diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.c b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.c
index 0d1cf322281..4c21f35d69f 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.c
@@ -924,6 +924,17 @@ zink_program_allocate_desc_set(struct zink_context *ctx,
    uint32_t hash = pg->num_descriptors[type] ? ctx->descriptor_states[is_compute].state[type] : 0;
    struct zink_descriptor_state_key key;
    populate_zds_key(ctx, type, is_compute, &key);
+   if (pg->last_set[type] && pg->last_set[type]->hash == hash &&
+       desc_state_equal(&pg->last_set[type]->key, &key)) {
+      zds = pg->last_set[type];
+      *cache_hit = true;
+      if (pg->num_descriptors[type]) {
+         struct hash_entry *he = _mesa_hash_table_search_pre_hashed(pg->free_desc_sets[type], hash, &key);
+         if (he)
+            _mesa_hash_table_remove(pg->free_desc_sets[type], he);
+      }
+      goto out;
+   }
 
    if (pg->num_descriptors[type]) {
       struct hash_entry *he = _mesa_hash_table_search_pre_hashed(pg->desc_sets[type], hash, &key);
@@ -978,8 +989,8 @@ zink_program_allocate_desc_set(struct zink_context *ctx,
          return zink_program_allocate_desc_set(ctx, batch, pg, type, is_compute, cache_hit);
       }
    } else {
-      zds = pg->null_set;
-      if (zds) {
+      if (pg->last_set[type] && !pg->last_set[type]->hash) {
+         zds = pg->last_set[type];
          *cache_hit = true;
          goto quick_out;
       }
@@ -991,13 +1002,18 @@ out:
    populate_zds_key(ctx, type, is_compute, &zds->key);
    if (pg->num_descriptors[type])
       _mesa_hash_table_insert_pre_hashed(pg->desc_sets[type], hash, &zds->key, zds);
-   else
-      pg->null_set = zds;
+   else {
+      /* we can safely apply the null set to all the slots which will need it here */
+      for (unsigned i = 0; i < ZINK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPES; i++) {
+         if (!pg->num_descriptors[i])
+            pg->last_set[i] = zds;
+      }
+   }
 quick_out:
    zds->invalid = false;
    if (zink_batch_add_desc_set(batch, pg, zds))
       batch->descs_used += pg->num_descriptors[type];
-   
+   pg->last_set[type] = zds;
    return zds;
 }
 
@@ -1008,16 +1024,17 @@ zink_program_recycle_desc_set(struct zink_program *pg, struct zink_descriptor_se
    uint32_t refcount = p_atomic_read(&zds->reference.count);
    if (refcount != 1)
       return;
-   if (!zds->invalid) {
-      struct hash_entry *he = _mesa_hash_table_search_pre_hashed(pg->desc_sets[zds->type], zds->hash, &zds->key);
-      if (!he)
-         /* desc sets can be used multiple times in the same batch */
-         return;
+   /* this is a null set */
+   if (!zds->hash && !pg->num_descriptors[zds->type])
+      return;
 
-      _mesa_hash_table_remove(pg->desc_sets[zds->type], he);
-      _mesa_hash_table_insert_pre_hashed(pg->free_desc_sets[zds->type], zds->hash, &zds->key, zds);
-   } else
-      util_dynarray_append(&pg->alloc_desc_sets[zds->type], struct zink_descriptor_set *, zds);
+   struct hash_entry *he = _mesa_hash_table_search_pre_hashed(pg->desc_sets[zds->type], zds->hash, &zds->key);
+   if (!he)
+      /* desc sets can be used multiple times in the same batch */
+      return;
+
+   _mesa_hash_table_remove(pg->desc_sets[zds->type], he);
+   _mesa_hash_table_insert_pre_hashed(pg->free_desc_sets[zds->type], zds->hash, &zds->key, zds);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.h b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.h
index 211702e8ee6..5f3acd11e60 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.h
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/zink/zink_program.h
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ struct zink_program {
    VkDescriptorPool descpool[ZINK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPES];
    VkDescriptorSetLayout dsl[ZINK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPES];
    unsigned num_descriptors[ZINK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPES];
-   struct zink_descriptor_set *null_set;
+   struct zink_descriptor_set *last_set[ZINK_DESCRIPTOR_TYPES];
 };
 
 struct zink_gfx_program {