diff --git a/tcg/tcg.c b/tcg/tcg.c
index 8734389ba9..c596277fd0 100644
--- a/tcg/tcg.c
+++ b/tcg/tcg.c
@@ -1907,6 +1907,20 @@ static const char * const alignment_name[(MO_AMASK >> MO_ASHIFT) + 1] = {
     [MO_ALIGN_64 >> MO_ASHIFT] = "al64+",
 };
 
+static inline bool tcg_regset_single(TCGRegSet d)
+{
+    return (d & (d - 1)) == 0;
+}
+
+static inline TCGReg tcg_regset_first(TCGRegSet d)
+{
+    if (TCG_TARGET_NB_REGS <= 32) {
+        return ctz32(d);
+    } else {
+        return ctz64(d);
+    }
+}
+
 void tcg_dump_ops(TCGContext *s)
 {
     char buf[128];
@@ -1922,6 +1936,7 @@ void tcg_dump_ops(TCGContext *s)
         def = &tcg_op_defs[c];
 
         if (c == INDEX_op_insn_start) {
+            nb_oargs = 0;
             col += qemu_log("\n ----");
 
             for (i = 0; i < TARGET_INSN_START_WORDS; ++i) {
@@ -2924,31 +2939,72 @@ static void tcg_reg_free(TCGContext *s, TCGReg reg, TCGRegSet allocated_regs)
     }
 }
 
-/* Allocate a register belonging to reg1 & ~reg2 */
-static TCGReg tcg_reg_alloc(TCGContext *s, TCGRegSet desired_regs,
-                            TCGRegSet allocated_regs, bool rev)
+/**
+ * tcg_reg_alloc:
+ * @required_regs: Set of registers in which we must allocate.
+ * @allocated_regs: Set of registers which must be avoided.
+ * @preferred_regs: Set of registers we should prefer.
+ * @rev: True if we search the registers in "indirect" order.
+ *
+ * The allocated register must be in @required_regs & ~@allocated_regs,
+ * but if we can put it in @preferred_regs we may save a move later.
+ */
+static TCGReg tcg_reg_alloc(TCGContext *s, TCGRegSet required_regs,
+                            TCGRegSet allocated_regs,
+                            TCGRegSet preferred_regs, bool rev)
 {
-    int i, n = ARRAY_SIZE(tcg_target_reg_alloc_order);
+    int i, j, f, n = ARRAY_SIZE(tcg_target_reg_alloc_order);
+    TCGRegSet reg_ct[2];
     const int *order;
-    TCGReg reg;
-    TCGRegSet reg_ct;
 
-    reg_ct = desired_regs & ~allocated_regs;
+    reg_ct[1] = required_regs & ~allocated_regs;
+    tcg_debug_assert(reg_ct[1] != 0);
+    reg_ct[0] = reg_ct[1] & preferred_regs;
+
+    /* Skip the preferred_regs option if it cannot be satisfied,
+       or if the preference made no difference.  */
+    f = reg_ct[0] == 0 || reg_ct[0] == reg_ct[1];
+
     order = rev ? indirect_reg_alloc_order : tcg_target_reg_alloc_order;
 
-    /* first try free registers */
-    for(i = 0; i < n; i++) {
-        reg = order[i];
-        if (tcg_regset_test_reg(reg_ct, reg) && s->reg_to_temp[reg] == NULL)
-            return reg;
+    /* Try free registers, preferences first.  */
+    for (j = f; j < 2; j++) {
+        TCGRegSet set = reg_ct[j];
+
+        if (tcg_regset_single(set)) {
+            /* One register in the set.  */
+            TCGReg reg = tcg_regset_first(set);
+            if (s->reg_to_temp[reg] == NULL) {
+                return reg;
+            }
+        } else {
+            for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+                TCGReg reg = order[i];
+                if (s->reg_to_temp[reg] == NULL &&
+                    tcg_regset_test_reg(set, reg)) {
+                    return reg;
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 
-    /* XXX: do better spill choice */
-    for(i = 0; i < n; i++) {
-        reg = order[i];
-        if (tcg_regset_test_reg(reg_ct, reg)) {
+    /* We must spill something.  */
+    for (j = f; j < 2; j++) {
+        TCGRegSet set = reg_ct[j];
+
+        if (tcg_regset_single(set)) {
+            /* One register in the set.  */
+            TCGReg reg = tcg_regset_first(set);
             tcg_reg_free(s, reg, allocated_regs);
             return reg;
+        } else {
+            for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+                TCGReg reg = order[i];
+                if (tcg_regset_test_reg(set, reg)) {
+                    tcg_reg_free(s, reg, allocated_regs);
+                    return reg;
+                }
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -2966,12 +3022,14 @@ static void temp_load(TCGContext *s, TCGTemp *ts, TCGRegSet desired_regs,
     case TEMP_VAL_REG:
         return;
     case TEMP_VAL_CONST:
-        reg = tcg_reg_alloc(s, desired_regs, allocated_regs, ts->indirect_base);
+        reg = tcg_reg_alloc(s, desired_regs, allocated_regs,
+                            0, ts->indirect_base);
         tcg_out_movi(s, ts->type, reg, ts->val);
         ts->mem_coherent = 0;
         break;
     case TEMP_VAL_MEM:
-        reg = tcg_reg_alloc(s, desired_regs, allocated_regs, ts->indirect_base);
+        reg = tcg_reg_alloc(s, desired_regs, allocated_regs,
+                            0, ts->indirect_base);
         tcg_out_ld(s, ts->type, reg, ts->mem_base->reg, ts->mem_offset);
         ts->mem_coherent = 1;
         break;
@@ -3131,7 +3189,8 @@ static void tcg_reg_alloc_mov(TCGContext *s, const TCGOp *op)
                    input one. */
                 tcg_regset_set_reg(allocated_regs, ts->reg);
                 ots->reg = tcg_reg_alloc(s, tcg_target_available_regs[otype],
-                                         allocated_regs, ots->indirect_base);
+                                         allocated_regs, 0,
+                                         ots->indirect_base);
             }
             tcg_out_mov(s, otype, ots->reg, ts->reg);
         }
@@ -3219,7 +3278,7 @@ static void tcg_reg_alloc_op(TCGContext *s, const TCGOp *op)
             /* allocate a new register matching the constraint 
                and move the temporary register into it */
             reg = tcg_reg_alloc(s, arg_ct->u.regs, i_allocated_regs,
-                                ts->indirect_base);
+                                0, ts->indirect_base);
             tcg_out_mov(s, ts->type, reg, ts->reg);
         }
         new_args[i] = reg;
@@ -3264,7 +3323,7 @@ static void tcg_reg_alloc_op(TCGContext *s, const TCGOp *op)
             } else if (arg_ct->ct & TCG_CT_NEWREG) {
                 reg = tcg_reg_alloc(s, arg_ct->u.regs,
                                     i_allocated_regs | o_allocated_regs,
-                                    ts->indirect_base);
+                                    0, ts->indirect_base);
             } else {
                 /* if fixed register, we try to use it */
                 reg = ts->reg;
@@ -3273,7 +3332,7 @@ static void tcg_reg_alloc_op(TCGContext *s, const TCGOp *op)
                     goto oarg_end;
                 }
                 reg = tcg_reg_alloc(s, arg_ct->u.regs, o_allocated_regs,
-                                    ts->indirect_base);
+                                    0, ts->indirect_base);
             }
             tcg_regset_set_reg(o_allocated_regs, reg);
             /* if a fixed register is used, then a move will be done afterwards */
