diff --git a/acvm-repo/acvm/src/compiler/mod.rs b/acvm-repo/acvm/src/compiler/mod.rs
index 89e0d1dbb4f..012afd86ab9 100644
--- a/acvm-repo/acvm/src/compiler/mod.rs
+++ b/acvm-repo/acvm/src/compiler/mod.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ pub use simulator::CircuitSimulator;
 use transformers::transform_internal;
 pub use transformers::MIN_EXPRESSION_WIDTH;
 
+/// We need multiple passes to stabilize the output.
+const MAX_OPTIMIZER_PASSES: usize = 3;
+
 /// This module moves and decomposes acir opcodes. The transformation map allows consumers of this module to map
 /// metadata they had about the opcodes to the new opcode structure generated after the transformation.
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -72,14 +75,32 @@ fn transform_assert_messages<F: Clone>(
 }
 
 /// Applies [`ProofSystemCompiler`][crate::ProofSystemCompiler] specific optimizations to a [`Circuit`].
+///
+/// Runs multiple passes until the output stabilizes.
 pub fn compile<F: AcirField>(
     acir: Circuit<F>,
     expression_width: ExpressionWidth,
 ) -> (Circuit<F>, AcirTransformationMap) {
-    let (acir, acir_opcode_positions) = optimize_internal(acir);
+    let mut pass = 0;
+    let mut prev_opcodes_hash = fxhash::hash64(&acir.opcodes);
+    let mut prev_acir = acir;
+
+    // For most test programs it would be enough to only loop `transform_internal`,
+    // but some of them don't stabilize unless we also repeat the backend agnostic optimizations.
+    let (mut acir, acir_opcode_positions) = loop {
+        let (acir, acir_opcode_positions) = optimize_internal(prev_acir);
+        let (acir, acir_opcode_positions) =
+            transform_internal(acir, expression_width, acir_opcode_positions);
 
-    let (mut acir, acir_opcode_positions) =
-        transform_internal(acir, expression_width, acir_opcode_positions);
+        let opcodes_hash = fxhash::hash64(&acir.opcodes);
+
+        if pass == MAX_OPTIMIZER_PASSES || prev_opcodes_hash == opcodes_hash {
+            break (acir, acir_opcode_positions);
+        }
+        pass += 1;
+        prev_acir = acir;
+        prev_opcodes_hash = opcodes_hash
+    };
 
     let transformation_map = AcirTransformationMap::new(&acir_opcode_positions);
     acir.assert_messages = transform_assert_messages(acir.assert_messages, &transformation_map);
diff --git a/acvm-repo/acvm/src/compiler/transformers/mod.rs b/acvm-repo/acvm/src/compiler/transformers/mod.rs
index a9bcad9e09e..9f140c671d1 100644
--- a/acvm-repo/acvm/src/compiler/transformers/mod.rs
+++ b/acvm-repo/acvm/src/compiler/transformers/mod.rs
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ pub use csat::MIN_EXPRESSION_WIDTH;
 
 use super::{
     optimizers::MergeExpressionsOptimizer, transform_assert_messages, AcirTransformationMap,
+    MAX_OPTIMIZER_PASSES,
 };
 
-/// The `MergeExpressionOptimizer` needs multiple passes to stabilize the output.
-const MAX_OPTIMIZER_PASSES: usize = 3;
-
 /// Applies [`ProofSystemCompiler`][crate::ProofSystemCompiler] specific optimizations to a [`Circuit`].
+///
+/// TODO: Can this be removed?
 fn _transform<F: AcirField>(
     mut acir: Circuit<F>,
     expression_width: ExpressionWidth,
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ pub(super) fn transform_internal<F: AcirField>(
     // Allow multiple passes until we have stable output.
     let mut prev_opcodes_hash = fxhash::hash64(&acir.opcodes);
 
+    // For most test programs it would be enough to loop here, but some of them
+    // don't stabilize unless we also repeat the backend agnostic optimizations.
     for _ in 0..MAX_OPTIMIZER_PASSES {
         let (new_acir, new_acir_opcode_positions) =
             transform_internal_once(acir, expression_width, acir_opcode_positions);
diff --git a/tooling/nargo_cli/src/cli/compile_cmd.rs b/tooling/nargo_cli/src/cli/compile_cmd.rs
index 9a5a27defca..d019e87eee6 100644
--- a/tooling/nargo_cli/src/cli/compile_cmd.rs
+++ b/tooling/nargo_cli/src/cli/compile_cmd.rs
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ mod tests {
                 let width = get_target_width(package.expression_width, None);
 
                 // Figure out if there is an upper bound to repeating the entire optimization step after which the results are stable:
-                // for i in 0..0 {
+                // for i in 0..2 {
                 //     program_0 = nargo::ops::transform_program(program_0, width);
                 // }