diff --git a/test/unit/test_viz.py b/test/unit/test_viz.py
index e51f85b1fa..2facf85bef 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_viz.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_viz.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from typing import Generator
 from tinygrad.uop.ops import UOp, UPat, Ops, PatternMatcher, TrackedPatternMatcher, graph_rewrite, track_rewrites, TRACK_MATCH_STATS, profile_matches
 from tinygrad.uop.symbolic import sym
 from tinygrad.dtype import dtypes
-from tinygrad.helpers import PROFILE, colored, ansistrip, flatten, TracingKey, ProfileRangeEvent, ProfileEvent, Context, cpu_events, profile_marker
+from tinygrad.helpers import PROFILE, colored, ansistrip, flatten, TracingKey, ProfileRangeEvent, ProfileEvent, Context, cpu_events, profile_marker, VIZ
 from tinygrad.device import Buffer
 
 @track_rewrites(name=True)
@@ -33,11 +33,14 @@ class BaseTestViz(unittest.TestCase):
     cpu_events.clear()
     self.tms = TRACK_MATCH_STATS.value
     self.profile = PROFILE.value
+    self.viz = VIZ.value
     TRACK_MATCH_STATS.value = 2
     PROFILE.value = 1
+    VIZ.value = 1
   def tearDown(self):
     TRACK_MATCH_STATS.value = self.tms
     PROFILE.value = self.profile
+    VIZ.value = self.viz
 
 class TestViz(BaseTestViz):
   def test_simple(self):
diff --git a/tinygrad/helpers.py b/tinygrad/helpers.py
index 614e319a0b..87c67dd47b 100644
--- a/tinygrad/helpers.py
+++ b/tinygrad/helpers.py
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ ALLOW_DEVICE_USAGE, MAX_BUFFER_SIZE = ContextVar("ALLOW_DEVICE_USAGE", 1), Conte
 EMULATE = ContextVar("EMULATE", "")
 CPU_COUNT = ContextVar("CPU_COUNT", max(1, len(os.sched_getaffinity(0)) if hasattr(os, "sched_getaffinity") else (os.cpu_count() or 1)))
 CPU_LLVM, CPU_LVP, AMD_LLVM = ContextVar("CPU_LLVM", 0), ContextVar("CPU_LVP", 0), ContextVar("AMD_LLVM", 0)
+# VIZ implies PROFILE, but you can run PROFILE without VIZ
 VIZ = ContextVar("VIZ", 0)
 PROFILE = ContextVar("PROFILE", VIZ.value)
 SPEC = ContextVar("SPEC", 1)