diff --git a/src/compiler/glsl/gl_nir_link_varyings.c b/src/compiler/glsl/gl_nir_link_varyings.c
index 7be961c2d2d..4018652d86c 100644
--- a/src/compiler/glsl/gl_nir_link_varyings.c
+++ b/src/compiler/glsl/gl_nir_link_varyings.c
@@ -3653,6 +3653,28 @@ link_varyings(struct gl_shader_program *prog, unsigned first,
    return true;
 }
 
+bool
+gl_assign_attribute_or_color_locations(const struct gl_constants *consts,
+                                       struct gl_shader_program *prog)
+{
+   void *mem_ctx = ralloc_context(NULL);
+
+   if (!assign_attribute_or_color_locations(mem_ctx, prog, consts,
+                                            MESA_SHADER_VERTEX, true)) {
+      ralloc_free(mem_ctx);
+      return false;
+   }
+
+   if (!assign_attribute_or_color_locations(mem_ctx, prog, consts,
+                                            MESA_SHADER_FRAGMENT, true)) {
+      ralloc_free(mem_ctx);
+      return false;
+   }
+
+   ralloc_free(mem_ctx);
+   return true;
+}
+
 bool
 gl_nir_link_varyings(const struct gl_constants *consts,
                      const struct gl_extensions *exts,
diff --git a/src/compiler/glsl/gl_nir_link_varyings.h b/src/compiler/glsl/gl_nir_link_varyings.h
index 5d76ca58dc2..b568e3dfbd0 100644
--- a/src/compiler/glsl/gl_nir_link_varyings.h
+++ b/src/compiler/glsl/gl_nir_link_varyings.h
@@ -215,4 +215,8 @@ xfb_decl_is_varying(const struct xfb_decl *xfb_decl)
    return !xfb_decl->next_buffer_separator && !xfb_decl->skip_components;
 }
 
+bool
+gl_assign_attribute_or_color_locations(const struct gl_constants *consts,
+                                       struct gl_shader_program *prog);
+
 #endif /* GLSL_LINK_VARYINGS_H */
diff --git a/src/compiler/glsl/gl_nir_linker.c b/src/compiler/glsl/gl_nir_linker.c
index f9fb6b09a2e..142cc333467 100644
--- a/src/compiler/glsl/gl_nir_linker.c
+++ b/src/compiler/glsl/gl_nir_linker.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "nir_builder.h"
 #include "gl_nir.h"
 #include "gl_nir_linker.h"
+#include "gl_nir_link_varyings.h"
 #include "linker_util.h"
 #include "main/shader_types.h"
 #include "main/consts_exts.h"
@@ -1246,6 +1247,9 @@ gl_nir_link_glsl(const struct gl_constants *consts,
          linked_shader[num_shaders++] = prog->_LinkedShaders[i];
    }
 
+   if (!gl_assign_attribute_or_color_locations(consts, prog))
+      return false;
+
    if (!prelink_lowering(consts, exts, prog, linked_shader, num_shaders))
       return false;
 
diff --git a/src/compiler/glsl/linker.cpp b/src/compiler/glsl/linker.cpp
index 924c20b168f..7706da5393a 100644
--- a/src/compiler/glsl/linker.cpp
+++ b/src/compiler/glsl/linker.cpp
@@ -3523,16 +3523,6 @@ link_varyings(const struct gl_constants *consts, struct gl_shader_program *prog,
       }
    }
 
-   if (!assign_attribute_or_color_locations(mem_ctx, prog, consts,
-                                            MESA_SHADER_VERTEX, true)) {
-      return false;
-   }
-
-   if (!assign_attribute_or_color_locations(mem_ctx, prog, consts,
-                                            MESA_SHADER_FRAGMENT, true)) {
-      return false;
-   }
-
    prog->last_vert_prog = NULL;
    for (int i = MESA_SHADER_GEOMETRY; i >= MESA_SHADER_VERTEX; i--) {
       if (prog->_LinkedShaders[i] == NULL)