diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/freedreno/a6xx/fd6_resource.c b/src/gallium/drivers/freedreno/a6xx/fd6_resource.c
index 43ecfa8f015..dc9079c0593 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/freedreno/a6xx/fd6_resource.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/freedreno/a6xx/fd6_resource.c
@@ -127,6 +127,18 @@ valid_format_cast(struct fd_resource *rsc, enum pipe_format format)
    return true;
 }
 
+/**
+ * R8G8 have a different block width/height and height alignment from other
+ * formats that would normally be compatible (like R16), and so if we are
+ * trying to, for example, sample R16 as R8G8 we need to demote to linear.
+ */
+static bool
+is_r8g8(enum pipe_format format)
+{
+   return (util_format_get_blocksize(format) == 2) &&
+         (util_format_get_nr_components(format) == 2);
+}
+
 /**
  * Ensure the rsc is in an ok state to be used with the specified format.
  * This handles the case of UBWC buffers used with non-UBWC compatible
@@ -136,8 +148,22 @@ void
 fd6_validate_format(struct fd_context *ctx, struct fd_resource *rsc,
                     enum pipe_format format)
 {
+   enum pipe_format orig_format = rsc->b.b.format;
+
    tc_assert_driver_thread(ctx->tc);
 
+   if (orig_format == format)
+      return;
+
+   if (rsc->layout.tile_mode && (is_r8g8(orig_format) != is_r8g8(format))) {
+      perf_debug_ctx(ctx,
+                     "%" PRSC_FMT ": demoted to linear+uncompressed due to use as %s",
+                     PRSC_ARGS(&rsc->b.b), util_format_short_name(format));
+
+      fd_resource_uncompress(ctx, rsc, true);
+      return;
+   }
+
    if (!rsc->layout.ubwc)
       return;
 
@@ -148,7 +174,7 @@ fd6_validate_format(struct fd_context *ctx, struct fd_resource *rsc,
                   "%" PRSC_FMT ": demoted to uncompressed due to use as %s",
                   PRSC_ARGS(&rsc->b.b), util_format_short_name(format));
 
-   fd_resource_uncompress(ctx, rsc);
+   fd_resource_uncompress(ctx, rsc, false);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/freedreno/freedreno_resource.c b/src/gallium/drivers/freedreno/freedreno_resource.c
index 4d1c96c3e91..54c520f1b1a 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/freedreno/freedreno_resource.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/freedreno/freedreno_resource.c
@@ -531,12 +531,13 @@ fd_try_shadow_resource(struct fd_context *ctx, struct fd_resource *rsc,
  * appears to the gallium frontends as if nothing changed.
  */
 void
-fd_resource_uncompress(struct fd_context *ctx, struct fd_resource *rsc)
+fd_resource_uncompress(struct fd_context *ctx, struct fd_resource *rsc, bool linear)
 {
    tc_assert_driver_thread(ctx->tc);
 
-   bool success =
-      fd_try_shadow_resource(ctx, rsc, 0, NULL, FD_FORMAT_MOD_QCOM_TILED);
+   uint64_t modifier = linear ? DRM_FORMAT_MOD_LINEAR : FD_FORMAT_MOD_QCOM_TILED;
+
+   bool success = fd_try_shadow_resource(ctx, rsc, 0, NULL, modifier);
 
    /* shadow should not fail in any cases where we need to uncompress: */
    debug_assert(success);
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/freedreno/freedreno_resource.h b/src/gallium/drivers/freedreno/freedreno_resource.h
index e4939d199f1..d4666b06e10 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/freedreno/freedreno_resource.h
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/freedreno/freedreno_resource.h
@@ -352,7 +352,8 @@ bool fd_resource_busy(struct pipe_screen *pscreen, struct pipe_resource *prsc,
                       unsigned usage);
 
 void fd_resource_uncompress(struct fd_context *ctx,
-                            struct fd_resource *rsc) assert_dt;
+                            struct fd_resource *rsc,
+                            bool linear) assert_dt;
 void fd_resource_dump(struct fd_resource *rsc, const char *name);
 
 bool fd_render_condition_check(struct pipe_context *pctx) assert_dt;