diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/nilcheck.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/nilcheck.go
index ac30b705e4..aa6424fe41 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/nilcheck.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/nilcheck.go
@@ -61,6 +61,11 @@ func nilcheckelim(f *Func) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// allocate auxiliary date structures for computing store order
+	sset := f.newSparseSet(f.NumValues())
+	defer f.retSparseSet(sset)
+	storeNumber := make([]int32, f.NumValues())
+
 	// perform a depth first walk of the dominee tree
 	for len(work) > 0 {
 		node := work[len(work)-1]
@@ -82,7 +87,10 @@ func nilcheckelim(f *Func) {
 				}
 			}
 
-			// Next, eliminate any redundant nil checks in this block.
+			// Next, order values in the current block w.r.t. stores.
+			b.Values = storeOrder(b.Values, sset, storeNumber)
+
+			// Next, process values in the block.
 			i := 0
 			for _, v := range b.Values {
 				b.Values[i] = v
@@ -109,6 +117,10 @@ func nilcheckelim(f *Func) {
 						i--
 						continue
 					}
+					// Record the fact that we know ptr is non nil, and remember to
+					// undo that information when this dominator subtree is done.
+					nonNilValues[ptr.ID] = true
+					work = append(work, bp{op: ClearPtr, ptr: ptr})
 				}
 			}
 			for j := i; j < len(b.Values); j++ {
@@ -116,21 +128,6 @@ func nilcheckelim(f *Func) {
 			}
 			b.Values = b.Values[:i]
 
-			// Finally, find redundant nil checks for subsequent blocks.
-			// Note that we can't add these until the loop above is done, as the
-			// values in the block are not ordered in any way when this pass runs.
-			// This was the cause of issue #18725.
-			for _, v := range b.Values {
-				if v.Op != OpNilCheck {
-					continue
-				}
-				ptr := v.Args[0]
-				// Record the fact that we know ptr is non nil, and remember to
-				// undo that information when this dominator subtree is done.
-				nonNilValues[ptr.ID] = true
-				work = append(work, bp{op: ClearPtr, ptr: ptr})
-			}
-
 			// Add all dominated blocks to the work list.
 			for w := sdom[node.block.ID].child; w != nil; w = sdom[w.ID].sibling {
 				work = append(work, bp{op: Work, block: w})
@@ -230,3 +227,163 @@ func nilcheckelim2(f *Func) {
 		// more unnecessary nil checks.  Would fix test/nilptr3_ssa.go:157.
 	}
 }
+
+// storeOrder orders values with respect to stores. That is,
+// if v transitively depends on store s, v is ordered after s,
+// otherwise v is ordered before s.
+// Specifically, values are ordered like
+//   store1
+//   NilCheck that depends on store1
+//   other values that depends on store1
+//   store2
+//   NilCheck that depends on store2
+//   other values that depends on store2
+//   ...
+// The order of non-store and non-NilCheck values are undefined
+// (not necessarily dependency order). This should be cheaper
+// than a full scheduling as done in schedule.go.
+// Note that simple dependency order won't work: there is no
+// dependency between NilChecks and values like IsNonNil.
+// Auxiliary data structures are passed in as arguments, so
+// that they can be allocated in the caller and be reused.
+// This function takes care of reset them.
+func storeOrder(values []*Value, sset *sparseSet, storeNumber []int32) []*Value {
+	// find all stores
+	var stores []*Value // members of values that are store values
+	hasNilCheck := false
+	sset.clear() // sset is the set of stores that are used in other values
+	for _, v := range values {
+		if v.Type.IsMemory() {
+			stores = append(stores, v)
+			if v.Op == OpInitMem || v.Op == OpPhi {
+				continue
+			}
+			a := v.Args[len(v.Args)-1]
+			if v.Op == OpSelect1 {
+				a = a.Args[len(a.Args)-1]
+			}
+			sset.add(a.ID) // record that a is used
+		}
+		if v.Op == OpNilCheck {
+			hasNilCheck = true
+		}
+	}
+	if len(stores) == 0 || !hasNilCheck {
+		// there is no store or nilcheck, the order does not matter
+		return values
+	}
+
+	f := stores[0].Block.Func
+
+	// find last store, which is the one that is not used by other stores
+	var last *Value
+	for _, v := range stores {
+		if !sset.contains(v.ID) {
+			if last != nil {
+				f.Fatalf("two stores live simutaneously: %v and %v", v, last)
+			}
+			last = v
+		}
+	}
+
+	// We assign a store number to each value. Store number is the
+	// index of the latest store that this value transitively depends.
+	// The i-th store in the current block gets store number 3*i. A nil
+	// check that depends on the i-th store gets store number 3*i+1.
+	// Other values that depends on the i-th store gets store number 3*i+2.
+	// Special case: 0 -- unassigned, 1 or 2 -- the latest store it depends
+	// is in the previous block (or no store at all, e.g. value is Const).
+	// First we assign the number to all stores by walking back the store chain,
+	// then assign the number to other values in DFS order.
+	count := make([]int32, 3*(len(stores)+1))
+	sset.clear() // reuse sparse set to ensure that a value is pushed to stack only once
+	for n, w := len(stores), last; n > 0; n-- {
+		storeNumber[w.ID] = int32(3 * n)
+		count[3*n]++
+		sset.add(w.ID)
+		if w.Op == OpInitMem || w.Op == OpPhi {
+			if n != 1 {
+				f.Fatalf("store order is wrong: there are stores before %v", w)
+			}
+			break
+		}
+		if w.Op == OpSelect1 {
+			w = w.Args[0]
+		}
+		w = w.Args[len(w.Args)-1]
+	}
+	var stack []*Value
+	for _, v := range values {
+		if sset.contains(v.ID) {
+			// in sset means v is a store, or already pushed to stack, or already assigned a store number
+			continue
+		}
+		stack = append(stack, v)
+		sset.add(v.ID)
+
+		for len(stack) > 0 {
+			w := stack[len(stack)-1]
+			if storeNumber[w.ID] != 0 {
+				stack = stack[:len(stack)-1]
+				continue
+			}
+			if w.Op == OpPhi {
+				// Phi value doesn't depend on store in the current block.
+				// Do this early to avoid dependency cycle.
+				storeNumber[w.ID] = 2
+				count[2]++
+				stack = stack[:len(stack)-1]
+				continue
+			}
+
+			max := int32(0) // latest store dependency
+			argsdone := true
+			for _, a := range w.Args {
+				if a.Block != w.Block {
+					continue
+				}
+				if !sset.contains(a.ID) {
+					stack = append(stack, a)
+					sset.add(a.ID)
+					argsdone = false
+					continue
+				}
+				if storeNumber[a.ID]/3 > max {
+					max = storeNumber[a.ID] / 3
+				}
+			}
+			if !argsdone {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			n := 3*max + 2
+			if w.Op == OpNilCheck {
+				n = 3*max + 1
+			}
+			storeNumber[w.ID] = n
+			count[n]++
+			stack = stack[:len(stack)-1]
+		}
+	}
+
+	// convert count to prefix sum of counts: count'[i] = sum_{j<=i} count[i]
+	for i := range count {
+		if i == 0 {
+			continue
+		}
+		count[i] += count[i-1]
+	}
+	if count[len(count)-1] != int32(len(values)) {
+		f.Fatalf("storeOrder: value is missing, total count = %d, values = %v", count[len(count)-1], values)
+	}
+
+	// place values in count-indexed bins, which are in the desired store order
+	order := make([]*Value, len(values))
+	for _, v := range values {
+		s := storeNumber[v.ID]
+		order[count[s-1]] = v
+		count[s-1]++
+	}
+
+	return order
+}
diff --git a/test/nilptr3.go b/test/nilptr3.go
index 7af226b5f4..195c8ca043 100644
--- a/test/nilptr3.go
+++ b/test/nilptr3.go
@@ -40,23 +40,23 @@ var (
 )
 
 func f1() {
-	_ = *intp // ERROR "removed nil check"
+	_ = *intp // ERROR "generated nil check"
 
 	// This one should be removed but the block copy needs
 	// to be turned into its own pseudo-op in order to see
 	// the indirect.
-	_ = *arrayp // ERROR "removed nil check"
+	_ = *arrayp // ERROR "generated nil check"
 
 	// 0-byte indirect doesn't suffice.
 	// we don't registerize globals, so there are no removed.* nil checks.
-	_ = *array0p // ERROR "removed nil check"
 	_ = *array0p // ERROR "generated nil check"
+	_ = *array0p // ERROR "removed nil check"
 
-	_ = *intp    // ERROR "generated nil check"
+	_ = *intp    // ERROR "removed nil check"
 	_ = *arrayp  // ERROR "removed nil check"
 	_ = *structp // ERROR "generated nil check"
 	_ = *emptyp  // ERROR "generated nil check"
-	_ = *arrayp  // ERROR "generated nil check"
+	_ = *arrayp  // ERROR "removed nil check"
 }
 
 func f2() {
@@ -71,15 +71,15 @@ func f2() {
 		empty1p    *Empty1
 	)
 
-	_ = *intp       // ERROR "removed.* nil check"
-	_ = *arrayp     // ERROR "removed.* nil check"
-	_ = *array0p    // ERROR "removed.* nil check"
-	_ = *array0p    // ERROR "generated nil check"
 	_ = *intp       // ERROR "generated nil check"
+	_ = *arrayp     // ERROR "generated nil check"
+	_ = *array0p    // ERROR "generated nil check"
+	_ = *array0p    // ERROR "removed.* nil check"
+	_ = *intp       // ERROR "removed.* nil check"
 	_ = *arrayp     // ERROR "removed.* nil check"
 	_ = *structp    // ERROR "generated nil check"
 	_ = *emptyp     // ERROR "generated nil check"
-	_ = *arrayp     // ERROR "generated nil check"
+	_ = *arrayp     // ERROR "removed.* nil check"
 	_ = *bigarrayp  // ERROR "generated nil check" ARM removed nil check before indirect!!
 	_ = *bigstructp // ERROR "generated nil check"
 	_ = *empty1p    // ERROR "generated nil check"
@@ -122,16 +122,16 @@ func f3(x *[10000]int) {
 	// x wasn't going to change across the function call.
 	// But it's a little complex to do and in practice doesn't
 	// matter enough.
-	_ = x[9999] // ERROR "generated nil check" // TODO: fix
+	_ = x[9999] // ERROR "removed nil check"
 }
 
 func f3a() {
 	x := fx10k()
 	y := fx10k()
 	z := fx10k()
-	_ = &x[9] // ERROR "removed.* nil check"
-	y = z
 	_ = &x[9] // ERROR "generated nil check"
+	y = z
+	_ = &x[9] // ERROR "removed.* nil check"
 	x = y
 	_ = &x[9] // ERROR "generated nil check"
 }
@@ -139,11 +139,11 @@ func f3a() {
 func f3b() {
 	x := fx10k()
 	y := fx10k()
-	_ = &x[9] // ERROR "removed.* nil check"
+	_ = &x[9] // ERROR "generated nil check"
 	y = x
 	_ = &x[9] // ERROR "removed.* nil check"
 	x = y
-	_ = &x[9] // ERROR "generated nil check"
+	_ = &x[9] // ERROR "removed.* nil check"
 }
 
 func fx10() *[10]int
@@ -179,15 +179,15 @@ func f4(x *[10]int) {
 	_ = x[9] // ERROR "generated nil check"  // bug would like to remove before indirect
 
 	fx10()
-	_ = x[9] // ERROR "generated nil check"  // TODO: fix
+	_ = x[9] // ERROR "removed nil check"
 
 	x = fx10()
 	y := fx10()
-	_ = &x[9] // ERROR "removed[a-z ]* nil check"
+	_ = &x[9] // ERROR "generated nil check"
 	y = x
 	_ = &x[9] // ERROR "removed[a-z ]* nil check"
 	x = y
-	_ = &x[9] // ERROR "generated nil check"
+	_ = &x[9] // ERROR "removed[a-z ]* nil check"
 }
 
 func f5(p *float32, q *float64, r *float32, s *float64) float64 {