diff --git a/src/intel/compiler/brw_inst.cpp b/src/intel/compiler/brw_inst.cpp
index 649eeb1d133..9f2771322bc 100644
--- a/src/intel/compiler/brw_inst.cpp
+++ b/src/intel/compiler/brw_inst.cpp
@@ -29,14 +29,51 @@ brw_inst_kind_size(brw_inst_kind kind)
                                 : sizeof(brw_send_inst);
 }
 
+static inline unsigned
+brw_inst_kind_align(brw_inst_kind kind)
+{
+   STATIC_ASSERT(alignof(brw_send_inst) >= alignof(brw_tex_inst));
+   STATIC_ASSERT(alignof(brw_send_inst) >= alignof(brw_mem_inst));
+   STATIC_ASSERT(alignof(brw_send_inst) >= alignof(brw_dpas_inst));
+   STATIC_ASSERT(alignof(brw_send_inst) >= alignof(brw_load_payload_inst));
+   STATIC_ASSERT(alignof(brw_send_inst) >= alignof(brw_urb_inst));
+   STATIC_ASSERT(alignof(brw_send_inst) >= alignof(brw_fb_write_inst));
+
+   /* See brw_inst_kind_size(). */
+
+   return kind == BRW_KIND_BASE ? alignof(brw_inst)
+                                : alignof(brw_send_inst);
+}
+
+static void *
+brw_alloc_size(brw_shader &s, unsigned size, unsigned align)
+{
+   unsigned padding = -(uintptr_t)s.inst_arena.beg & (align - 1);
+
+   /* If doesn't fit, create a larger one. */
+   if (s.inst_arena.end - s.inst_arena.beg - padding < size) {
+      unsigned new_cap = MAX2(s.inst_arena.total_cap / 2, size);
+      s.inst_arena.beg = (char *)ralloc_size(s.inst_arena.mem_ctx, new_cap);
+      s.inst_arena.end = s.inst_arena.beg + new_cap;
+      s.inst_arena.cap = new_cap;
+      s.inst_arena.total_cap += new_cap;
+      padding = 0;
+   }
+
+   void *mem = s.inst_arena.beg + padding;
+   s.inst_arena.beg += padding + size;
+   return mem;
+}
+
 static brw_inst *
 brw_alloc_inst(brw_shader &s, brw_inst_kind kind, unsigned num_srcs)
 {
    const unsigned inst_size = brw_inst_kind_size(kind);
+   const unsigned inst_align = brw_inst_kind_align(kind);
 
    assert((inst_size % alignof(brw_reg)) == 0);
 
-   void *mem = ralloc_size(s.mem_ctx, inst_size + num_srcs * sizeof(brw_reg));
+   void *mem = brw_alloc_size(s, inst_size + num_srcs * sizeof(brw_reg), inst_align);
    memset(mem, 0, inst_size);
 
    brw_inst *inst = (brw_inst *)mem;
@@ -131,7 +168,8 @@ brw_transform_inst(brw_shader &s, brw_inst *inst, enum opcode new_opcode,
    assert(new_num_sources != UINT_MAX);
 
    if (new_num_sources > inst->sources) {
-      brw_reg *new_src = ralloc_array(inst, brw_reg, new_num_sources);
+      brw_reg *new_src = (brw_reg *)
+         brw_alloc_size(s, sizeof(brw_reg) * new_num_sources, alignof(brw_reg));
       for (unsigned i = 0; i < inst->sources; i++)
          new_src[i] = inst->src[i];
       inst->src = new_src;
diff --git a/src/intel/compiler/brw_shader.cpp b/src/intel/compiler/brw_shader.cpp
index 172e4a28301..f0f26199aa1 100644
--- a/src/intel/compiler/brw_shader.cpp
+++ b/src/intel/compiler/brw_shader.cpp
@@ -443,17 +443,35 @@ brw_shader::brw_shader(const brw_shader_params *params)
    this->gs.control_data_bits_per_vertex = 0;
    this->gs.control_data_header_size_bits = 0;
 
-
    if (params->per_primitive_offsets) {
       assert(stage == MESA_SHADER_FRAGMENT);
       memcpy(this->fs.per_primitive_offsets, params->per_primitive_offsets,
              sizeof(this->fs.per_primitive_offsets));
    }
+
+   {
+      unsigned inst_count = 0;
+      if (nir_shader_get_entrypoint(nir)) {
+         nir_foreach_block(block, nir_shader_get_entrypoint(nir)) {
+            nir_foreach_instr(instr, block)
+               inst_count++;
+         }
+      }
+
+      const unsigned estimate = inst_count * (sizeof(brw_inst) + 2 * sizeof(brw_reg));
+
+      inst_arena.mem_ctx = ralloc_context(NULL);
+      inst_arena.cap = estimate;
+      inst_arena.beg = (char *) ralloc_size(mem_ctx, inst_arena.cap);
+      inst_arena.end = inst_arena.beg + inst_arena.cap;
+      inst_arena.total_cap = inst_arena.cap;
+   }
 }
 
 brw_shader::~brw_shader()
 {
    delete this->payload_;
+   ralloc_free(inst_arena.mem_ctx);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/intel/compiler/brw_shader.h b/src/intel/compiler/brw_shader.h
index 94502e6841e..99bb3dd163b 100644
--- a/src/intel/compiler/brw_shader.h
+++ b/src/intel/compiler/brw_shader.h
@@ -226,6 +226,16 @@ public:
    void debug_optimizer(const nir_shader *nir,
                         const char *pass_name,
                         int iteration, int pass_num) const;
+
+   /* Used to allocate instructions, see brw_new_inst() and brw_clone_inst(). */
+   struct {
+      void *mem_ctx;
+      unsigned cap;
+      char *beg;
+      char *end;
+
+      unsigned total_cap;
+   } inst_arena;
 };
 
 void brw_print_instructions(const brw_shader &s, FILE *file = stderr);