diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/radeonsi/si_shader_nir.c b/src/gallium/drivers/radeonsi/si_shader_nir.c
index d20c57e8120..4c5cdcf5f93 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/radeonsi/si_shader_nir.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/radeonsi/si_shader_nir.c
@@ -419,8 +419,14 @@ char *si_finalize_nir(struct pipe_screen *screen, struct nir_shader *nir)
 {
    struct si_screen *sscreen = (struct si_screen *)screen;
 
-   nir_lower_io_passes(nir, false);
-   NIR_PASS_V(nir, nir_remove_dead_variables, nir_var_shader_in | nir_var_shader_out, NULL);
+   if (nir->info.io_lowered) {
+      nir_foreach_variable_with_modes(var, nir, nir_var_shader_in | nir_var_shader_out) {
+         unreachable("no IO variables should be present with lowered IO");
+      }
+   } else {
+      nir_lower_io_passes(nir, false);
+      NIR_PASS_V(nir, nir_remove_dead_variables, nir_var_shader_in | nir_var_shader_out, NULL);
+   }
 
    if (nir->info.stage == MESA_SHADER_FRAGMENT)
       NIR_PASS_V(nir, nir_lower_color_inputs);