Embodiments described herein provide a graphics processor in which dependency tracking hardware is simplified via the use of compiler provided software scoreboard information. In one embodiment the shader compiler for shader programs is configured to encode software scoreboard information into each instruction. Dependencies can be evaluated by the shader compiler and provided as scoreboard information with each instruction. The hardware can then use the provided information when scheduling instructions. In one embodiment, a software scoreboard synchronization instruction is provided to facilitate software dependency handling within a shader program. Using software to facilitate software dependency handling and synchronization can simplify hardware design, reducing the area consumed by the hardware. In one embodiment, dependencies can be evaluated by the shader compiler instead of the GPU hardware. The compiler can then insert a software scoreboard sync immediate instruction into compiled program code to manage instruction dependencies and prevent data hazards from occurring.