An injection rate shaping nozzle assembly for a fuel injector is provided which includes a closed nozzle valve element and a rate shaping control device including an injection spill circuit for spilling a portion of the fuel to be injected to produce a predetermined time varying change in the flow rate of fuel injected into a combustion chamber. The spill circuit includes a spill passage integrally formed in the nozzle valve element. The rate shaping control may include a spill valve for controlling the spill flow through the spill circuit to create a low injection flow rate followed by a high injection flow rate. The spill passage may communicate with the injector nozzle cavity between injection events or alternatively may be blocked to prevent spill flow between injection events. The rate shaping control device may include a spill accelerating device in the form of a spill chamber formed in the nozzle valve element for creating a rapid increase in the spill flow rate. In another embodiment, the rate shaping device may include a throttling passage integrally formed in the nozzle valve element to vary the rate at which fuel pressure in the nozzle cavity increases so as to vary the flow rate through the injector orifices.