One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method for generating work to be processed by a graphics pipeline residing within a graphics processor. The method includes the steps of receiving an indication that a first graphics workload is to be submitted to a command queue associated with the graphics processor, allocating a first portion of shader accessible memory for one or more units of state information that are necessary for processing the first graphics workload, populating the first portion of shader accessible memory with the one or more units of state information, and transmitting to the command queue of the graphics processor the one or more units of state information stored within the first portion of shader accessible memory, wherein the first graphics workload is processed within the graphics pipeline based on the one or more units of state information.