diff --git a/src/freedreno/ir3/ir3_compiler_nir.c b/src/freedreno/ir3/ir3_compiler_nir.c
index 228cfbdada3..09954806b71 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/ir3/ir3_compiler_nir.c
+++ b/src/freedreno/ir3/ir3_compiler_nir.c
@@ -4545,7 +4545,9 @@ ir3_compile_shader_nir(struct ir3_compiler *compiler,
    do {
       progress = false;
 
-      progress |= IR3_PASS(ir, ir3_cf);
+      /* the folding doesn't seem to work reliably on a4xx */
+      if (ctx->compiler->gen != 4)
+         progress |= IR3_PASS(ir, ir3_cf);
       progress |= IR3_PASS(ir, ir3_cp, so);
       progress |= IR3_PASS(ir, ir3_cse);
       progress |= IR3_PASS(ir, ir3_dce, so);