diff --git a/librashader-reflect/src/front/glslang.rs b/librashader-reflect/src/front/glslang.rs
index f30abec..88b1170 100644
--- a/librashader-reflect/src/front/glslang.rs
+++ b/librashader-reflect/src/front/glslang.rs
@@ -41,11 +41,12 @@ pub(crate) fn compile_spirv(source: &ShaderSource) -> Result<SpirvCompilation, S
     let vertex = load_module(&vertex);
     let fragment = load_module(&fragment);
     let mut fragment = Builder::new_from_module(fragment);
+    let mut vertex = Builder::new_from_module(vertex);
 
-    let mut pass = link_input_outputs::LinkInputs::new(&vertex, &mut fragment);
+    let mut pass = link_input_outputs::LinkInputs::new(&mut vertex, &mut fragment, false);
     pass.do_pass();
 
-    let vertex = vertex.assemble();
+    let vertex = vertex.module().assemble();
     let fragment = fragment.module().assemble();
 
     Ok(SpirvCompilation { vertex, fragment })
diff --git a/librashader-reflect/src/front/spirv_passes/link_input_outputs.rs b/librashader-reflect/src/front/spirv_passes/link_input_outputs.rs
index 770fe04..d35f579 100644
--- a/librashader-reflect/src/front/spirv_passes/link_input_outputs.rs
+++ b/librashader-reflect/src/front/spirv_passes/link_input_outputs.rs
@@ -2,12 +2,21 @@ use rspirv::dr::{Builder, Module, Operand};
 use rustc_hash::{FxHashMap, FxHashSet};
 use spirv::{Decoration, Op, StorageClass};
 
+/// Do DCE on inputs of the fragment shader, then
+/// link by downgrading outputs of unused fragment inputs
+/// to global variables on the vertex shader.
 pub struct LinkInputs<'a> {
     pub frag_builder: &'a mut Builder,
-    pub inputs: FxHashSet<spirv::Word>,
+    pub vert_builder: &'a mut Builder,
+
+    // binding -> ID
+    pub outputs: FxHashMap<u32, spirv::Word>,
+    // id -> binding
+    pub inputs_to_remove: FxHashMap<spirv::Word, u32>,
 }
 
 impl<'a> LinkInputs<'a> {
+    /// Get the value of the location of the inout in the module
     fn find_location(module: &Module, id: spirv::Word) -> Option<u32> {
         module.annotations.iter().find_map(|op| {
             if op.class.opcode != Op::Decorate {
@@ -33,9 +42,11 @@ impl<'a> LinkInputs<'a> {
         })
     }
 
-    pub fn new(vert: &'a Module, frag: &'a mut Builder) -> Self {
-        let mut inputs = FxHashSet::default();
-        let mut bindings = FxHashMap::default();
+    pub fn new(vert: &'a mut Builder, frag: &'a mut Builder, keep_if_bound: bool) -> Self {
+        let mut outputs = FxHashMap::default();
+        let mut inputs_to_remove = FxHashMap::default();
+        let mut inputs = FxHashMap::default();
+
         for global in frag.module_ref().types_global_values.iter() {
             if global.class.opcode == spirv::Op::Variable
                 && global.operands[0] == Operand::StorageClass(StorageClass::Input)
@@ -45,24 +56,32 @@ impl<'a> LinkInputs<'a> {
                         continue;
                     };
 
-                    inputs.insert(id);
-                    bindings.insert(location, id);
+                    inputs_to_remove.insert(id, location);
+                    inputs.insert(location, id);
                 }
             }
         }
 
-        for global in vert.types_global_values.iter() {
+        for global in vert.module_ref().types_global_values.iter() {
             if global.class.opcode == spirv::Op::Variable
                 && global.operands[0] == Operand::StorageClass(StorageClass::Output)
             {
                 if let Some(id) = global.result_id {
-                    let Some(location) = Self::find_location(vert, id) else {
+                    let Some(location) = Self::find_location(vert.module_ref(), id) else {
                         continue;
                     };
-                    if let Some(frag_ref) = bindings.get(&location) {
-                        // if something is bound to the same location in the vertex shader,
-                        // we're good.
-                        inputs.remove(&frag_ref);
+
+                    // Add to list of outputs
+                    outputs.insert(location, id);
+
+                    // Keep the input, if it is bound to both stages.Otherwise, do DCE analysis on
+                    // the input, and remove it regardless if bound, if unused by the fragment stage.
+                    if keep_if_bound {
+                        if let Some(frag_ref) = inputs.get(&location) {
+                            // if something is bound to the same location in the vertex shader,
+                            // we're good.
+                            inputs_to_remove.remove(&frag_ref);
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -70,11 +89,63 @@ impl<'a> LinkInputs<'a> {
 
         Self {
             frag_builder: frag,
-            inputs,
+            vert_builder: vert,
+            outputs,
+            inputs_to_remove,
         }
     }
 
     pub fn do_pass(&mut self) {
+        self.trim_inputs();
+        self.downgrade_outputs();
+    }
+
+    /// Downgrade dead inputs corresponding to outputs to global variables, keeping existing mappings.
+    fn downgrade_outputs(&mut self) {
+        let dead_outputs = self
+            .inputs_to_remove
+            .values()
+            .filter_map(|i| self.outputs.get(i).cloned())
+            .collect::<FxHashSet<spirv::Word>>();
+
+        let module = self.vert_builder.module_mut();
+        for global in module.types_global_values.iter_mut() {
+            if global.class.opcode != spirv::Op::Variable
+                || global.operands[0] != Operand::StorageClass(StorageClass::Output)
+            {
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            if let Some(id) = global.result_id {
+                if !dead_outputs.contains(&id) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+
+                // downgrade the OpVariable if it's in dead_outputs
+                global.operands[0] = Operand::StorageClass(StorageClass::Private);
+            }
+        }
+
+        module.annotations.retain_mut(|op| {
+            if op.class.opcode != Op::Decorate {
+                return true;
+            }
+
+            let Some(Operand::Decoration(Decoration::Location)) = op.operands.get(1) else {
+                return true;
+            };
+
+            let Some(&Operand::IdRef(target)) = op.operands.get(0) else {
+                return true;
+            };
+
+            // If target is in dead outputs, then don't keep it.
+            !dead_outputs.contains(&target)
+        });
+    }
+
+    // Trim unused fragment shader inputs
+    fn trim_inputs(&mut self) {
         let functions = &self.frag_builder.module_ref().functions;
 
         // literally if it has any reference at all we can keep it
@@ -82,8 +153,8 @@ impl<'a> LinkInputs<'a> {
             for param in &function.parameters {
                 for op in &param.operands {
                     if let Some(word) = op.id_ref_any() {
-                        if self.inputs.contains(&word) {
-                            self.inputs.remove(&word);
+                        if self.inputs_to_remove.contains_key(&word) {
+                            self.inputs_to_remove.remove(&word);
                         }
                     }
                 }
@@ -93,8 +164,8 @@ impl<'a> LinkInputs<'a> {
                 for inst in &block.instructions {
                     for op in &inst.operands {
                         if let Some(word) = op.id_ref_any() {
-                            if self.inputs.contains(&word) {
-                                self.inputs.remove(&word);
+                            if self.inputs_to_remove.contains_key(&word) {
+                                self.inputs_to_remove.remove(&word);
                             }
                         }
                     }
@@ -103,11 +174,10 @@ impl<'a> LinkInputs<'a> {
         }
 
         // ok well guess we dont
-
         self.frag_builder.module_mut().debug_names.retain(|instr| {
             for op in &instr.operands {
                 if let Some(word) = op.id_ref_any() {
-                    if self.inputs.contains(&word) {
+                    if self.inputs_to_remove.contains_key(&word) {
                         return false;
                     }
                 }
@@ -118,7 +188,7 @@ impl<'a> LinkInputs<'a> {
         self.frag_builder.module_mut().annotations.retain(|instr| {
             for op in &instr.operands {
                 if let Some(word) = op.id_ref_any() {
-                    if self.inputs.contains(&word) {
+                    if self.inputs_to_remove.contains_key(&word) {
                         return false;
                     }
                 }
@@ -129,7 +199,7 @@ impl<'a> LinkInputs<'a> {
         for entry_point in self.frag_builder.module_mut().entry_points.iter_mut() {
             entry_point.operands.retain(|op| {
                 if let Some(word) = op.id_ref_any() {
-                    if self.inputs.contains(&word) {
+                    if self.inputs_to_remove.contains_key(&word) {
                         return false;
                     }
                 }
@@ -145,7 +215,7 @@ impl<'a> LinkInputs<'a> {
                     return true;
                 };
 
-                !self.inputs.contains(&id)
+                !self.inputs_to_remove.contains_key(&id)
             });
     }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file