diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_batch.c b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_batch.c
index 2403524abb5..2b92b1a540a 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_batch.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_batch.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "zink_fence.h"
 #include "zink_framebuffer.h"
 #include "zink_query.h"
+#include "zink_program.h"
 #include "zink_render_pass.h"
 #include "zink_resource.h"
 #include "zink_screen.h"
@@ -26,6 +27,11 @@ reset_batch(struct zink_context *ctx, struct zink_batch *batch)
 
    zink_render_pass_reference(screen, &batch->rp, NULL);
    zink_framebuffer_reference(screen, &batch->fb, NULL);
+   set_foreach(batch->programs, entry) {
+      struct zink_gfx_program *prog = (struct zink_gfx_program*)entry->key;
+      zink_gfx_program_reference(screen, &prog, NULL);
+   }
+   _mesa_set_clear(batch->programs, NULL);
 
    /* unref all used resources */
    set_foreach(batch->resources, entry) {
@@ -118,3 +124,14 @@ zink_batch_reference_sampler_view(struct zink_batch *batch,
       pipe_reference(NULL, &sv->base.reference);
    }
 }
+
+void
+zink_batch_reference_program(struct zink_batch *batch,
+                             struct zink_gfx_program *prog)
+{
+   struct set_entry *entry = _mesa_set_search(batch->programs, prog);
+   if (!entry) {
+      entry = _mesa_set_add(batch->programs, prog);
+      pipe_reference(NULL, &prog->reference);
+   }
+}
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_batch.h b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_batch.h
index 950d3a9ceb3..7b5ffe9fc95 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_batch.h
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_batch.h
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 struct zink_context;
 struct zink_fence;
 struct zink_framebuffer;
+struct zink_gfx_program;
 struct zink_render_pass;
 struct zink_resource;
 struct zink_sampler_view;
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ struct zink_batch {
 
    struct zink_render_pass *rp;
    struct zink_framebuffer *fb;
+   struct set *programs;
 
    struct set *resources;
    struct set *sampler_views;
@@ -69,4 +71,7 @@ void
 zink_batch_reference_sampler_view(struct zink_batch *batch,
                                   struct zink_sampler_view *sv);
 
+void
+zink_batch_reference_program(struct zink_batch *batch,
+                             struct zink_gfx_program *prog);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_compiler.c b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_compiler.c
index d42379e3ec0..db433036f58 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_compiler.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_compiler.c
@@ -321,7 +321,8 @@ zink_shader_free(struct zink_context *ctx, struct zink_shader *shader)
    set_foreach(shader->programs, entry) {
       struct zink_gfx_program *prog = (void*)entry->key;
       _mesa_hash_table_remove_key(ctx->program_cache, prog->stages);
-      zink_destroy_gfx_program(screen, prog);
+      prog->stages[pipe_shader_type_from_mesa(shader->info.stage)] = NULL;
+      zink_gfx_program_reference(screen, &prog, NULL);
    }
    _mesa_set_destroy(shader->programs, NULL
    free(shader->streamout.so_info_slots);
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_context.c b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_context.c
index 2f9a38573d4..823c19efb7e 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_context.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_context.c
@@ -1147,6 +1147,9 @@ zink_context_create(struct pipe_screen *pscreen, void *priv, unsigned flags)
       ctx->batches[i].sampler_views = _mesa_set_create(NULL,
                                                        _mesa_hash_pointer,
                                                        _mesa_key_pointer_equal);
+      ctx->batches[i].programs = _mesa_set_create(NULL,
+                                                  _mesa_hash_pointer,
+                                                  _mesa_key_pointer_equal);
 
       if (!ctx->batches[i].resources || !ctx->batches[i].sampler_views)
          goto fail;
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_draw.c b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_draw.c
index 34953f66072..1a351ee518f 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_draw.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_draw.c
@@ -368,6 +368,7 @@ zink_draw_vbo(struct pipe_context *pctx,
       batch = zink_batch_rp(ctx);
       assert(batch->descs_left >= gfx_program->num_descriptors);
    }
+   zink_batch_reference_program(batch, ctx->curr_program);
 
    VkDescriptorSet desc_set = allocate_descriptor_set(screen, batch,
                                                       gfx_program);
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.c b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.c
index 4bc1b21988c..c6b0c1cd350 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.c
@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ struct pipeline_cache_entry {
    VkPipeline pipeline;
 };
 
+void
+debug_describe_zink_gfx_program(char *buf, const struct zink_gfx_program *ptr)
+{
+   sprintf(buf, "zink_gfx_program");
+}
+
 static VkDescriptorSetLayout
 create_desc_set_layout(VkDevice dev,
                        struct zink_shader *stages[PIPE_SHADER_TYPES - 1],
@@ -122,6 +128,8 @@ zink_create_gfx_program(struct zink_context *ctx,
    if (!prog)
       goto fail;
 
+   pipe_reference_init(&prog->reference, 1);
+
    for (int i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(prog->pipelines); ++i) {
       prog->pipelines[i] = _mesa_hash_table_create(NULL,
                                                    hash_gfx_pipeline_state,
@@ -132,8 +140,10 @@ zink_create_gfx_program(struct zink_context *ctx,
 
    for (int i = 0; i < PIPE_SHADER_TYPES - 1; ++i) {
       prog->stages[i] = stages[i];
-      if (stages[i])
+      if (stages[i]) {
          _mesa_set_add(stages[i]->programs, prog);
+         zink_gfx_program_reference(screen, NULL, prog);
+      }
    }
 
    prog->dsl = create_desc_set_layout(screen->dev, stages,
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.h b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.h
index aaad9f31a93..60fc778476f 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.h
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include <vulkan/vulkan.h>
 
 #include "pipe/p_state.h"
+#include "util/u_inlines.h"
 
 struct zink_context;
 struct zink_screen;
@@ -37,6 +38,8 @@ struct hash_table;
 struct set;
 
 struct zink_gfx_program {
+   struct pipe_reference reference;
+
    struct zink_shader *stages[PIPE_SHADER_TYPES - 1]; // compute stage doesn't belong here
    VkDescriptorSetLayout dsl;
    VkPipelineLayout layout;
@@ -61,4 +64,20 @@ zink_get_gfx_pipeline(struct zink_screen *screen,
 
 void
 zink_program_init(struct zink_context *ctx);
+
+void
+debug_describe_zink_gfx_program(char* buf, const struct zink_gfx_program *ptr);
+
+static inline void
+zink_gfx_program_reference(struct zink_screen *screen,
+                           struct zink_gfx_program **dst,
+                           struct zink_gfx_program *src)
+{
+   struct zink_gfx_program *old_dst = dst ? *dst : NULL;
+
+   if (pipe_reference_described(old_dst ? &old_dst->reference : NULL, &src->reference,
+                                (debug_reference_descriptor)debug_describe_zink_gfx_program))
+      zink_destroy_gfx_program(screen, old_dst);
+   if (dst) *dst = src;
+}
 #endif