diff --git a/.pick_status.json b/.pick_status.json
index a8c5dae26bd..f2e64559918 100644
--- a/.pick_status.json
+++ b/.pick_status.json
@@ -1304,7 +1304,7 @@
         "description": "rusticl/kernel: assign sampler locations before DCEing variables",
         "nominated": true,
         "nomination_type": 1,
-        "resolution": 0,
+        "resolution": 1,
         "main_sha": null,
         "because_sha": "25b8a34b48fce99164f1cb853bcde86d1cf6cba5",
         "notes": null
diff --git a/src/gallium/frontends/rusticl/core/kernel.rs b/src/gallium/frontends/rusticl/core/kernel.rs
index 05296c0cd0e..63e9f7e864c 100644
--- a/src/gallium/frontends/rusticl/core/kernel.rs
+++ b/src/gallium/frontends/rusticl/core/kernel.rs
@@ -458,22 +458,8 @@ fn lower_and_optimize_nir(
     let mut args = KernelArg::from_spirv_nir(args, nir);
     let mut internal_args = Vec::new();
 
-    let dv_opts = nir_remove_dead_variables_options {
-        can_remove_var: Some(can_remove_var),
-        can_remove_var_data: ptr::null_mut(),
-    };
-    nir_pass!(
-        nir,
-        nir_remove_dead_variables,
-        nir_variable_mode::nir_var_uniform
-            | nir_variable_mode::nir_var_image
-            | nir_variable_mode::nir_var_mem_constant
-            | nir_variable_mode::nir_var_mem_shared
-            | nir_variable_mode::nir_var_function_temp,
-        &dv_opts,
-    );
-
-    // asign locations for inline samplers
+    // asign locations for inline samplers.
+    // IMPORTANT: this needs to happen before nir_remove_dead_variables.
     let mut last_loc = -1;
     for v in nir
         .variables_with_mode(nir_variable_mode::nir_var_uniform | nir_variable_mode::nir_var_image)
@@ -501,6 +487,21 @@ fn lower_and_optimize_nir(
         }
     }
 
+    let dv_opts = nir_remove_dead_variables_options {
+        can_remove_var: Some(can_remove_var),
+        can_remove_var_data: ptr::null_mut(),
+    };
+    nir_pass!(
+        nir,
+        nir_remove_dead_variables,
+        nir_variable_mode::nir_var_uniform
+            | nir_variable_mode::nir_var_image
+            | nir_variable_mode::nir_var_mem_constant
+            | nir_variable_mode::nir_var_mem_shared
+            | nir_variable_mode::nir_var_function_temp,
+        &dv_opts,
+    );
+
     nir_pass!(nir, nir_lower_readonly_images_to_tex, true);
     nir_pass!(
         nir,