_comp=[1, 1], dest_comp=1,
 # 1: The data parameter to the atomic function (i.e. the value to add
 #    in shared_atomic_add, etc).
 # 2: For CompSwap only: the second data parameter.
-intrinsic("deref_atomic_add",  src_comp=[1, 1], dest_comp=1)
-intrinsic("deref_atomic_imin", src_comp=[1, 1], dest_comp=1)
-intrinsic("deref_atomic_umin", src_comp=[1, 1], dest_comp=1)
-intrinsic("deref_atomic_imax", src_comp=[1, 1], dest_comp=1)
-intrinsic("deref_atomic_umax", src_comp=[1, 1], dest_comp=1)
-intrinsic("deref_atomic_and",  src_comp=[1, 1], dest_comp=1)
-intrinsic("deref_atomic_or",   src_comp=[1, 1], dest_comp=1)
-intrinsic("deref_atomic_xor",  src_comp=[1, 1], dest_comp=1)
-intrinsic("deref_atomic_exchange", src_comp=[1, 1], dest_comp=1)
-intrinsic("deref_atomic_comp_swap", src_comp=[1, 1, 1], dest_comp=1)
-intrinsic("deref_atomic_fadd",  src_comp=[1, 1], dest_comp=1)
-intrinsic("deref_atomic_fmin",  src_comp=[1, 1], dest_comp=1)
-intrinsic("deref_atomic_fmax",  src_comp=[1, 1], dest_comp=1)
-intrinsic("deref_atomic_fcomp_swap", src_comp=[1, 1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+intrinsic("deref_atomic_add",  src_comp=[-1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+intrinsic("deref_atomic_imin", src_comp=[-1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+intrinsic("deref_atomic_umin", src_comp=[-1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+intrinsic("deref_atomic_imax", src_comp=[-1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+intrinsic("deref_atomic_umax", src_comp=[-1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+intrinsic("deref_atomic_and",  src_comp=[-1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+intrinsic("deref_atomic_or",   src_comp=[-1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+intrinsic("deref_atomic_xor",  src_comp=[-1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+intrinsic("deref_atomic_exchange", src_comp=[-1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+intrinsic("deref_atomic_comp_swap", src_comp=[-1, 1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+intrinsic("deref_atomic_fadd",  src_comp=[-1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+intrinsic("deref_atomic_fmin",  src_comp=[-1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+intrinsic("deref_atomic_fmax",  src_comp=[-1, 1], dest_comp=1)
+intrinsic("deref_atomic_fcomp_swap", src_comp=[-1, 1, 1], dest_comp=1)
 
 # SSBO atomic intrinsics
 #