diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 5fb815d7ed..3cbb1c67e7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ jobs:
       - if: ${{ matrix.task == 'optimage' }}
         name: Test openpilot model compile and size
         run: |
-          PYTHONPATH="." DEBUG=2 ALLOWED_KERNEL_COUNT=208 ALLOWED_GATED_READ_IMAGE=356 FLOAT16=1 DEBUGCL=1 GPU=1 IMAGE=2 python examples/openpilot/compile2.py
+          PYTHONPATH="." DEBUG=2 ALLOWED_KERNEL_COUNT=208 ALLOWED_GATED_READ_IMAGE=354 FLOAT16=1 DEBUGCL=1 GPU=1 IMAGE=2 python examples/openpilot/compile2.py
           python -c 'import os; assert os.path.getsize("/tmp/output.thneed") < 100_000_000'
       - if: ${{ matrix.task == 'optimage' }}
         name: Test openpilot model correctness (float32)
diff --git a/test/unit/test_image_valid.py b/test/unit/test_image_valid.py
index afbf4cd2e3..6ed9cca560 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_image_valid.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_image_valid.py
@@ -61,6 +61,18 @@ class TestValidSimplification(unittest.TestCase):
     self.assertEqual(render((10, 10, 4), (gidx1).lt(5), UOp(UOps.VECTORIZE, dtypes.int.vec(2), (gidx0, gidx1+5))),
                      "read_imagef(data0, smp, (int2)(gidx0,(gidx1+5)))")
 
+  def test_valid_empty_set(self):
+    gidx0 = Variable("gidx0", 32)
+    gidx1 = Variable("gidx1", 32)
+    shape = (1, 2, 4)
+    idx = UOp(UOps.VECTORIZE, dtypes.int.vec(2), (gidx0%2, gidx1+2))
+    # not empty
+    self.assertEqual(render(shape, (gidx0).lt(8) & (-gidx0).lt(-6), idx),
+                     "(((gidx0<8)&((gidx0*(-1))<(-6)))?read_imagef(data0, smp, (int2)((gidx0%2),(gidx1+2))):(float4)(0.0f,0.0f,0.0f,0.0f))")
+
+    # empty
+    self.assertRaises(IndexError, lambda: render(shape, (gidx0).lt(8) & (-gidx0).lt(-7), idx))
+
   def test_simplify1(self):
     # idx has the form (A % m, A // m + k) and valid has (c0 < A) and (A < c1)
     gidx = Variable("gidx", 512)
diff --git a/tinygrad/codegen/uopgraph.py b/tinygrad/codegen/uopgraph.py
index 665ac8b6f6..0083655624 100644
--- a/tinygrad/codegen/uopgraph.py
+++ b/tinygrad/codegen/uopgraph.py
@@ -195,6 +195,9 @@ def simplify_valid_image_load(load:UOp, buf:UOp):
         lower = -stmt.src[1].arg+1
         drop_stmt.append(stmt)
 
+  # valid is an empty set
+  if upper < lower: return UOp(UOps.LOAD, load.dtype, (buf, idx, invalid_val, valid.const_like(False)))
+
   new_indx0, new_indx1 = None, None
   if (L:=(lower * c + d)) // m == (U:=(upper * c + d)) // m:  # in the same row
     if (L % m - c < 0) and (U % m + c >= m):  # spans the whole row