diff --git a/extra/to_movement_ops.py b/extra/to_movement_ops.py
index 69560179ac..df253da995 100644
--- a/extra/to_movement_ops.py
+++ b/extra/to_movement_ops.py
@@ -1,12 +1,31 @@
 from tqdm import tqdm
 import itertools
-from typing import List, Tuple
+from collections import defaultdict
+from typing import List, Tuple, DefaultDict
 from extra.optimization.helpers import load_worlds, ast_str_to_ast
 from tinygrad.ops import MovementOps, BufferOps, LazyOp
 from tinygrad.helpers import prod
 from tinygrad.shape.shapetracker import ShapeTracker
 from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import sym_infer, Node
 
+def apply_mop(st: ShapeTracker, mop_arg: Tuple[MovementOps, Tuple]) -> ShapeTracker:
+  mop, arg = mop_arg
+  if mop == MovementOps.RESHAPE:
+    # shapetracker doesn't allow flattening with -1 but required for MovementOps.RESHAPE
+    if arg == (-1,): return st.reshape((prod(st.views[-1].shape),))
+    return st.reshape(arg)
+  if mop == MovementOps.PERMUTE: return st.permute(arg)
+  if mop == MovementOps.EXPAND:
+    if len(arg) != len(st.shape): st = st.reshape((1,*st.shape))
+    return st.expand(arg)
+  if mop == MovementOps.PAD: return st.pad(arg)
+  if mop == MovementOps.SHRINK: return st.shrink(arg)
+  if mop == MovementOps.STRIDE: return st.stride(arg)
+  raise ValueError("invalid mop")
+
+def make_scratch_st(st: ShapeTracker) -> ShapeTracker:
+  return ShapeTracker.from_shape((get_buffer_size(st.views[0].shape, st.views[0].strides, st.views[0].offset, st.views[0].mask),))
+
 # ShapeTracker to an equivalent series of MovementOps (https://github.com/tinygrad/tinygrad/pull/2216)
 def to_movement_ops(st: ShapeTracker) -> List[Tuple[MovementOps, Tuple]]:
   to_apply:List[Tuple[MovementOps, Tuple]] = []
@@ -50,7 +69,16 @@ def to_movement_ops(st: ShapeTracker) -> List[Tuple[MovementOps, Tuple]]:
     if any(s != 1 and st == 0 for s,st in zip(real_shape, v.strides)): to_apply.append((MovementOps.EXPAND, real_shape))
     # lastly, we apply post expand pads
     if v.mask is not None and any(x != (0,0) for x in post_expand_pads): to_apply.append((MovementOps.PAD, post_expand_pads))
-  return to_apply
+
+  scratch_st = make_scratch_st(st)
+  ret = []
+  for mop_arg in to_apply:
+    st = apply_mop(scratch_st, mop_arg)
+    if st != scratch_st:
+      ret.append(mop_arg)
+      scratch_st = st
+
+  return ret
 
 def get_real_view(shape, strides, offset, mask):
   real_shape = tuple(y-x for x,y in mask) if mask else shape
@@ -90,29 +118,12 @@ def st_equivalent(st1: ShapeTracker, st2: ShapeTracker):
 
   return True
 
+c: DefaultDict[int,int] = defaultdict(int)
 def test_rebuild(st: ShapeTracker):
-  rebuilt_st = ShapeTracker.from_shape((get_buffer_size(st.views[0].shape, st.views[0].strides, st.views[0].offset, st.views[0].mask),))
-  for mop, arg in to_movement_ops(st):
-    if mop == MovementOps.RESHAPE:
-      # shapetracker doesn't allow flattening with -1 but required for MovementOps.RESHAPE
-      if arg == (-1,):
-        rebuilt_st = rebuilt_st.reshape((prod(rebuilt_st.views[-1].shape),))
-      else:
-        rebuilt_st = rebuilt_st.reshape(arg)
-    elif mop == MovementOps.PERMUTE:
-      rebuilt_st = rebuilt_st.permute(arg)
-    elif mop == MovementOps.EXPAND:
-      if len(arg) != len(rebuilt_st.shape):
-        rebuilt_st = rebuilt_st.reshape((1,*rebuilt_st.shape))
-      rebuilt_st = rebuilt_st.expand(arg)
-    elif mop == MovementOps.PAD:
-      rebuilt_st = rebuilt_st.pad(arg)
-    elif mop == MovementOps.SHRINK:
-      rebuilt_st = rebuilt_st.shrink(arg)
-    elif mop == MovementOps.STRIDE:
-      rebuilt_st = rebuilt_st.stride(arg)
-    else:
-      raise Exception("invalid mop")
+  rebuilt_st = make_scratch_st(st)
+  mops = to_movement_ops(st)
+  c[len(mops)] += 1
+  for mop_arg in mops: rebuilt_st = apply_mop(rebuilt_st, mop_arg)
   rebuilt_st = rebuilt_st.simplify()
   assert st_equivalent(st, rebuilt_st)
   last_v1 = st.views[-1]
@@ -130,3 +141,5 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
   ast_strs = load_worlds(False, False, True)[:4000]
   for ast_str in tqdm(ast_strs):
     test_interpret_ast(ast_str_to_ast(ast_str))
+
+  print(f"avg length of mop = {sum(k*v for k,v in c.items()) / sum(c.values()):.2f}")
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