diff --git a/tinygrad/codegen/kernel.py b/tinygrad/codegen/kernel.py
index 08af5d6cca..78c47dfacf 100644
--- a/tinygrad/codegen/kernel.py
+++ b/tinygrad/codegen/kernel.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ from tinygrad.codegen.uopgraph import full_graph_rewrite
 from tinygrad.codegen.lowerer import rewrite_shapetracker_with_index, get_contraction
 
 class OptOps(Enum):
-  TC = auto(); UPCAST = auto(); UPCASTMID = auto(); UNROLL = auto(); LOCAL = auto() # noqa: E702
+  TC = auto(); UPCAST = auto(); UNROLL = auto(); LOCAL = auto() # noqa: E702
   GROUP = auto(); GROUPTOP = auto(); NOLOCALS = auto(); PADTO = auto(); SWAP = auto() # noqa: E702
   def __lt__(self, x:OptOps): return self.value < x.value
 
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ class Kernel:
       return False
 
   def apply_opt(self, opt:Opt, append_opt:bool=True):
-    if self.dont_use_locals: check(opt.op not in {OptOps.LOCAL, OptOps.GROUP, OptOps.GROUPTOP, OptOps.UPCASTMID}, "not using locals")
+    if self.dont_use_locals: check(opt.op not in {OptOps.LOCAL, OptOps.GROUP, OptOps.GROUPTOP}, "not using locals")
 
     if opt.op is OptOps.TC:
       check(len(self.applied_opts) == 0, "tensor core opts must be first") # TODO: things like PADTO might be fine
@@ -414,14 +414,6 @@ class Kernel:
       check(amt <= 16, "don't upcast more than 16")
       self.shift_to(axis, amt, insert_before=None)
       self.upcast()
-    elif opt.op is OptOps.UPCASTMID:                  # white
-      check(self.bufs[0].src[0].dtype.name.startswith('image') and not self.float4_axis(0) and self.group_for_reduces != 0 and self.first_reduce <= 2 and prod(self.sts[0].shape) > 1, "invalid upcast mid reduce")  # noqa: E501
-      axes = self.sts[0].unit_stride_axes()
-      check(len(axes) == 1, f"wrong number of stride 1 axis : {axes}")
-      check(axes[0] == axis, "wrong axis")
-      check(amt == 4, "don't upcast mid anything but 4")
-      self.shift_to(axis, amt, insert_before=self.first_reduce + self.group_for_reduces)
-      self.group_for_reduces += 1
     elif opt.op is OptOps.NOLOCALS:
       check(self.opts.has_local and not self.dont_use_locals, "NOLOCALS is meaningless if target does not support local or already not using locals")
       check(self.local_dims == 0 and self.group_for_reduces == 0, "can't have no locals with locals")
@@ -490,13 +482,6 @@ class Kernel:
               break
             except KernelOptError: pass
 
-      # are we upcasting in mid reduce? (only for images)
-      if self.bufs[0].src[0].dtype.name.startswith('image') and not self.float4_axis(0) and self.group_for_reduces and self.first_reduce <= 2 and prod(self.sts[0].shape) > 1:  # noqa: E501
-        axes = self.sts[0].unit_stride_axes()
-        assert len(axes) == 1, f"wrong number of stride 1 axis : {axes}"
-        if self.sts[0].shape[axes[0]]%4 == 0:
-          self.apply_opt(Opt(OptOps.UPCASTMID, axes[0], 4))
-
     # upcast float4 images
     for buf_index,buf in enumerate(self.bufs):
       unit_stride_axes_mul_4 = [i for i in self.sts[buf_index].unit_stride_axes(ignore_valid=True) if self.sts[buf_index].shape[i]%4 == 0]
diff --git a/tinygrad/engine/search.py b/tinygrad/engine/search.py
index e5e6e7241d..42c488d813 100644
--- a/tinygrad/engine/search.py
+++ b/tinygrad/engine/search.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ actions += [Opt(op=OptOps.GROUPTOP, axis=axis, amt=amt) for amt in [13,16,28,29,
 actions += [Opt(op=OptOps.GROUP, axis=axis, amt=amt) for amt in [0,4,8,16] for axis in range(3)]
 if getenv("BEAM_PADTO", 1): actions += [Opt(op=OptOps.PADTO, axis=axis, amt=amt) for amt in [32] for axis in range(7)]
 actions += [Opt(op=OptOps.LOCAL, axis=0, amt=32), Opt(op=OptOps.LOCAL, axis=6, amt=2)]
-actions += [Opt(op=OptOps.UPCASTMID, axis=1, amt=4), Opt(op=OptOps.TC, axis=0, amt=0)]
+actions += [Opt(op=OptOps.TC, axis=0, amt=0)]
 actions += [Opt(op=OptOps.TC, axis=axis, amt=getenv("TC_OPT", 2)) for axis in range(9)] # covers resnet kernels (3 global * 3 reduce)
 actions += [Opt(op=OptOps.SWAP, axis=axis, amt=amt) for axis in range(5) for amt in range(axis+1, 5)]
 if getenv("NOLOCALS"): actions += [Opt(op=OptOps.NOLOCALS)]
diff --git a/tinygrad/helpers.py b/tinygrad/helpers.py
index 12639799c5..a766f610bf 100644
--- a/tinygrad/helpers.py
+++ b/tinygrad/helpers.py
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ _cache_dir: str = getenv("XDG_CACHE_HOME", os.path.expanduser("~/Library/Caches"
 CACHEDB: str = getenv("CACHEDB", os.path.abspath(os.path.join(_cache_dir, "tinygrad", "cache.db")))
 CACHELEVEL = getenv("CACHELEVEL", 2)
 
-VERSION = 16
+VERSION = 17
 _db_connection = None
 def db_connection():
   global _db_connection