diff --git a/test/external/external_test_onnx_runner.py b/test/external/external_test_onnx_runner.py
index d91a2aec59..77959ef45d 100644
--- a/test/external/external_test_onnx_runner.py
+++ b/test/external/external_test_onnx_runner.py
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ class MetadataOnnxPBParser(OnnxPBParser):
     for fid, wire_type in self._parse_message(self.reader.len):
       match fid:
         case 7: obj["graph"] = self._parse_GraphProto()
-        case 14: obj["metadata_props"].append(self._parse_StringStringEntryProto())
+        case 14: obj["metadata_props"].append(self._parse_proto(self._SIMPLE_PROTOS["StringStringEntryProto"]))
         case _: self.reader.skip_field(wire_type)
     return obj
 
diff --git a/tinygrad/nn/onnx.py b/tinygrad/nn/onnx.py
index 058d251bb2..fdffb8db34 100644
--- a/tinygrad/nn/onnx.py
+++ b/tinygrad/nn/onnx.py
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ class OnnxPBParser:
         case 4: obj["domain"] = self.reader.read_string()
         case 5: obj["model_version"] = self.reader.read_int64()
         case 7: obj["graph"] = self._parse_GraphProto()
-        case 8: obj["opset_import"].append(self._parse_OperatorSetIdProto())
+        case 8: obj["opset_import"].append(self._parse_proto(self._SIMPLE_PROTOS["OperatorSetIdProto"]))
         case _: self.reader.skip_field(wire_type)
 
     # update opset version
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ class OnnxPBParser:
         case 9: obj["raw_data"] = self.reader.read_bytes()
         case 10: obj["double_data"] = self.reader.read_packed_floats()
         case 11: obj["uint64_data"] = self.reader.read_packed_int64s()
-        case 13: obj.setdefault("external_data", []).append(self._parse_StringStringEntryProto())
+        case 13: obj.setdefault("external_data", []).append(self._parse_proto(self._SIMPLE_PROTOS["StringStringEntryProto"]))
         case 14: obj["data_location"] = self.reader.read_int64()
         case _: self.reader.skip_field(wire_type)
 
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ class OnnxPBParser:
     for fid, wire_type in self._parse_message(self._decode_end_pos()):
       match fid:
         case 1: obj["name"] = self.reader.read_string()
-        case 2: obj["type"] = self._parse_TypeProto()
+        case 2: obj["type"] = self._parse_proto(self._SIMPLE_PROTOS["TypeProto"])
         case _: self.reader.skip_field(wire_type)
 
     # parse type
@@ -295,66 +295,26 @@ class OnnxPBParser:
                                    OnnxDataType(type_obj['tensor_type']['elem_type']).to_dtype(), is_optional, is_sequence)
     return obj
 
-  def _parse_TypeProto(self) -> dict:
+  _SIMPLE_PROTOS: dict[str, dict[int, tuple[str, str]]] = {
+    "TypeProto": {1: ("tensor_type", "TypeProtoTensor"), 4: ("sequence_type", "TypeProtoWrapper"),
+                  9: ("optional_type", "TypeProtoWrapper")},
+    "TypeProtoTensor": {1: ("elem_type", "read_int64"), 2: ("shape", "TensorShapeProto")},
+    "TypeProtoWrapper": {1: ("elem_type", "TypeProto")},
+    "TensorShapeProto": {1: ("+dim", "TensorShapeProtoDimension")},
+    "TensorShapeProtoDimension": {1: ("dim_value", "read_int64"), 2: ("dim_param", "read_string")},
+    "StringStringEntryProto": {1: ("key", "read_string"), 2: ("value", "read_string")},
+    "OperatorSetIdProto": {1: ("domain", "read_string"), 2: ("version", "read_int64")},
+  }
+  def _parse_proto(self, fields: dict[int, tuple[str, str]]) -> dict:
     obj: dict[str, Any] = {}
     for fid, wire_type in self._parse_message(self._decode_end_pos()):
-      match fid:
-        case 1: obj["tensor_type"] = self._parse_TypeProtoTensor()
-        case 4: obj["sequence_type"] = self._parse_TypeProtoWrapper()
-        case 9: obj["optional_type"] = self._parse_TypeProtoWrapper()
-        case _: self.reader.skip_field(wire_type)
-    return obj
-
-  def _parse_TypeProtoTensor(self) -> dict:
-    obj: dict[str, Any] = {}
-    for fid, wire_type in self._parse_message(self._decode_end_pos()):
-      match fid:
-        case 1: obj["elem_type"] = self.reader.read_int64()
-        case 2: obj["shape"] = self._parse_TensorShapeProto()
-        case _: self.reader.skip_field(wire_type)
-    return obj
-
-  def _parse_TypeProtoWrapper(self) -> dict:
-    obj = {}
-    for fid, wire_type in self._parse_message(self._decode_end_pos()):
-      match fid:
-        case 1: obj["elem_type"] = self._parse_TypeProto()
-        case _: self.reader.skip_field(wire_type)
-    return obj
-
-  def _parse_TensorShapeProto(self) -> dict:
-    obj: dict[str, Any] = {"dim": []}
-    for fid, wire_type in self._parse_message(self._decode_end_pos()):
-      match fid:
-        case 1: obj["dim"].append(self._parse_TensorShapeProtoDimension())
-        case _: self.reader.skip_field(wire_type)
-    return obj
-
-  def _parse_TensorShapeProtoDimension(self) -> dict:
-    obj: dict[str, Any] = {}
-    for fid, wire_type in self._parse_message(self._decode_end_pos()):
-      match fid:
-        case 1: obj["dim_value"] = self.reader.read_int64()
-        case 2: obj["dim_param"] = self.reader.read_string()
-        case _: self.reader.skip_field(wire_type)
-    return obj
-
-  def _parse_StringStringEntryProto(self) -> dict:
-    obj: dict[str, Any] = {}
-    for fid, wire_type in self._parse_message(self._decode_end_pos()):
-      match fid:
-        case 1: obj["key"] = self.reader.read_string()
-        case 2: obj["value"] = self.reader.read_string()
-        case _: self.reader.skip_field(wire_type)
-    return obj
-
-  def _parse_OperatorSetIdProto(self) -> dict:
-    obj: dict[str, Any] = {}
-    for fid, wire_type in self._parse_message(self._decode_end_pos()):
-      match fid:
-        case 1: obj["domain"] = self.reader.read_string()
-        case 2: obj["version"] = self.reader.read_int64()
-        case _: self.reader.skip_field(wire_type)
+      if fid not in fields:
+        self.reader.skip_field(wire_type)
+        continue
+      name, action = fields[fid]
+      value = self._parse_proto(self._SIMPLE_PROTOS[action]) if action in self._SIMPLE_PROTOS else getattr(self.reader, action)()
+      if name[0] == "+": obj.setdefault(name[1:], []).append(value)
+      else: obj[name] = value
     return obj
 
 # ***** python const *****