diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nv50/nv50_program.c b/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nv50/nv50_program.c
index f38b98d6905..331a75baa8c 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nv50/nv50_program.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nv50/nv50_program.c
@@ -375,11 +375,11 @@ nv50_program_translate(struct nv50_program *prog, uint16_t chipset,
    info_out.driverPriv = prog;
 
 #ifndef NDEBUG
-   info->optLevel = debug_get_num_option("NV50_PROG_OPTIMIZE", 3);
+   info->optLevel = debug_get_num_option("NV50_PROG_OPTIMIZE", 4);
    info->dbgFlags = debug_get_num_option("NV50_PROG_DEBUG", 0);
    info->omitLineNum = debug_get_num_option("NV50_PROG_DEBUG_OMIT_LINENUM", 0);
 #else
-   info->optLevel = 3;
+   info->optLevel = 4;
 #endif
 
    ret = nv50_ir_generate_code(info, &info_out);
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nvc0/nvc0_program.c b/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nvc0/nvc0_program.c
index b8c9278fb80..e806977af73 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nvc0/nvc0_program.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/nouveau/nvc0/nvc0_program.c
@@ -594,11 +594,11 @@ nvc0_program_translate(struct nvc0_program *prog, uint16_t chipset,
 
 #ifndef NDEBUG
    info->target = debug_get_num_option("NV50_PROG_CHIPSET", chipset);
-   info->optLevel = debug_get_num_option("NV50_PROG_OPTIMIZE", 3);
+   info->optLevel = debug_get_num_option("NV50_PROG_OPTIMIZE", 4);
    info->dbgFlags = debug_get_num_option("NV50_PROG_DEBUG", 0);
    info->omitLineNum = debug_get_num_option("NV50_PROG_DEBUG_OMIT_LINENUM", 0);
 #else
-   info->optLevel = 3;
+   info->optLevel = 4;
 #endif
 
    info->bin.smemSize = prog->cp.smem_size;
diff --git a/src/nouveau/codegen/nv50_ir_driver.h b/src/nouveau/codegen/nv50_ir_driver.h
index ab13e603a26..712e56676d3 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/codegen/nv50_ir_driver.h
+++ b/src/nouveau/codegen/nv50_ir_driver.h
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ struct nv50_ir_prog_info
 
    uint8_t type; /* PIPE_SHADER */
 
-   uint8_t optLevel; /* optimization level (0 to 3) */
+   uint8_t optLevel; /* optimization level (0 to 4). Level 4 enables MemoryOpt
+                      * which does not work well with NVK */
    uint8_t dbgFlags;
    bool omitLineNum; /* only used for printing the prog when dbgFlags is set */
 
diff --git a/src/nouveau/codegen/nv50_ir_peephole.cpp b/src/nouveau/codegen/nv50_ir_peephole.cpp
index 9088e614f7e..53f4b106157 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/codegen/nv50_ir_peephole.cpp
+++ b/src/nouveau/codegen/nv50_ir_peephole.cpp
@@ -4092,7 +4092,7 @@ Program::optimizeSSA(int level)
    RUN_PASS(2, LateAlgebraicOpt, run);
    RUN_PASS(1, LoadPropagation, run);
    RUN_PASS(1, IndirectPropagation, run);
-   RUN_PASS(2, MemoryOpt, run);
+   RUN_PASS(4, MemoryOpt, run);
    RUN_PASS(2, LocalCSE, run);
    RUN_PASS(0, DeadCodeElim, buryAll);