diff --git a/tinygrad/tensor.py b/tinygrad/tensor.py
index b7a5c3f3d0..b148e938be 100644
--- a/tinygrad/tensor.py
+++ b/tinygrad/tensor.py
@@ -111,9 +111,9 @@ class Tensor:
     elif isinstance(data, bytes): data = _fromcpu(np.frombuffer(data, np.uint8))
     elif data is None: data = _loadop(LoadOps.EMPTY, (0,), dtype or dtypes.default_float, device)
     elif isinstance(data, list):
-      if (d := fully_flatten(data)) and all(isinstance(s, bool) for s in d): dtype = dtype or dtypes.bool
-      elif d and all_int(d): dtype = dtype or dtypes.default_int
-      else: dtype = dtype or dtypes.default_float
+      if dtype is None:
+        if (d := fully_flatten(data)) and all(isinstance(s, bool) for s in d): dtype = dtypes.bool
+        else: dtype = dtypes.default_int if d and all_int(d) else dtypes.default_float
       if dtype == dtypes.bfloat16: data = Tensor(_fromcpu(np.array(data, np.float32)), device=device).cast(dtypes.bfloat16).lazydata
       else: data = _fromcpu(np.array(data, dtype.np))
     elif isinstance(data, np.ndarray):