diff --git a/src/intel/compiler/brw_fs.cpp b/src/intel/compiler/brw_fs.cpp
index 4dabf6c9395..dfe5b2a7282 100644
--- a/src/intel/compiler/brw_fs.cpp
+++ b/src/intel/compiler/brw_fs.cpp
@@ -3768,15 +3768,23 @@ fs_visitor::lower_load_payload()
          dst.nr = dst.nr & ~BRW_MRF_COMPR4;
 
       const fs_builder ibld(this, block, inst);
-      const fs_builder hbld = ibld.exec_all().group(8, 0);
+      const fs_builder ubld = ibld.exec_all();
 
-      for (uint8_t i = 0; i < inst->header_size; i++) {
-         if (inst->src[i].file != BAD_FILE) {
-            fs_reg mov_dst = retype(dst, BRW_REGISTER_TYPE_UD);
-            fs_reg mov_src = retype(inst->src[i], BRW_REGISTER_TYPE_UD);
-            hbld.MOV(mov_dst, mov_src);
-         }
-         dst = offset(dst, hbld, 1);
+      for (uint8_t i = 0; i < inst->header_size;) {
+         /* Number of header GRFs to initialize at once with a single MOV
+          * instruction.
+          */
+         const unsigned n =
+            (i + 1 < inst->header_size && inst->src[i].stride == 1 &&
+             inst->src[i + 1].equals(byte_offset(inst->src[i], REG_SIZE))) ?
+            2 : 1;
+
+         if (inst->src[i].file != BAD_FILE)
+            ubld.group(8 * n, 0).MOV(retype(dst, BRW_REGISTER_TYPE_UD),
+                                     retype(inst->src[i], BRW_REGISTER_TYPE_UD));
+
+         dst = byte_offset(dst, n * REG_SIZE);
+         i += n;
       }
 
       if (inst->dst.file == MRF && (inst->dst.nr & BRW_MRF_COMPR4) &&