diff --git a/src/imagination/pco/pco_nir.c b/src/imagination/pco/pco_nir.c
index 6934fb7db94..640fafad867 100644
--- a/src/imagination/pco/pco_nir.c
+++ b/src/imagination/pco/pco_nir.c
@@ -825,16 +825,6 @@ void pco_lower_nir(pco_ctx *ctx, nir_shader *nir, pco_data *data)
 
    NIR_PASS(_, nir, nir_opt_constant_folding);
 
-   if (nir->info.stage == MESA_SHADER_VERTEX) {
-      /* TODO: false? */
-      NIR_PASS(_, nir, nir_lower_io_array_vars_to_elements_no_indirects, true);
-      NIR_PASS(_, nir, nir_split_struct_vars, nir_var_shader_out);
-      NIR_PASS(_, nir, nir_split_struct_vars, nir_var_shader_in);
-   } else if (nir->info.stage == MESA_SHADER_FRAGMENT) {
-      NIR_PASS(_, nir, nir_lower_io_array_vars_to_elements_no_indirects, false);
-      NIR_PASS(_, nir, nir_split_struct_vars, nir_var_shader_in);
-   }
-
    NIR_PASS(_,
             nir,
             nir_lower_io,
@@ -859,11 +849,13 @@ void pco_lower_nir(pco_ctx *ctx, nir_shader *nir, pco_data *data)
             nir_io_add_const_offset_to_base,
             nir_var_shader_in | nir_var_shader_out);
 
+   /* Internal shaders will be using invalid32 types at this stage. */
+   if (!nir->info.internal)
+      NIR_PASS(_, nir, nir_unlower_io_to_vars, true);
+
    if (nir->info.stage == MESA_SHADER_VERTEX)
       NIR_PASS(_, nir, pco_nir_lower_clip_cull_vars);
 
-   NIR_PASS(_, nir, pco_nir_lower_variables, true, true);
-
    NIR_PASS(_, nir, pco_nir_lower_images, data);
    NIR_PASS(_,
             nir,
diff --git a/src/imagination/pco/pco_nir_io.c b/src/imagination/pco/pco_nir_io.c
index a56dfac41bf..4ab68f3e51b 100644
--- a/src/imagination/pco/pco_nir_io.c
+++ b/src/imagination/pco/pco_nir_io.c
@@ -103,57 +103,3 @@ bool pco_nir_lower_io(nir_shader *shader)
 
    return progress;
 }
-
-bool pco_nir_lower_variables(nir_shader *shader, bool inputs, bool outputs)
-{
-   bool progress = false;
-
-   nir_variable_mode modes = 0;
-   assert(inputs || outputs);
-
-   if (inputs)
-      modes |= nir_var_shader_in;
-
-   if (outputs)
-      modes |= nir_var_shader_out;
-
-   nir_foreach_variable_with_modes (var, shader, modes) {
-      unsigned slots = glsl_count_vec4_slots(var->type, false, false);
-      if (slots == 1)
-         continue;
-
-      assert(!var->data.location_frac);
-
-      unsigned dwords = glsl_count_dword_slots(var->type, false);
-      assert(!(dwords % slots));
-      unsigned slot_size = dwords / slots;
-
-      unsigned location = var->data.location;
-
-      var->type = glsl_vector_type(
-         glsl_get_base_type(glsl_without_array_or_matrix(var->type)),
-         slot_size);
-      dwords -= slot_size;
-      for (unsigned u = 1; u < slots; ++u) {
-         assert(!nir_find_variable_with_location(shader,
-                                                 var->data.mode,
-                                                 location + u));
-
-         unsigned comps = dwords < slot_size ? dwords : slot_size;
-         const glsl_type *type =
-            glsl_vector_type(glsl_get_base_type(var->type), comps);
-         dwords -= comps;
-
-         nir_create_variable_with_location(shader,
-                                           var->data.mode,
-                                           location + u,
-                                           type);
-      }
-
-      progress = true;
-   }
-
-   return nir_progress(progress,
-                       nir_shader_get_entrypoint(shader),
-                       nir_metadata_none);
-}