diff --git a/taichi/codegen/codegen_metal.cpp b/taichi/codegen/codegen_metal.cpp
index f751132e9ad09..4a31408b3b99b 100644
--- a/taichi/codegen/codegen_metal.cpp
+++ b/taichi/codegen/codegen_metal.cpp
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@ constexpr char kArgsContextName[] = "args_ctx_";
 class MetalKernelCodegen : public IRVisitor {
  public:
   MetalKernelCodegen(const std::string &mtl_kernel_prefix,
-                     const std::string &root_snode_type_name,
-                     Kernel *kernel,
+                     const std::string &root_snode_type_name, Kernel *kernel,
                      const StructCompiledResult *compiled_snode_structs)
       : mtl_kernel_prefix_(mtl_kernel_prefix),
         root_snode_type_name_(root_snode_type_name),
@@ -33,9 +32,7 @@ class MetalKernelCodegen : public IRVisitor {
     return args_attribs_;
   }
 
-  const std::string &kernel_source_code() const {
-    return kernel_src_code_;
-  }
+  const std::string &kernel_source_code() const { return kernel_src_code_; }
 
   const std::vector<MetalKernelAttributes> &kernels_attribs() const {
     return mtl_kernels_attribs_;
@@ -394,7 +391,7 @@ class MetalKernelCodegen : public IRVisitor {
 
   void generate_common_functions() {
 #define TI_INSIDE_METAL_CODEGEN
-#include <taichi/platform/metal/helpers.metal.h>
+#include "taichi/platform/metal/shaders/helpers.metal.h"
     kernel_src_code_ += kMetalHelpersSourceCode;
 #undef TI_INSIDE_METAL_CODEGEN
     emit("\n");
@@ -541,9 +538,7 @@ class MetalKernelCodegen : public IRVisitor {
     }
   }
 
-  void push_indent() {
-    indent_ += "  ";
-  }
+  void push_indent() { indent_ += "  "; }
 
   void pop_indent() {
     indent_.pop_back();
@@ -578,11 +573,9 @@ MetalCodeGen::MetalCodeGen(const std::string &kernel_name,
                            const StructCompiledResult *struct_compiled)
     : id_(Program::get_kernel_id()),
       taichi_kernel_name_(fmt::format("mtl_k{:04d}_{}", id_, kernel_name)),
-      struct_compiled_(struct_compiled) {
-}
+      struct_compiled_(struct_compiled) {}
 
-FunctionType MetalCodeGen::compile(Program &,
-                                   Kernel &kernel,
+FunctionType MetalCodeGen::compile(Program &, Kernel &kernel,
                                    MetalRuntime *runtime) {
   this->prog_ = &kernel.program;
   this->kernel_ = &kernel;
diff --git a/taichi/platform/metal/shaders/atomic_stubs.h b/taichi/platform/metal/shaders/atomic_stubs.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..5f580a7ab356a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/taichi/platform/metal/shaders/atomic_stubs.h
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#pragma once
+
+using atomic_int = int;
+using atomic_uint = unsigned int;
+
+namespace metal {
+
+using memory_order = bool;
+memory_order memory_order_relaxed = false;
+
+}  // namespace metal
+
+template <typename T>
+bool atomic_compare_exchange_weak_explicit(T *object, T *expected, T desired,
+                                           metal::memory_order) {
+  const T val = *object;
+  if (val == *expected) {
+    *object = desired;
+    return true;
+  }
+  *expected = val;
+  return false;
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+bool atomic_fetch_or_explicit(T *object, T operand, metal::memory_order) {
+  const T result = *object;
+  *object = (result | operand);
+  return result;
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+bool atomic_fetch_and_explicit(T *object, T operand, metal::memory_order) {
+  const T result = *object;
+  *object = (result & operand);
+  return result;
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+T atomic_fetch_add_explicit(T *object, T operand, metal::memory_order) {
+  const T result = *object;
+  *object += operand;
+  return result;
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+T atomic_load_explicit(T *object, metal::memory_order) {
+  return *object;
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+void atomic_store_explicit(T *object, T desired, metal::memory_order) {
+  *object = desired;
+}
diff --git a/taichi/platform/metal/shaders/epilog.h b/taichi/platform/metal/shaders/epilog.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..130389f8ed7e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/taichi/platform/metal/shaders/epilog.h
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+#undef device
+#undef constant
+#undef thread
+#undef kernel
+
+#undef byte
+
+#undef STR2
+#undef STR
diff --git a/taichi/platform/metal/helpers.metal.h b/taichi/platform/metal/shaders/helpers.metal.h
similarity index 75%
rename from taichi/platform/metal/helpers.metal.h
rename to taichi/platform/metal/shaders/helpers.metal.h
index 51912e113697f..ab869ba31b49e 100644
--- a/taichi/platform/metal/helpers.metal.h
+++ b/taichi/platform/metal/shaders/helpers.metal.h
@@ -1,38 +1,27 @@
+#include "taichi/platform/metal/shaders/prolog.h"
+
 #ifdef TI_INSIDE_METAL_CODEGEN
 
+#ifndef TI_METAL_NESTED_INCLUDE
 #define METAL_BEGIN_HELPERS_DEF constexpr auto kMetalHelpersSourceCode =
 #define METAL_END_HELPERS_DEF ;
-
-#define STR2(...) #__VA_ARGS__
-#define STR(...) STR2(__VA_ARGS__)
-
 #else
-
 #define METAL_BEGIN_HELPERS_DEF
 #define METAL_END_HELPERS_DEF
-#define STR(...) __VA_ARGS__
-
-#define device
-#define constant
-#define thread
+#endif  // TI_METAL_NESTED_INCLUDE
 
-using atomic_int = int;
+#else
 
-template <typename... Args>
-bool atomic_compare_exchange_weak_explicit(Args...) {
-  static_assert(false, "Do not include");
-}
+static_assert(false, "Do not include");
 
-namespace metal {
-bool memory_order_relaxed = false;
-}  // namespace metal
+#define METAL_BEGIN_HELPERS_DEF
+#define METAL_END_HELPERS_DEF
 
 #endif  // TI_INSIDE_METAL_CODEGEN
 
 METAL_BEGIN_HELPERS_DEF
 STR(
-    template <typename T, typename G>
-    T union_cast(G g) {
+    template <typename T, typename G> T union_cast(G g) {
       // For some reason, if I emit taichi/common.h's union_cast(), Metal failed
       // to compile. More strangely, if I copy the generated code to XCode as a
       // Metal kernel, it compiled successfully...
@@ -64,5 +53,5 @@ METAL_END_HELPERS_DEF
 
 #undef METAL_BEGIN_HELPERS_DEF
 #undef METAL_END_HELPERS_DEF
-#undef STR2
-#undef STR
+
+#include "taichi/platform/metal/shaders/epilog.h"
diff --git a/taichi/platform/metal/shaders/prolog.h b/taichi/platform/metal/shaders/prolog.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..f99799f43f73f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/taichi/platform/metal/shaders/prolog.h
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#ifdef TI_INSIDE_METAL_CODEGEN
+
+#ifndef TI_METAL_NESTED_INCLUDE
+#define STR2(...) #__VA_ARGS__
+#define STR(...) STR2(__VA_ARGS__)
+#else
+// If we are emitting to Metal source code, and the shader file is included by
+// some other shader file, then skip emitting the code for the nested shader,
+// otherwise there could be a symbol redefinition error. That is, we only emit
+// the source code for the shader being directly included by the host side.
+#define STR(...)
+#endif  // TI_METAL_NESTED_INCLUDE
+
+#else
+
+#include <cstdint>
+
+#define STR(...) __VA_ARGS__
+
+#define device
+#define constant
+#define thread
+#define kernel
+
+#define byte char
+
+#include "taichi/platform/metal/shaders/atomic_stubs.h"
+
+#endif  // TI_INSIDE_METAL_CODEGEN