diff --git a/test/external_test_assign.py b/test/external_test_assign.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f5937a5d66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/external_test_assign.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+from tinygrad.tensor import Tensor
+from tinygrad.ops import GlobalCounters
+from tinygrad.graph import nm
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+  GlobalCounters.cache = []
+  a = Tensor.ones(4,4)
+  b = Tensor.ones(4,4)
+  a += b
+  print(a.numpy())
+  runner, args = GlobalCounters.cache[0]
+  b0, b1, b2 = args
+  print(nm(b0), b0)
+  print(nm(b1), b1)
+  print(nm(b2), b2)
diff --git a/tinygrad/ast.py b/tinygrad/ast.py
index 15b839336c..fa27a2d42a 100644
--- a/tinygrad/ast.py
+++ b/tinygrad/ast.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ class ASTKernel:
 
     # create the buffer we are returning (as the same type as the input buffers) and add it as the first buffer
     self.ret = type(self.bufs[0])(output_shape if output_shape else self.info.shape, force_create=True)
-    self.bufs = [type(self.ret)(self.info.shape, hostbuf=self.ret)] + self.bufs
+    self.bufs = ([type(self.ret)(self.info.shape, hostbuf=self.ret)] if output_shape else [self.ret]) + self.bufs
 
     # TODO: should be optional if it's hitting a function cache
     self.processed = False
diff --git a/tinygrad/graph.py b/tinygrad/graph.py
index 1c1bf1961f..b0d6877249 100644
--- a/tinygrad/graph.py
+++ b/tinygrad/graph.py
@@ -34,6 +34,13 @@ if GRAPH:
   atexit.register(save_graph_exit)
 
 global_num_max = 0
+def nm(x):
+  global global_num_max
+  if not hasattr(x, 'global_num'):
+    setattr(x, 'global_num', global_num_max)
+    global_num_max += 1
+  return f"<{x.global_num}>"
+
 def log_op(ret : DeviceBuffer, ast : LazyOp):
   if not DEBUG and not GRAPH: return
   op : List[Op] = [x.op for x in get_lazyops(ast)]
@@ -43,15 +50,8 @@ def log_op(ret : DeviceBuffer, ast : LazyOp):
   optype = type(sorted(op, key=lambda x: oporder.index(type(x)))[0])
   cnts[optype] += 1
   if DEBUG >= 3:
-    print(f"{op} : {', '.join([str(x.shape) for x in inp])} -> {ret.shape}")
+    print(f"{op} : {', '.join([f'{x.shape}-{nm(x)}' for x in inp])} -> {ret.shape}-{nm(ret)}")
   if GRAPH:
-    def nm(x):
-      global global_num_max
-      if not hasattr(x, 'global_num'):
-        setattr(x, 'global_num', global_num_max)
-        global_num_max += 1
-      return f"<<< {x.global_num} >>>"
-
     top_colors = {LoadOps: '#FFFF80', UnaryOps: "#c0c0c0", ReduceOps: "#8080ff", BinaryOps: "#c0c0c0", MovementOps: "#80ff80", ProcessingOps: "#ff8080"}
     dashed = (optype == LoadOps and hasattr(ret, "_backing")) or (hasattr(ret, "st") and not ret.st.contiguous)  # type: ignore
 
diff --git a/tinygrad/lazy.py b/tinygrad/lazy.py
index 5586fcf9fa..d5da2d9de9 100644
--- a/tinygrad/lazy.py
+++ b/tinygrad/lazy.py
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ def _ast_binaryops(self:LazyBuffer) -> LazyOp:
   for x in real_srcs.keys():
     if real_srcs[x] is None:
       real_srcs[x] = x.movement_op(MovementOps.RESHAPE, intermediate_shape)
-  return LazyOp(MovementOps.RESHAPE, (map_buffers(real_srcs, self.op), ), self.shape)
+  ast = map_buffers(real_srcs, self.op)
+  return LazyOp(MovementOps.RESHAPE, (ast, ), self.shape) if intermediate_shape != self.shape else ast
 
 # **** lazy operations ****
 
@@ -139,7 +140,8 @@ class LazyBuffer:
 
       # run the ast if we still have to, and log the op
       if self.realized is None:
-        self.realized = self.dbuffer.exec_ast(map_buffers({x:x.realize(self.device) for x in get_buffers(ast)}, ast))
+        ast = map_buffers({x:x.realize(self.device) for x in get_buffers(ast)}, ast)
+        self.realized = self.dbuffer.exec_ast(ast)
       log_op(self.realized, ast)
 
     assert self.realized.shape == self.shape, f"shape mismatch on realize {self.realized.shape} vs {self.shape}"
diff --git a/tinygrad/llops/ops_gpu.py b/tinygrad/llops/ops_gpu.py
index 9c33638700..87f2a4c0e0 100644
--- a/tinygrad/llops/ops_gpu.py
+++ b/tinygrad/llops/ops_gpu.py
@@ -345,6 +345,7 @@ class GPUBuffer(ExplicitExecAST):
       self._backing = None
     return self._buf._cl
 
+  # TODO: we don't always need a hostbuf
   def __repr__(self): return f"GPUBuffer(shape={self.st}, hostbuf=GPUBuffer(shape={self._base_shape}" + (f", backing=np.array({self._backing}, dtype=np.float32)))" if self._backing else ", force_create=True))")
 
   @staticmethod
diff --git a/tinygrad/runtime/opencl.py b/tinygrad/runtime/opencl.py
index 2c4043314b..d42f47f7a6 100644
--- a/tinygrad/runtime/opencl.py
+++ b/tinygrad/runtime/opencl.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ class CL:
 
 class CLBuffer:
   def __init__(self, size):
+    if DEBUG >= 4: print(f"allocate GPU Buffer {size}")
     if len(CL.BUFFER_CACHE[size]) > 0:
       self._cl = CL.BUFFER_CACHE[size].pop()
     else: