diff --git a/src/compiler/Makefile.sources b/src/compiler/Makefile.sources
index cb09d123c22..6a758e725a2 100644
--- a/src/compiler/Makefile.sources
+++ b/src/compiler/Makefile.sources
@@ -341,6 +341,7 @@ NIR_FILES = \
 	nir/nir_opt_load_store_vectorize.c \
 	nir/nir_opt_memcpy.c \
 	nir/nir_opt_move.c \
+	nir/nir_opt_move_discards_to_top.c \
 	nir/nir_opt_offsets.c \
 	nir/nir_opt_peephole_select.c \
 	nir/nir_opt_rematerialize_compares.c \
diff --git a/src/compiler/nir/meson.build b/src/compiler/nir/meson.build
index 9b83c3be476..8209516d732 100644
--- a/src/compiler/nir/meson.build
+++ b/src/compiler/nir/meson.build
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@ files_libnir = files(
   'nir_opt_loop_unroll.c',
   'nir_opt_memcpy.c',
   'nir_opt_move.c',
+  'nir_opt_move_discards_to_top.c',
   'nir_opt_offsets.c',
   'nir_opt_peephole_select.c',
   'nir_opt_rematerialize_compares.c',
diff --git a/src/compiler/nir/nir.h b/src/compiler/nir/nir.h
index a769a137353..71f8628423b 100644
--- a/src/compiler/nir/nir.h
+++ b/src/compiler/nir/nir.h
@@ -5199,6 +5199,7 @@ bool nir_opt_vectorize(nir_shader *shader, nir_opt_vectorize_cb filter,
                        void *data);
 
 bool nir_opt_conditional_discard(nir_shader *shader);
+bool nir_opt_move_discards_to_top(nir_shader *shader);
 
 typedef bool (*nir_should_vectorize_mem_func)(unsigned align_mul,
                                               unsigned align_offset,
diff --git a/src/compiler/nir/nir_opt_move_discards_to_top.c b/src/compiler/nir/nir_opt_move_discards_to_top.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1f145b4a6fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/compiler/nir/nir_opt_move_discards_to_top.c
@@ -0,0 +1,252 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright © 2018 Intel Corporation
+ *
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a
+ * copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"),
+ * to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation
+ * the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense,
+ * and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
+ * Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+ *
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice (including the next
+ * paragraph) shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the
+ * Software.
+ *
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+ * IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+ * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.  IN NO EVENT SHALL
+ * THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+ * LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+ * FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS
+ * IN THE SOFTWARE.
+ */
+
+#include "nir.h"
+#include "nir_builder.h"
+#include "nir_control_flow.h"
+#include "nir_worklist.h"
+
+static bool
+nir_op_is_derivative(nir_op op)
+{
+   return op == nir_op_fddx ||
+          op == nir_op_fddy ||
+          op == nir_op_fddx_fine ||
+          op == nir_op_fddy_fine ||
+          op == nir_op_fddx_coarse ||
+          op == nir_op_fddy_coarse;
+}
+
+static bool
+nir_texop_implies_derivative(nir_texop op)
+{
+   return op == nir_texop_tex ||
+          op == nir_texop_txb ||
+          op == nir_texop_lod;
+}
+#define MOVE_INSTR_FLAG            1
+#define STOP_PROCESSING_INSTR_FLAG 2
+
+/** Check recursively if the source can be moved to the top of the shader.
+ *  Sets instr->pass_flags to MOVE_INSTR_FLAG and adds the instr
+ *  to the given worklist
+ */
+static bool
+can_move_src(nir_src *src, void *worklist)
+{
+   if (!src->is_ssa)
+      return false;
+
+   nir_instr *instr = src->ssa->parent_instr;
+   if (instr->pass_flags)
+      return true;
+
+   /* Phi instructions can't be moved at all.  Also, if we're dependent on
+    * a phi then we are dependent on some other bit of control flow and
+    * it's hard to figure out the proper condition.
+    */
+   if (instr->type == nir_instr_type_phi)
+      return false;
+
+   if (instr->type == nir_instr_type_intrinsic) {
+      nir_intrinsic_instr *intrin = nir_instr_as_intrinsic(instr);
+      if (intrin->intrinsic == nir_intrinsic_load_deref) {
+         nir_deref_instr *deref = nir_src_as_deref(intrin->src[0]);
+         if (!nir_deref_mode_is_one_of(deref, nir_var_read_only_modes))
+            return false;
+      } else if (!(nir_intrinsic_infos[intrin->intrinsic].flags &
+                   NIR_INTRINSIC_CAN_REORDER)) {
+         return false;
+      }
+   }
+
+   /* set pass_flags and remember the instruction for potential cleanup */
+   instr->pass_flags = MOVE_INSTR_FLAG;
+   nir_instr_worklist_push_tail(worklist, instr);
+
+   if (!nir_foreach_src(instr, can_move_src, worklist)) {
+      return false;
+   }
+   return true;
+}
+
+/** Try to mark a discard or demote instruction for moving
+ *
+ * This function does two things.  One is that it searches through the
+ * dependency chain to see if this discard is an instruction that we can move
+ * up to the top.  Second, if the discard is one we can move, it tags the
+ * discard and its dependencies (using pass_flags = 1).
+ * Demote are handled the same way, except that they can still be moved up
+ * when implicit derivatives are used.
+ */
+static bool
+try_move_discard(nir_intrinsic_instr *discard)
+{
+   /* We require the discard to be in the top level of control flow.  We
+    * could, in theory, move discards that are inside ifs or loops but that
+    * would be a lot more work.
+    */
+   if (discard->instr.block->cf_node.parent->type != nir_cf_node_function)
+      return false;
+
+   /* Build the set of all instructions discard depends on to be able to
+    * clear the flags in case the discard cannot be moved.
+    */
+   nir_instr_worklist *work = nir_instr_worklist_create();
+   if (!work)
+      return false;
+   discard->instr.pass_flags = MOVE_INSTR_FLAG;
+
+   bool can_move_discard = can_move_src(&discard->src[0], work);
+   if (!can_move_discard) {
+      /* Moving the discard is impossible: clear the flags */
+      discard->instr.pass_flags = 0;
+      nir_foreach_instr_in_worklist(instr, work)
+         instr->pass_flags = 0;
+   }
+
+   nir_instr_worklist_destroy(work);
+
+   return can_move_discard;
+}
+
+static bool
+opt_move_discards_to_top_impl(nir_function_impl *impl)
+{
+   bool progress = false;
+   bool consider_discards = true;
+   bool moved = false;
+
+   /* Walk through the instructions and look for a discard that we can move
+    * to the top of the program.  If we hit any operation along the way that
+    * we cannot safely move a discard above, break out of the loop and stop
+    * trying to move any more discards.
+    */
+   nir_foreach_block(block, impl) {
+      nir_foreach_instr_safe(instr, block) {
+         instr->pass_flags = 0;
+
+         switch (instr->type) {
+         case nir_instr_type_alu: {
+            nir_alu_instr *alu = nir_instr_as_alu(instr);
+            if (nir_op_is_derivative(alu->op))
+               consider_discards = false;
+            continue;
+         }
+
+         case nir_instr_type_deref:
+         case nir_instr_type_load_const:
+         case nir_instr_type_ssa_undef:
+         case nir_instr_type_phi:
+            /* These are all safe */
+            continue;
+
+         case nir_instr_type_call:
+            instr->pass_flags = STOP_PROCESSING_INSTR_FLAG;
+            /* We don't know what the function will do */
+            goto break_all;
+
+         case nir_instr_type_tex: {
+            nir_tex_instr *tex = nir_instr_as_tex(instr);
+            if (nir_texop_implies_derivative(tex->op))
+               consider_discards = false;
+            continue;
+         }
+
+         case nir_instr_type_intrinsic: {
+            nir_intrinsic_instr *intrin = nir_instr_as_intrinsic(instr);
+            if (nir_intrinsic_writes_external_memory(intrin)) {
+               instr->pass_flags = STOP_PROCESSING_INSTR_FLAG;
+               goto break_all;
+            }
+
+            if ((intrin->intrinsic == nir_intrinsic_discard_if && consider_discards) ||
+                intrin->intrinsic == nir_intrinsic_demote_if)
+               moved = moved || try_move_discard(intrin);
+            continue;
+         }
+
+         case nir_instr_type_jump: {
+            nir_jump_instr *jump = nir_instr_as_jump(instr);
+            /* A return would cause the discard to not get executed */
+            if (jump->type == nir_jump_return) {
+               instr->pass_flags = STOP_PROCESSING_INSTR_FLAG;
+               goto break_all;
+            }
+            continue;
+         }
+
+         case nir_instr_type_parallel_copy:
+            unreachable("Unhanded instruction type");
+         }
+      }
+   }
+break_all:
+
+   if (moved) {
+      /* Walk the list of instructions and move the discard/demote and
+       * everything it depends on to the top.  We walk the instruction list
+       * here because it ensures that everything stays in its original order.
+       * This provides stability for the algorithm and ensures that we don't
+       * accidentally get dependencies out-of-order.
+       */
+      nir_cursor cursor = nir_before_block(nir_start_block(impl));
+      nir_foreach_block(block, impl) {
+         nir_foreach_instr_safe(instr, block) {
+            if (instr->pass_flags == STOP_PROCESSING_INSTR_FLAG)
+               return progress;
+            if (instr->pass_flags == MOVE_INSTR_FLAG) {
+               progress |= nir_instr_move(cursor, instr);
+               cursor = nir_after_instr(instr);
+            }
+         }
+      }
+   }
+
+   return progress;
+}
+
+/* This optimization only operates on discard_if/demoe_if so
+ * nir_opt_conditional_discard and nir_lower_discard_or_demote
+ * should have been called before.
+ */
+bool
+nir_opt_move_discards_to_top(nir_shader *shader)
+{
+   assert(shader->info.stage == MESA_SHADER_FRAGMENT);
+
+   bool progress = false;
+
+   if (!shader->info.fs.uses_discard)
+      return false;
+
+   nir_foreach_function(function, shader) {
+      if (function->impl && opt_move_discards_to_top_impl(function->impl)) {
+         nir_metadata_preserve(function->impl, nir_metadata_block_index |
+                                               nir_metadata_dominance);
+         progress = true;
+      }
+   }
+
+   return progress;
+}