diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/csf/panvk_vX_cmd_draw.c b/src/panfrost/vulkan/csf/panvk_vX_cmd_draw.c
index 8df4f0b2f2c..216c90abfe0 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/csf/panvk_vX_cmd_draw.c
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/csf/panvk_vX_cmd_draw.c
@@ -239,7 +239,9 @@ prepare_fs_driver_set(struct panvk_cmd_buffer *cmdbuf)
    const struct panvk_shader *fs = cmdbuf->state.gfx.fs.shader;
    const struct panvk_descriptor_state *desc_state =
       &cmdbuf->state.gfx.desc_state;
-   uint32_t desc_count = fs->desc_info.dyn_bufs.count + MAX_VARYING + 1;
+   uint32_t num_varying_attr_descs = fs->desc_info.max_varying_loads;
+   uint32_t desc_count =
+      fs->desc_info.dyn_bufs.count + num_varying_attr_descs + 1;
    struct panfrost_ptr driver_set = panvk_cmd_alloc_dev_mem(
       cmdbuf, desc, desc_count * PANVK_DESCRIPTOR_SIZE, PANVK_DESCRIPTOR_SIZE);
    struct panvk_opaque_desc *descs = driver_set.cpu;
@@ -250,12 +252,13 @@ prepare_fs_driver_set(struct panvk_cmd_buffer *cmdbuf)
    emit_varying_descs(cmdbuf, (struct mali_attribute_packed *)(&descs[0]));
 
    /* Dummy sampler always comes right after the varyings. */
-   pan_cast_and_pack(&descs[MAX_VARYING], SAMPLER, cfg) {
+   pan_cast_and_pack(&descs[num_varying_attr_descs], SAMPLER, cfg) {
       cfg.clamp_integer_array_indices = false;
    }
 
    panvk_per_arch(cmd_fill_dyn_bufs)(
-      desc_state, fs, (struct mali_buffer_packed *)(&descs[1 + MAX_VARYING]));
+      desc_state, fs,
+      (struct mali_buffer_packed *)(&descs[num_varying_attr_descs + 1]));
 
    fs_desc_state->driver_set.dev_addr = driver_set.gpu;
    fs_desc_state->driver_set.size = desc_count * PANVK_DESCRIPTOR_SIZE;
diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_shader.h b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_shader.h
index 6df60626234..93b1f34d3ce 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_shader.h
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_shader.h
@@ -277,6 +277,7 @@ struct panvk_shader {
          uint32_t map[MAX_DYNAMIC_BUFFERS];
          uint32_t count;
       } dyn_bufs;
+      uint32_t max_varying_loads;
 #endif
    } desc_info;
 
diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_nir_lower_descriptors.c b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_nir_lower_descriptors.c
index aa733635f0f..06f907fd451 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_nir_lower_descriptors.c
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_nir_lower_descriptors.c
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ struct panvk_shader_desc_info {
    uint32_t dummy_sampler_handle;
    uint32_t dyn_bufs_start;
    struct panvk_shader_desc_map dyn_bufs;
+   uint32_t num_varying_attr_descs;
 #endif
 };
 
@@ -1033,7 +1034,7 @@ create_copy_table(nir_shader *nir, struct lower_desc_ctx *ctx)
       break;
    case MESA_SHADER_FRAGMENT:
       /* Dummy sampler comes after the varyings. */
-      dummy_sampler_idx = MAX_VARYING;
+      dummy_sampler_idx = desc_info->num_varying_attr_descs;
       break;
    case MESA_SHADER_COMPUTE:
       dummy_sampler_idx = 0;
@@ -1256,6 +1257,9 @@ panvk_per_arch(nir_lower_descriptors)(
    if (!progress)
       goto out;
 
+#if PAN_ARCH >= 9
+   ctx.desc_info.num_varying_attr_descs = shader->desc_info.max_varying_loads;
+#endif
    create_copy_table(nir, &ctx);
    upload_shader_desc_info(dev, shader, &ctx.desc_info);
 
diff --git a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_shader.c b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_shader.c
index ee5b96c918b..ca58d0a4fbe 100644
--- a/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_shader.c
+++ b/src/panfrost/vulkan/panvk_vX_shader.c
@@ -650,6 +650,17 @@ panvk_lower_nir(struct panvk_device *dev, nir_shader *nir,
    }
 #endif
 
+   /* Lower input intrinsics for fragment shaders early to get the max
+    * number of varying loads, as this number is required during descriptor
+    * lowering for v9+. */
+   if (stage == MESA_SHADER_FRAGMENT) {
+      nir_assign_io_var_locations(nir, nir_var_shader_in, &nir->num_inputs,
+                                  stage);
+#if PAN_ARCH >= 9
+      shader->desc_info.max_varying_loads = nir->num_inputs;
+#endif
+   }
+
    panvk_per_arch(nir_lower_descriptors)(nir, dev, rs, set_layout_count,
                                          set_layouts, shader);
 
@@ -706,7 +717,8 @@ panvk_lower_nir(struct panvk_device *dev, nir_shader *nir,
                 var->data.location <= VERT_ATTRIB_GENERIC15);
          var->data.driver_location = var->data.location - VERT_ATTRIB_GENERIC0;
       }
-   } else {
+   } else if (stage != MESA_SHADER_FRAGMENT) {
+      /* Input varyings in fragment shader have been lowered early. */
       nir_assign_io_var_locations(nir, nir_var_shader_in, &nir->num_inputs,
                                   stage);
    }