diff --git a/docs/abstractions3.py b/docs/abstractions3.py
index e5b995b6f2..b69905f490 100644
--- a/docs/abstractions3.py
+++ b/docs/abstractions3.py
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ for si in schedule: print(str(si)[:80])
 # 4. Lower a schedule.
 
 from tinygrad.engine.realize import lower_schedule_item, ExecItem
-lowered: List[ExecItem] = [ExecItem(lower_schedule_item(si).prg, list(si.bufs)) for si in tqdm(schedule)]
+lowered: List[ExecItem] = [lower_schedule_item(si) for si in tqdm(schedule)]
 
 # *****
 # 5. Run the schedule
diff --git a/test/test_schedule.py b/test/test_schedule.py
index 800c0aac3d..1368a9cdd5 100644
--- a/test/test_schedule.py
+++ b/test/test_schedule.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from tinygrad.ops import PatternMatcher, UOp, Ops, UPat, graph_rewrite, track_re
 from tinygrad.helpers import CI, DEBUG, FUSE_ARANGE, GlobalCounters, getenv, SPLIT_REDUCEOP, unwrap, prod, Context
 from tinygrad.codegen.kernel import Kernel, verify_ast
 from tinygrad.engine.schedule import BUF_LIMIT, ScheduleItem, create_schedule_with_vars, view_right, view_left, remove_movement_ops
-from tinygrad.engine.realize import CompiledRunner, get_runner, run_schedule
+from tinygrad.engine.realize import CompiledRunner, run_schedule, lower_schedule
 from extra.models.llama import precompute_freqs_cis
 
 class KernelCountException(Exception): pass
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@ def check_schedule(t:Union[Tensor, List[Tensor], UOp], allowed:int, to_prerealiz
   else:
     assert isinstance(t, UOp), f"can't schedule {t}"
     sched, _, __ = create_schedule_with_vars([t])
-  if filter_sink: sched = [s for s in sched if s.ast.op is Ops.SINK]
+  # test lowering all the ScheduleItems to ExecItems
+  lowered = list(lower_schedule(sched.copy()))
+  if filter_sink: sched = [s for s,ei in zip(sched, lowered) if isinstance(ei.prg, CompiledRunner)]
   if len(sched) != allowed:
     print(f"SCHEDULE ISSUE, expecting {allowed} got {len(sched)}")
     if DEBUG >= 3:
@@ -37,10 +39,6 @@ def check_schedule(t:Union[Tensor, List[Tensor], UOp], allowed:int, to_prerealiz
         print("kernel", i+1)
         print(s.ast)
     raise KernelCountException(f"{len(sched)=} != {allowed}")
-  # test the (sink) ops linearize
-  for s in sched:
-    if s.ast.op is not Ops.SINK: continue
-    get_runner(s.bufs[0].device, s.ast)
   return sched
 
 def _realize_weights(m):
@@ -1477,10 +1475,10 @@ class TestIndexing(unittest.TestCase):
     with Context(FUSE_ARANGE=getenv("FUSE_ARANGE", 1)):
       lst = [xt] if isinstance(xt, Tensor) else xt
       s = Tensor.schedule(*lst)
-      kernels = [si for si in s if si.ast.op is Ops.SINK]
-      for si in kernels: verify_ast(si.ast)
-      run_schedule(s.copy())
+      lowered = list(lower_schedule(s.copy()))
+      kernels = [ei for ei in list(lowered) if isinstance(ei.prg, CompiledRunner)]
       if FUSE_ARANGE: self.assertEqual(len(kernels), cnt)
+      for ei in lowered: ei.run(do_update_stats=True)
     return s
 
   def test_simple_indexing(self):