diff --git a/tinygrad/tensor.py b/tinygrad/tensor.py
index 04520c9c19..2481e8bd23 100644
--- a/tinygrad/tensor.py
+++ b/tinygrad/tensor.py
@@ -492,6 +492,10 @@ class Tensor(SimpleMathTrait):
     if device is not None and not isinstance(device, str): raise ValueError(f"rand only supports single device, got {device=}")
     _device = device = Device.canonicalize(device)
 
+    # if shape has 0, return zero tensor
+    if (numel := prod(shape)) == 0: return Tensor.zeros(shape, device=_device, dtype=dtype, **kwargs)
+    num = ceildiv(numel * dtype.itemsize, 4)
+
     # when using MOCKGPU and NV generate rand on CLANG
     if getenv("MOCKGPU") and device.startswith("NV"): device = "CLANG"
 
@@ -501,15 +505,8 @@ class Tensor(SimpleMathTrait):
         [int.from_bytes(hashlib.sha256(len(Tensor._device_seeds).to_bytes(4, "big")).digest(), "big"), Tensor._seed],
         device=device, dtype=dtypes.uint32, requires_grad=False)
       Tensor._device_rng_counters[device] = Tensor([0], device=device, dtype=dtypes.uint32, requires_grad=False)
-      had_counter = False
-    else: had_counter = True
-
-    # if shape has 0, return zero tensor
-    if (numel := prod(shape)) == 0: return Tensor.zeros(shape, device=_device, dtype=dtype, **kwargs)
-    num = ceildiv(numel * dtype.itemsize, 4)
-
     # increment rng counter for devices
-    if had_counter: Tensor._device_rng_counters[device].assign(Tensor._device_rng_counters[device] + num).contiguous()
+    else: Tensor._device_rng_counters[device].assign(Tensor._device_rng_counters[device] + num).contiguous()
 
     # threefry random bits
     counts0 = (Tensor.arange(ceildiv(num, 2), device=device, dtype=dtypes.uint32, requires_grad=False)+Tensor._device_rng_counters[device])