diff --git a/src/compiler/glsl/linker.cpp b/src/compiler/glsl/linker.cpp
index 15ae3c92002..117035d48e5 100644
--- a/src/compiler/glsl/linker.cpp
+++ b/src/compiler/glsl/linker.cpp
@@ -91,28 +91,4 @@
 #include "main/context.h"
 
 
-void
-link_shaders(struct gl_context *ctx, struct gl_shader_program *prog)
-{
-   prog->data->LinkStatus = LINKING_SUCCESS; /* All error paths will set this to false */
-   prog->data->Validated = false;
 
-   /* Section 7.3 (Program Objects) of the OpenGL 4.5 Core Profile spec says:
-    *
-    *     "Linking can fail for a variety of reasons as specified in the
-    *     OpenGL Shading Language Specification, as well as any of the
-    *     following reasons:
-    *
-    *     - No shader objects are attached to program."
-    *
-    * The Compatibility Profile specification does not list the error.  In
-    * Compatibility Profile missing shader stages are replaced by
-    * fixed-function.  This applies to the case where all stages are
-    * missing.
-    */
-   if (prog->NumShaders == 0) {
-      if (ctx->API != API_OPENGL_COMPAT)
-         linker_error(prog, "no shaders attached to the program\n");
-      return;
-   }
-}
diff --git a/src/compiler/glsl/linker_util.cpp b/src/compiler/glsl/linker_util.cpp
index d24e87086ad..22cccacd242 100644
--- a/src/compiler/glsl/linker_util.cpp
+++ b/src/compiler/glsl/linker_util.cpp
@@ -54,6 +54,32 @@ linker_warning(gl_shader_program *prog, const char *fmt, ...)
 
 }
 
+void
+link_shaders_init(struct gl_context *ctx, struct gl_shader_program *prog)
+{
+   prog->data->LinkStatus = LINKING_SUCCESS; /* All error paths will set this to false */
+   prog->data->Validated = false;
+
+   /* Section 7.3 (Program Objects) of the OpenGL 4.5 Core Profile spec says:
+    *
+    *     "Linking can fail for a variety of reasons as specified in the
+    *     OpenGL Shading Language Specification, as well as any of the
+    *     following reasons:
+    *
+    *     - No shader objects are attached to program."
+    *
+    * The Compatibility Profile specification does not list the error.  In
+    * Compatibility Profile missing shader stages are replaced by
+    * fixed-function.  This applies to the case where all stages are
+    * missing.
+    */
+   if (prog->NumShaders == 0) {
+      if (ctx->API != API_OPENGL_COMPAT)
+         linker_error(prog, "no shaders attached to the program\n");
+      return;
+   }
+}
+
 /**
  * Given a string identifying a program resource, break it into a base name
  * and an optional array index in square brackets.
diff --git a/src/compiler/glsl/linker_util.h b/src/compiler/glsl/linker_util.h
index f7965126700..da0a6cd88e0 100644
--- a/src/compiler/glsl/linker_util.h
+++ b/src/compiler/glsl/linker_util.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include "util/glheader.h"
 #include "compiler/glsl/list.h"
 #include "compiler/glsl_types.h"
+#include "main/mtypes.h"
 #include "main/shader_types.h"
 
 struct gl_constants;
@@ -84,6 +85,9 @@ struct array_deref_range {
    unsigned size;
 };
 
+void
+link_shaders_init(struct gl_context *ctx, struct gl_shader_program *prog);
+
 void
 linker_error(struct gl_shader_program *prog, const char *fmt, ...);
 
diff --git a/src/compiler/glsl/standalone.cpp b/src/compiler/glsl/standalone.cpp
index 783f77993dd..b1f14414eea 100644
--- a/src/compiler/glsl/standalone.cpp
+++ b/src/compiler/glsl/standalone.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include "gl_nir_linker.h"
 #include "glsl_parser_extras.h"
 #include "builtin_functions.h"
+#include "linker_util.h"
 #include "main/mtypes.h"
 #include "program/program.h"
 
@@ -427,7 +428,7 @@ standalone_compile_shader(const struct standalone_options *_options,
       _mesa_clear_shader_program_data(ctx, whole_program);
 
       whole_program->data->LinkStatus = LINKING_SUCCESS;
-      link_shaders(ctx, whole_program);
+      link_shaders_init(ctx, whole_program);
       gl_nir_link_glsl(ctx, whole_program);
 
       status = (whole_program->data->LinkStatus) ? EXIT_SUCCESS : EXIT_FAILURE;
diff --git a/src/compiler/glsl/tests/test_gl_lower_mediump.cpp b/src/compiler/glsl/tests/test_gl_lower_mediump.cpp
index 4997b8b1837..bfcf14c6a76 100644
--- a/src/compiler/glsl/tests/test_gl_lower_mediump.cpp
+++ b/src/compiler/glsl/tests/test_gl_lower_mediump.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include "gl_nir.h"
 #include "gl_nir_linker.h"
 #include "glsl_to_nir.h"
+#include "linker_util.h"
 #include "nir_builder.h"
 #include "program.h"
 
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@ namespace
          ASSERT_EQ(shader->CompileStatus, COMPILE_SUCCESS);
       }
 
-      link_shaders(ctx, whole_program);
+      link_shaders_init(ctx, whole_program);
       gl_nir_link_glsl(ctx, whole_program);
       if (whole_program->data->LinkStatus != LINKING_SUCCESS)
          fprintf(stderr, "Linker error: %s", whole_program->data->InfoLog);
diff --git a/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_glsl_to_nir.cpp b/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_glsl_to_nir.cpp
index d70aff22922..e553a222368 100644
--- a/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_glsl_to_nir.cpp
+++ b/src/mesa/state_tracker/st_glsl_to_nir.cpp
@@ -986,7 +986,7 @@ st_link_shader(struct gl_context *ctx, struct gl_shader_program *prog)
 
    if (prog->data->LinkStatus) {
       if (!spirv) {
-         link_shaders(ctx, prog);
+         link_shaders_init(ctx, prog);
 
 #ifdef ENABLE_SHADER_CACHE
          shader_cache_read_program_metadata(ctx, prog);