diff --git a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_device.c b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_device.c
index fb338ed2d4d..024677edc6d 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_device.c
+++ b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_device.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "nvk_entrypoints.h"
 #include "nvk_instance.h"
 #include "nvk_physical_device.h"
+#include "nvk_sampler.h"
 #include "nvk_shader.h"
 #include "nvkmd/nvkmd.h"
 
@@ -200,6 +201,23 @@ nvk_CreateDevice(VkPhysicalDevice physicalDevice,
    if (result != VK_SUCCESS)
       goto fail_images;
 
+   /* On Kepler and earlier, TXF takes a sampler but SPIR-V defines it as not
+    * taking one so we need to reserve one at device create time.  If we do so
+    * now then it will always have sampler index 0 so we can rely on that in
+    * the compiler lowering code (similar to null descriptors).
+    */
+   if (pdev->info.cls_eng3d < MAXWELL_A) {
+      uint32_t txf_sampler[8] = {};
+      nvk_fill_txf_sampler_header(pdev, txf_sampler);
+
+      ASSERTED uint32_t txf_sampler_index;
+      result = nvk_descriptor_table_add(dev, &dev->samplers,
+                                        txf_sampler, sizeof(txf_sampler),
+                                        &txf_sampler_index);
+      assert(result == VK_SUCCESS);
+      assert(txf_sampler_index == 0);
+   }
+
    if (dev->vk.enabled_features.descriptorBuffer ||
        nvk_use_edb_buffer_views(pdev)) {
       result = nvk_edb_bview_cache_init(dev, &dev->edb_bview_cache);
diff --git a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_nir_lower_descriptors.c b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_nir_lower_descriptors.c
index ff24dab65a9..9193a39f953 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_nir_lower_descriptors.c
+++ b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_nir_lower_descriptors.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include "nir_builder.h"
 #include "nir_deref.h"
 
+#include "clb097.h"
 #include "clc397.h"
 #include "clc597.h"
 
@@ -1301,7 +1302,21 @@ lower_tex(nir_builder *b, nir_tex_instr *tex,
          load_resource_deref_desc(b, 1, 32, texture, plane_offset_B, ctx);
 
    nir_def *combined_handle;
-   if (texture == sampler || !nir_tex_instr_need_sampler(tex)) {
+
+   if (!nir_tex_instr_need_sampler(tex)) {
+      combined_handle = texture_desc;
+
+      /* On Kepler and earlier, TXF takes a sampler but SPIR-V defines it as
+       * not taking one so we can't trust the sampler from the client's image
+       * descriptor.  Instead, mask off the top bits so we get a zero sampler
+       * index which we've conveniently reserved at device cration time for a
+       * special TXF sampler.
+       */
+      if (ctx->dev_info->cls_eng3d < MAXWELL_A) {
+         combined_handle = nir_iand_imm(b, combined_handle,
+                                        NVK_IMAGE_DESCRIPTOR_IMAGE_INDEX_MASK);
+      }
+   } else if (texture == sampler) {
       combined_handle = texture_desc;
    } else {
       combined_handle = nir_iand_imm(b, texture_desc,
diff --git a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_sampler.c b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_sampler.c
index bc2e8c9ce14..3ee6b252f13 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_sampler.c
+++ b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_sampler.c
@@ -282,6 +282,30 @@ nvk_sampler_fill_header(const struct nvk_physical_device *pdev,
    SAMP_SET_U(samp, NV9097, 7, BORDER_COLOR_A, bc.uint32[3]);
 }
 
+void
+nvk_fill_txf_sampler_header(const struct nvk_physical_device *pdev,
+                            uint32_t *samp)
+{
+   const VkSamplerCreateInfo sampler_info = {
+      .sType = VK_STRUCTURE_TYPE_SAMPLER_CREATE_INFO,
+      .magFilter = VK_FILTER_NEAREST,
+      .minFilter = VK_FILTER_NEAREST,
+      .mipmapMode = VK_SAMPLER_MIPMAP_MODE_NEAREST,
+      .addressModeU = VK_SAMPLER_ADDRESS_MODE_CLAMP_TO_BORDER,
+      .addressModeV = VK_SAMPLER_ADDRESS_MODE_CLAMP_TO_BORDER,
+      .addressModeW = VK_SAMPLER_ADDRESS_MODE_CLAMP_TO_BORDER,
+      .borderColor = VK_BORDER_COLOR_INT_TRANSPARENT_BLACK,
+      .minLod = 0.0,
+      .maxLod = 16.0,
+      .unnormalizedCoordinates = true,
+   };
+
+   struct vk_sampler sampler;
+   vk_sampler_init(&sampler_info, &sampler);
+
+   nvk_sampler_fill_header(pdev, &sampler_info, &sampler, samp);
+}
+
 VKAPI_ATTR VkResult VKAPI_CALL
 nvk_CreateSampler(VkDevice device,
                   const VkSamplerCreateInfo *pCreateInfo,
diff --git a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_sampler.h b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_sampler.h
index 06b44cf3a7e..e1337c82716 100644
--- a/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_sampler.h
+++ b/src/nouveau/vulkan/nvk_sampler.h
@@ -32,10 +32,8 @@ struct nvk_sampler_capture {
    } planes[NVK_MAX_SAMPLER_PLANES];
 };
 
-static void
-nvk_sampler_fill_header(const struct nvk_physical_device *pdev,
-                        const struct VkSamplerCreateInfo *info,
-                        const struct vk_sampler *vk_sampler,
-                        uint32_t *samp);
+void
+nvk_fill_txf_sampler_header(const struct nvk_physical_device *pdev,
+                            uint32_t *samp);
 
 #endif