diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_context.c b/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_context.c
index 8bd8b278980..ba831ca3fb7 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_context.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_context.c
@@ -1622,10 +1622,21 @@ static void virgl_send_tweaks(struct virgl_context *vctx, struct virgl_screen *r
 static void virgl_link_shader(struct pipe_context *ctx, void **handles)
 {
    struct virgl_context *vctx = virgl_context(ctx);
+   struct virgl_screen *rs = virgl_screen(vctx->base.screen);
+
    uint32_t shader_handles[PIPE_SHADER_TYPES];
    for (uint32_t i = 0; i < PIPE_SHADER_TYPES; ++i)
       shader_handles[i] = (uintptr_t)handles[i];
    virgl_encode_link_shader(vctx, shader_handles);
+
+   /* block until shader linking is finished on host */
+   if (rs->shader_sync && !unlikely(virgl_debug & VIRGL_DEBUG_SYNC)) {
+      struct virgl_winsys *vws = rs->vws;
+      struct pipe_fence_handle *sync_fence;
+      virgl_flush_eq(vctx, vctx, &sync_fence);
+      vws->fence_wait(vws, sync_fence, PIPE_TIMEOUT_INFINITE);
+      vws->fence_reference(vws, &sync_fence, NULL);
+   }
 }
 
 struct pipe_context *virgl_context_create(struct pipe_screen *pscreen,
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_driinfo.h.in b/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_driinfo.h.in
index 17e728b1920..ec688f5227c 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_driinfo.h.in
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_driinfo.h.in
@@ -19,9 +19,11 @@ DRI_CONF_SECTION_MISCELLANEOUS
      * possible drm-native-context guest driver:
      */
     DRI_CONF_DISABLE_CONSERVATIVE_LRZ(false)
+
+    DRI_CONF_VIRGL_SHADER_SYNC(false)
 DRI_CONF_SECTION_END
 
 DRI_CONF_SECTION_DEBUG
    /* Also needed for native-context drivers (freedreno) */
    DRI_CONF_DISABLE_THROTTLING(false)
-DRI_CONF_SECTION_END
\ No newline at end of file
+DRI_CONF_SECTION_END
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_screen.c b/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_screen.c
index ff04d406fa2..6acaa38e7c2 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_screen.c
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_screen.c
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ static const struct debug_named_value virgl_debug_options[] = {
    { "r8srgb-readback",   VIRGL_DEBUG_L8_SRGB_ENABLE_READBACK, "Enable redaback for L8 sRGB textures" },
    { "nocoherent", VIRGL_DEBUG_NO_COHERENT,        "Disable coherent memory"},
    { "video",     VIRGL_DEBUG_VIDEO,               "Video codec"},
+   { "shader_sync", VIRGL_DEBUG_SHADER_SYNC,       "Sync after every shader link"},
    DEBUG_NAMED_VALUE_END
 };
 DEBUG_GET_ONCE_FLAGS_OPTION(virgl_debug, "VIRGL_DEBUG", virgl_debug_options, 0)
@@ -1122,6 +1123,7 @@ virgl_create_screen(struct virgl_winsys *vws, const struct pipe_screen_config *c
    const char *VIRGL_GLES_APPLY_BGRA_DEST_SWIZZLE = "gles_apply_bgra_dest_swizzle";
    const char *VIRGL_GLES_SAMPLES_PASSED_VALUE = "gles_samples_passed_value";
    const char *VIRGL_FORMAT_L8_SRGB_ENABLE_READBACK = "format_l8_srgb_enable_readback";
+   const char *VIRGL_SHADER_SYNC = "virgl_shader_sync";
 
    if (!screen)
       return NULL;
@@ -1140,11 +1142,13 @@ virgl_create_screen(struct virgl_winsys *vws, const struct pipe_screen_config *c
             driQueryOptioni(config->options, VIRGL_GLES_SAMPLES_PASSED_VALUE);
       screen->tweak_l8_srgb_readback =
             driQueryOptionb(config->options, VIRGL_FORMAT_L8_SRGB_ENABLE_READBACK);
+      screen->shader_sync = driQueryOptionb(config->options, VIRGL_SHADER_SYNC);
    }
    screen->tweak_gles_emulate_bgra &= !(virgl_debug & VIRGL_DEBUG_NO_EMULATE_BGRA);
    screen->tweak_gles_apply_bgra_dest_swizzle &= !(virgl_debug & VIRGL_DEBUG_NO_BGRA_DEST_SWIZZLE);
    screen->no_coherent = virgl_debug & VIRGL_DEBUG_NO_COHERENT;
    screen->tweak_l8_srgb_readback |= !!(virgl_debug & VIRGL_DEBUG_L8_SRGB_ENABLE_READBACK);
+   screen->shader_sync |= !!(virgl_debug & VIRGL_DEBUG_SHADER_SYNC);
 
    screen->vws = vws;
    screen->base.get_name = virgl_get_name;
diff --git a/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_screen.h b/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_screen.h
index ce8a531092a..7b32e3d8294 100644
--- a/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_screen.h
+++ b/src/gallium/drivers/virgl/virgl_screen.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ enum virgl_debug_flags {
    VIRGL_DEBUG_USE_TGSI             = 1 << 7,
    VIRGL_DEBUG_L8_SRGB_ENABLE_READBACK = 1 << 8,
    VIRGL_DEBUG_VIDEO                = 1 << 9,
+   VIRGL_DEBUG_SHADER_SYNC          = 1 << 10,
 };
 
 extern int virgl_debug;
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ struct virgl_screen {
    bool tweak_gles_apply_bgra_dest_swizzle;
    bool tweak_l8_srgb_readback;
    bool no_coherent;
+   bool shader_sync;
    int32_t tweak_gles_tf3_value;
 
    nir_shader_compiler_options compiler_options;
diff --git a/src/util/driconf.h b/src/util/driconf.h
index 446955c3efd..6264209e7a8 100644
--- a/src/util/driconf.h
+++ b/src/util/driconf.h
@@ -523,6 +523,10 @@
    DRI_CONF_OPT_B(format_l8_srgb_enable_readback, def, \
                   "Force-enable reading back L8_SRGB textures")
 
+#define DRI_CONF_VIRGL_SHADER_SYNC(def) \
+   DRI_CONF_OPT_B(virgl_shader_sync, def, \
+                  "Make shader compilation synchronous")
+
 /**
  * \brief freedreno specific configuration options
  */