diff --git a/test/backend/test_uops.py b/test/backend/test_uops.py
index 38ef195b1f..b3796774fa 100644
--- a/test/backend/test_uops.py
+++ b/test/backend/test_uops.py
@@ -177,7 +177,8 @@ class TestLocalAccess(unittest.TestCase):
   @unittest.skipUnless(Device[Device.DEFAULT].renderer.has_shared, "test requires shared memory")
   def test_local_basic(self):
     uops = []
-    smem = uop(uops, Ops.DEFINE_LOCAL, dtypes.float32.ptr(size=16, addrspace=AddrSpace.LOCAL), (), 'smem')
+    smem = UOp.placeholder((16,), dtypes.float32, slot=0, addrspace=AddrSpace.LOCAL)
+    uops.append(smem)
     st = uop(uops, Ops.STORE, dtypes.void, (smem.index(uop(uops, Ops.CONST, dtypes.int32, (), 0)), uop(uops, Ops.CONST, dtypes.float32, (), 42.0)))
     barr = uop(uops, Ops.BARRIER, dtypes.void, (st,))
     sres = uop(uops, Ops.LOAD, dtypes.float32, (smem.after(barr).index(uop(uops, Ops.CONST, dtypes.int32, (), 0), ptr=True),))
@@ -187,7 +188,8 @@ class TestLocalAccess(unittest.TestCase):
   @unittest.skipUnless(Device.DEFAULT == "WEBGPU", "Test local access with packed data type")
   def test_local_packed(self):
     uops = []
-    smem = uop(uops, Ops.DEFINE_LOCAL, dtypes.uint8.ptr(size=16, addrspace=AddrSpace.LOCAL), (), 'smem')
+    smem = UOp.placeholder((16,), dtypes.uint8, slot=0, addrspace=AddrSpace.LOCAL)
+    uops.append(smem)
     st = uop(uops, Ops.STORE, dtypes.void, (smem.index(uop(uops, Ops.CONST, dtypes.int32, (), 0)), uop(uops, Ops.CONST, dtypes.uint8, (), 42)))
     barr = uop(uops, Ops.BARRIER, dtypes.void, (st,))
     sres = smem.after(barr).index(uop(uops, Ops.CONST, dtypes.int32, (), 0))
@@ -199,7 +201,7 @@ class TestLocalAccess(unittest.TestCase):
     _dtypes = [dtypes.char, dtypes.uchar, dtypes.short, dtypes.ushort, dtypes.half]
     size = 16
     for dtype in _dtypes:
-      temp = UOp(Ops.DEFINE_LOCAL, dtype.ptr(size=size, addrspace=AddrSpace.LOCAL), (), 'smem')
+      temp = UOp.placeholder((size,), dtype, slot=0, addrspace=AddrSpace.LOCAL)
       uops = to_uops_list([temp], ren=Device[Device.DEFAULT].renderer)
       out = Device[Device.DEFAULT].renderer.render(uops)
       # half is supported in wgsl, so it doesn't have to be packed
@@ -211,7 +213,8 @@ class TestLocalAccess(unittest.TestCase):
   @unittest.skip("tinygrad doesn't support this behavior")
   def test_local_indirect(self):
     uops = []
-    smem = uop(uops, Ops.DEFINE_LOCAL, dtypes.int32.ptr(size=16, addrspace=AddrSpace.LOCAL), (), 'smem')
+    smem = UOp.placeholder((16,), dtypes.int32, slot=0, addrspace=AddrSpace.LOCAL)
+    uops.append(smem)
     st1 = uop(uops, Ops.STORE, dtypes.void, (smem.index(uop(uops, Ops.CONST, dtypes.int32, (), 1)), uop(uops, Ops.CONST, dtypes.int32, (), 2)))
     st2 = uop(uops, Ops.STORE, dtypes.void, (smem.index(uop(uops, Ops.CONST, dtypes.int32, (), 2)), uop(uops, Ops.CONST, dtypes.int32, (), 42)))
     barr = uop(uops, Ops.BARRIER, dtypes.void, (st1,st2))
diff --git a/test/null/test_uop_graph.py b/test/null/test_uop_graph.py
index 70be3f1a8d..a60d708f39 100644
--- a/test/null/test_uop_graph.py
+++ b/test/null/test_uop_graph.py
@@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ class TestUOpGraph(unittest.TestCase):
 
   def test_fold_gated_load_local(self):
     glbl0 = UOp.param(0, dtypes.int.ptr(16))
-    smem = UOp(Ops.DEFINE_LOCAL, dtypes.int.ptr(size=18, addrspace=AddrSpace.LOCAL), (), "temp")
+    smem = UOp.placeholder((18,), dtypes.int, slot=0, addrspace=AddrSpace.LOCAL)
     lidx = UOp.special(16, "lidx0", dtypes.int)
     st = smem.index(lidx, ptr=True).store(glbl0.index(lidx, ptr=True).load())
     barrier = st.barrier()
diff --git a/test/null/test_validate_oob.py b/test/null/test_validate_oob.py
index 3262461073..645d2f7e52 100644
--- a/test/null/test_validate_oob.py
+++ b/test/null/test_validate_oob.py
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ class TestValidateOOB(unittest.TestCase):
     with Context(CHECK_OOB=1):
       # Define buffers
       gbuf = UOp.param(0, dtypes.uint.ptr(400))
-      sbuf = UOp(Ops.DEFINE_LOCAL, dtypes.uint.ptr(8, addrspace=AddrSpace.LOCAL), (), "temp0")
+      sbuf = UOp.placeholder((8,), dtypes.uint, slot=0, addrspace=AddrSpace.LOCAL)
 
       # Define indices, valids and barrier
       gidx = UOp(Ops.SPECIAL, dtypes.int, (UOp.const(dtypes.int, 416),), "gidx0")