diff --git a/src/freedreno/afuc/asm.h b/src/freedreno/afuc/asm.h
index 0b5b8a01735..d7d1d9a3b30 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/afuc/asm.h
+++ b/src/freedreno/afuc/asm.h
@@ -94,15 +94,6 @@ parse_bit(const char *str)
 unsigned parse_control_reg(const char *name);
 unsigned parse_sqe_reg(const char *name);
 
-/* string trailing ':' off label: */
-static inline const char *
-parse_label_decl(const char *str)
-{
-   char *s = strdup(str);
-   s[strlen(s) - 1] = '\0';
-   return s;
-}
-
 void yyset_in(FILE *_in_str);
 
 #endif /* _ASM_H_ */
diff --git a/src/freedreno/afuc/lexer.l b/src/freedreno/afuc/lexer.l
index 9adf8741f5f..6856443aa0e 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/afuc/lexer.l
+++ b/src/freedreno/afuc/lexer.l
@@ -48,8 +48,7 @@ extern YYSTYPE yylval;
 "b"[0-9][0-9]*                    yylval.num = parse_bit(yytext); return T_BIT;
 "@"[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*         yylval.num = parse_control_reg(yytext); return T_CONTROL_REG;
 "%"[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*         yylval.num = parse_sqe_reg(yytext); return T_SQE_REG;
-"#"[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*         yylval.str = strdup(yytext+1);  return T_LABEL_REF; /* label reference */
-[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*":"         yylval.str = parse_label_decl(yytext); return T_LABEL_DECL; /* label declaration */
+"#"[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*         yylval.str = strdup(yytext+1);  return T_LABEL_REF;
 "["[0-9a-fA-F][0-9a-fA-F]*"]"     yylval.num = parse_literal(yytext); return T_LITERAL;
 
                                   /* instructions: */
@@ -106,6 +105,9 @@ extern YYSTYPE yylval;
 "]"                               return ']';
 "+"                               return '+';
 "!"                               return '!';
+":"                               return ':';
+
+[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*            yylval.str = strdup(yytext); return T_IDENTIFIER;
 
 .                                 fprintf(stderr, "error at line %d: Unknown token: %s\n", yyget_lineno(), yytext); yyterminate();
 
diff --git a/src/freedreno/afuc/parser.y b/src/freedreno/afuc/parser.y
index fbba055319a..18c7b3a3e16 100644
--- a/src/freedreno/afuc/parser.y
+++ b/src/freedreno/afuc/parser.y
@@ -122,11 +122,11 @@ label(const char *str)
 %token <num> T_HEX
 %token <num> T_CONTROL_REG
 %token <num> T_SQE_REG
-%token <str> T_LABEL_DECL
 %token <str> T_LABEL_REF
 %token <num> T_LITERAL
 %token <num> T_BIT
 %token <num> T_REGISTER
+%token <str> T_IDENTIFIER
 
 %token <tok> T_OP_NOP
 %token <tok> T_OP_ADD
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ instr_or_label:    instr_r
 |                  T_REP instr_r       { instr->rep = true; }
 |                  branch_instr
 |                  other_instr
-|                  T_LABEL_DECL        { decl_label($1); }
+|                  T_IDENTIFIER ':'    { decl_label($1); }
 |                  T_ALIGN immediate   { align_instr($2); }
 |                  T_JUMPTBL           { decl_jumptbl(); }