diff --git a/src/virgl_protocol.h b/src/virgl_protocol.h
index bf5a02f..ca3142f 100644
--- a/src/virgl_protocol.h
+++ b/src/virgl_protocol.h
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ enum virgl_context_cmd {
    VIRGL_CCMD_SET_SUB_CTX,
    VIRGL_CCMD_CREATE_SUB_CTX,
    VIRGL_CCMD_DESTROY_SUB_CTX,
-
+   VIRGL_CCMD_BIND_SHADER,
 };
 
 /*
@@ -460,4 +460,9 @@ enum virgl_context_cmd {
 /* polygon stipple */
 #define VIRGL_POLYGON_STIPPLE_SIZE 32
 #define VIRGL_POLYGON_STIPPLE_P0 1
+
+#define VIRGL_BIND_SHADER_SIZE 2
+#define VIRGL_BIND_SHADER_HANDLE 1
+#define VIRGL_BIND_SHADER_TYPE 2
+
 #endif
diff --git a/src/vrend_decode.c b/src/vrend_decode.c
index 256f16e..1d1b2a2 100644
--- a/src/vrend_decode.c
+++ b/src/vrend_decode.c
@@ -682,9 +682,6 @@ static int vrend_decode_bind_object(struct vrend_decode_ctx *ctx, uint16_t lengt
    case VIRGL_OBJECT_RASTERIZER:
       vrend_object_bind_rasterizer(ctx->grctx, handle);
       break;
-   case VIRGL_OBJECT_SHADER:
-      vrend_bind_shader(ctx->grctx, handle);
-      break;
    case VIRGL_OBJECT_VERTEX_ELEMENTS:
       vrend_bind_vertex_elements_state(ctx->grctx, handle);
       break;
@@ -970,6 +967,19 @@ static int vrend_decode_destroy_sub_ctx(struct vrend_decode_ctx *ctx, int length
    return 0;
 }
 
+static int vrend_decode_bind_shader(struct vrend_decode_ctx *ctx, int length)
+{
+   uint32_t handle, type;
+   if (length != VIRGL_BIND_SHADER_SIZE)
+      return EINVAL;
+
+   handle = get_buf_entry(ctx, VIRGL_BIND_SHADER_HANDLE);
+   type = get_buf_entry(ctx, VIRGL_BIND_SHADER_TYPE);
+
+   vrend_bind_shader(ctx->grctx, handle, type);
+   return 0;
+}
+
 static int vrend_decode_set_streamout_targets(struct vrend_decode_ctx *ctx,
                                               uint16_t length)
 {
@@ -1176,6 +1186,9 @@ int vrend_decode_block(uint32_t ctx_id, uint32_t *block, int ndw)
       case VIRGL_CCMD_DESTROY_SUB_CTX:
          ret = vrend_decode_destroy_sub_ctx(gdctx, len);
          break;
+      case VIRGL_CCMD_BIND_SHADER:
+         ret = vrend_decode_bind_shader(gdctx, len);
+         break;
       }
 
       if (ret == EINVAL) {
diff --git a/src/vrend_renderer.c b/src/vrend_renderer.c
index 37e7748..5e03433 100644
--- a/src/vrend_renderer.c
+++ b/src/vrend_renderer.c
@@ -2166,13 +2166,26 @@ int vrend_create_shader(struct vrend_context *ctx,
 }
 
 void vrend_bind_shader(struct vrend_context *ctx,
-                       uint32_t handle)
+                       uint32_t handle, uint32_t type)
 {
    struct vrend_shader_selector *sel;
 
+   if (type > PIPE_SHADER_GEOMETRY)
+      return;
+
+   if (handle == 0) {
+      ctx->sub->shader_dirty = true;
+      vrend_shader_state_reference(&ctx->sub->shaders[type], NULL);
+      return;
+   }
+
    sel = vrend_object_lookup(ctx->sub->object_hash, handle, VIRGL_OBJECT_SHADER);
    if (!sel)
       return;
+
+   if (sel->type != type)
+      return;
+
    if (ctx->sub->shaders[sel->type] != sel)
       ctx->sub->shader_dirty = true;
    vrend_shader_state_reference(&ctx->sub->shaders[sel->type], sel);
diff --git a/src/vrend_renderer.h b/src/vrend_renderer.h
index 6efa05e..ee26993 100644
--- a/src/vrend_renderer.h
+++ b/src/vrend_renderer.h
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ int vrend_create_shader(struct vrend_context *ctx,
                         int type, uint32_t pkt_length);
 
 void vrend_bind_shader(struct vrend_context *ctx,
+                       uint32_t type,
                        uint32_t handle);
 
 void vrend_bind_vs_so(struct vrend_context *ctx,
diff --git a/tests/test_virgl_cmd.c b/tests/test_virgl_cmd.c
index 525cef3..c91d70a 100644
--- a/tests/test_virgl_cmd.c
+++ b/tests/test_virgl_cmd.c
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ START_TEST(virgl_test_render_simple)
 	 vs_handle = ctx_handle++;
 	 virgl_encode_shader_state(&ctx, vs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_VERTEX,
 				   &vs, text);
-	 virgl_encode_bind_object(&ctx, vs_handle, VIRGL_OBJECT_SHADER);
+	 virgl_encode_bind_shader(&ctx, vs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_VERTEX);
     }
 
     /* create fragment shader */
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ START_TEST(virgl_test_render_simple)
 	virgl_encode_shader_state(&ctx, fs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_FRAGMENT,
 				   &fs, text);
 
-	virgl_encode_bind_object(&ctx, fs_handle, VIRGL_OBJECT_SHADER);
+        virgl_encode_bind_shader(&ctx, fs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_FRAGMENT);
     }
 
     /* set blend state */
@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@ START_TEST(virgl_test_render_geom_simple)
 	 vs_handle = ctx_handle++;
 	 virgl_encode_shader_state(&ctx, vs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_VERTEX,
 				   &vs, text);
-	 virgl_encode_bind_object(&ctx, vs_handle, VIRGL_OBJECT_SHADER);
+         virgl_encode_bind_shader(&ctx, vs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_VERTEX);
     }
 
     /* create geometry shader */
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@ START_TEST(virgl_test_render_geom_simple)
 	 gs_handle = ctx_handle++;
 	 virgl_encode_shader_state(&ctx, gs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_GEOMETRY,
 				   &gs, text);
-	 virgl_encode_bind_object(&ctx, gs_handle, VIRGL_OBJECT_SHADER);
+         virgl_encode_bind_shader(&ctx, gs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_GEOMETRY);
     }
 
     /* create fragment shader */
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ START_TEST(virgl_test_render_geom_simple)
 	virgl_encode_shader_state(&ctx, fs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_FRAGMENT,
 				   &fs, text);
 
-	virgl_encode_bind_object(&ctx, fs_handle, VIRGL_OBJECT_SHADER);
+        virgl_encode_bind_shader(&ctx, fs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_FRAGMENT);
     }
 
     /* set blend state */
@@ -847,7 +847,7 @@ START_TEST(virgl_test_render_xfb)
 	 vs.stream_output.output[0].num_components = 4;
 	 virgl_encode_shader_state(&ctx, vs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_VERTEX,
 				   &vs, text);
-	 virgl_encode_bind_object(&ctx, vs_handle, VIRGL_OBJECT_SHADER);
+         virgl_encode_bind_shader(&ctx, vs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_VERTEX);
     }
 
     /* create fragment shader */
@@ -863,8 +863,7 @@ START_TEST(virgl_test_render_xfb)
 	fs_handle = ctx_handle++;
 	virgl_encode_shader_state(&ctx, fs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_FRAGMENT,
 				   &fs, text);
-
-	virgl_encode_bind_object(&ctx, fs_handle, VIRGL_OBJECT_SHADER);
+        virgl_encode_bind_shader(&ctx, fs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_FRAGMENT);
     }
 
     /* set blend state */
@@ -998,7 +997,7 @@ START_TEST(virgl_test_large_shader)
       virgl_encode_shader_state(&ctx, fs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_FRAGMENT,
                                 &fs, text);
 
-      virgl_encode_bind_object(&ctx, fs_handle, VIRGL_OBJECT_SHADER);
+      virgl_encode_bind_shader(&ctx, fs_handle, PIPE_SHADER_FRAGMENT);
    }
 
    testvirgl_fini_ctx_cmdbuf(&ctx);
diff --git a/tests/testvirgl_encode.c b/tests/testvirgl_encode.c
index f1d5409..ce62ecc 100644
--- a/tests/testvirgl_encode.c
+++ b/tests/testvirgl_encode.c
@@ -897,3 +897,12 @@ int virgl_encoder_destroy_sub_ctx(struct virgl_context *ctx, uint32_t sub_ctx_id
    virgl_encoder_write_dword(ctx->cbuf, sub_ctx_id);
    return 0;
 }
+
+int virgl_encode_bind_shader(struct virgl_context *ctx,
+                             uint32_t handle, uint32_t type)
+{
+   virgl_encoder_write_cmd_dword(ctx, VIRGL_CMD0(VIRGL_CCMD_BIND_SHADER, 0, 2));
+   virgl_encoder_write_dword(ctx->cbuf, handle);
+   virgl_encoder_write_dword(ctx->cbuf, type);
+   return 0;
+}
diff --git a/tests/testvirgl_encode.h b/tests/testvirgl_encode.h
index d717749..310cb14 100644
--- a/tests/testvirgl_encode.h
+++ b/tests/testvirgl_encode.h
@@ -229,4 +229,6 @@ int virgl_encoder_render_condition(struct virgl_context *ctx,
 int virgl_encoder_set_sub_ctx(struct virgl_context *ctx, uint32_t sub_ctx_id);
 int virgl_encoder_create_sub_ctx(struct virgl_context *ctx, uint32_t sub_ctx_id);
 int virgl_encoder_destroy_sub_ctx(struct virgl_context *ctx, uint32_t sub_ctx_id);
+int virgl_encode_bind_shader(struct virgl_context *ctx,
+                             uint32_t handle, uint32_t type);
 #endif