diff --git a/src/intel/compiler/brw_nir.c b/src/intel/compiler/brw_nir.c
index 5c67a3759d3..ac86d704305 100644
--- a/src/intel/compiler/brw_nir.c
+++ b/src/intel/compiler/brw_nir.c
@@ -633,7 +633,7 @@ brw_nir_lower_fs_outputs(nir_shader *nir)
 
 void
 brw_nir_optimize(nir_shader *nir, const struct brw_compiler *compiler,
-                 bool is_scalar, bool allow_copies)
+                 bool is_scalar)
 {
    bool progress;
    unsigned lower_flrp =
@@ -656,10 +656,10 @@ brw_nir_optimize(nir_shader *nir, const struct brw_compiler *compiler,
       if (OPT(nir_opt_memcpy))
          OPT(nir_split_var_copies);
       OPT(nir_lower_vars_to_ssa);
-      if (allow_copies) {
-         /* Only run this pass in the first call to brw_nir_optimize.  Later
-          * calls assume that we've lowered away any copy_deref instructions
-          * and we don't want to introduce any more.
+      if (!nir->info.var_copies_lowered) {
+         /* Only run this pass if nir_lower_var_copies was not called
+          * yet. That would lower away any copy_deref instructions and we
+          * don't want to introduce any more.
           */
          OPT(nir_opt_find_array_copies);
       }
@@ -980,7 +980,7 @@ brw_preprocess_nir(const struct brw_compiler *compiler, nir_shader *nir,
    OPT(nir_split_var_copies);
    OPT(nir_split_struct_vars, nir_var_function_temp);
 
-   brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, is_scalar, true);
+   brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, is_scalar);
 
    OPT(nir_lower_doubles, opts->softfp64, nir->options->lower_doubles_options);
    if (OPT(nir_lower_int64)) {
@@ -1054,7 +1054,7 @@ brw_preprocess_nir(const struct brw_compiler *compiler, nir_shader *nir,
        nir_lower_direct_array_deref_of_vec_load);
 
    /* Get rid of split copies */
-   brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, is_scalar, false);
+   brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, is_scalar);
 }
 
 void
@@ -1090,12 +1090,12 @@ brw_nir_link_shaders(const struct brw_compiler *compiler,
    if (p_is_scalar && c_is_scalar) {
       NIR_PASS(_, producer, nir_lower_io_to_scalar_early, nir_var_shader_out);
       NIR_PASS(_, consumer, nir_lower_io_to_scalar_early, nir_var_shader_in);
-      brw_nir_optimize(producer, compiler, p_is_scalar, false);
-      brw_nir_optimize(consumer, compiler, c_is_scalar, false);
+      brw_nir_optimize(producer, compiler, p_is_scalar);
+      brw_nir_optimize(consumer, compiler, c_is_scalar);
    }
 
    if (nir_link_opt_varyings(producer, consumer))
-      brw_nir_optimize(consumer, compiler, c_is_scalar, false);
+      brw_nir_optimize(consumer, compiler, c_is_scalar);
 
    NIR_PASS(_, producer, nir_remove_dead_variables, nir_var_shader_out, NULL);
    NIR_PASS(_, consumer, nir_remove_dead_variables, nir_var_shader_in, NULL);
@@ -1124,8 +1124,8 @@ brw_nir_link_shaders(const struct brw_compiler *compiler,
                   brw_nir_no_indirect_mask(compiler, consumer->info.stage),
                   UINT32_MAX);
 
-      brw_nir_optimize(producer, compiler, p_is_scalar, false);
-      brw_nir_optimize(consumer, compiler, c_is_scalar, false);
+      brw_nir_optimize(producer, compiler, p_is_scalar);
+      brw_nir_optimize(consumer, compiler, c_is_scalar);
    }
 
    NIR_PASS(_, producer, nir_lower_io_to_vector, nir_var_shader_out);
@@ -1301,21 +1301,21 @@ brw_postprocess_nir(nir_shader *nir, const struct brw_compiler *compiler,
    if (gl_shader_stage_can_set_fragment_shading_rate(nir->info.stage))
       NIR_PASS(_, nir, brw_nir_lower_shading_rate_output);
 
-   brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, is_scalar, false);
+   brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, is_scalar);
 
    if (is_scalar && nir_shader_has_local_variables(nir)) {
       OPT(nir_lower_vars_to_explicit_types, nir_var_function_temp,
           glsl_get_natural_size_align_bytes);
       OPT(nir_lower_explicit_io, nir_var_function_temp,
           nir_address_format_32bit_offset);
-      brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, is_scalar, false);
+      brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, is_scalar);
    }
 
    brw_vectorize_lower_mem_access(nir, compiler, is_scalar,
                                   robust_buffer_access);
 
    if (OPT(nir_lower_int64))
-      brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, is_scalar, false);
+      brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, is_scalar);
 
    if (devinfo->ver >= 6) {
       /* Try and fuse multiply-adds */
@@ -1402,7 +1402,7 @@ brw_postprocess_nir(nir_shader *nir, const struct brw_compiler *compiler,
       OPT(nir_lower_subgroups, &subgroups_options);
 
       if (OPT(nir_lower_int64))
-         brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, is_scalar, false);
+         brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, is_scalar);
    }
 
    /* Clean up LCSSA phis */
@@ -1560,7 +1560,7 @@ brw_nir_apply_key(nir_shader *nir,
       OPT(brw_nir_limit_trig_input_range_workaround);
 
    if (progress)
-      brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, is_scalar, false);
+      brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, is_scalar);
 }
 
 enum brw_conditional_mod
diff --git a/src/intel/compiler/brw_nir.h b/src/intel/compiler/brw_nir.h
index 88844922424..54cd7a4bb24 100644
--- a/src/intel/compiler/brw_nir.h
+++ b/src/intel/compiler/brw_nir.h
@@ -188,8 +188,7 @@ bool brw_nir_clamp_per_vertex_loads(nir_shader *shader,
 
 void brw_nir_optimize(nir_shader *nir,
                       const struct brw_compiler *compiler,
-                      bool is_scalar,
-                      bool allow_copies);
+                      bool is_scalar);
 
 nir_shader *brw_nir_create_passthrough_tcs(void *mem_ctx,
                                            const struct brw_compiler *compiler,
diff --git a/src/intel/compiler/brw_nir_rt.c b/src/intel/compiler/brw_nir_rt.c
index 9ddfa717e85..a363965b9a9 100644
--- a/src/intel/compiler/brw_nir_rt.c
+++ b/src/intel/compiler/brw_nir_rt.c
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ brw_nir_create_raygen_trampoline(const struct brw_compiler *compiler,
 
    NIR_PASS_V(nir, brw_nir_lower_cs_intrinsics);
 
-   brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, true, false);
+   brw_nir_optimize(nir, compiler, true);
 
    return nir;
 }