diff --git a/test/test_tensor.py b/test/test_tensor.py
index 4a1fbfce26..8113e573f7 100644
--- a/test/test_tensor.py
+++ b/test/test_tensor.py
@@ -214,6 +214,13 @@ class TestTinygrad(unittest.TestCase):
     self.assertEqual(Tensor.empty(1,10,20).shape, (1,10,20))
     self.assertEqual(Tensor.empty((10,20,40)).shape, (10,20,40))
 
+    with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+      Tensor.zeros((2, 2), 2, 2)
+    with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+      Tensor.zeros((2, 2), (2, 2))
+    with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+      Tensor.randn((128, 128), 0.0, 0.01)
+
   def test_numel(self):
     assert Tensor.randn(10, 10).numel() == 100
     assert Tensor.randn(1,2,5).numel() == 10
diff --git a/tinygrad/helpers.py b/tinygrad/helpers.py
index d19236de56..6cff505237 100644
--- a/tinygrad/helpers.py
+++ b/tinygrad/helpers.py
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@ OSX = platform.system() == "Darwin"
 CI = os.getenv("CI", "") != ""
 
 def dedup(x:Iterable[T]): return list(dict.fromkeys(x))   # retains list order
-def argfix(*x): return tuple(x[0]) if x and x[0].__class__ in (tuple, list) else x
+def argfix(*x):
+  if x and x[0].__class__ in (tuple, list):
+    if len(x) != 1: raise ValueError(f"bad arg {x}")
+    return tuple(x[0])
+  return x
 def argsort(x): return type(x)(sorted(range(len(x)), key=x.__getitem__)) # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3382352/equivalent-of-numpy-argsort-in-basic-python
 def all_same(items:List[T]): return all(x == items[0] for x in items)
 def all_int(t: Sequence[Any]) -> TypeGuard[Tuple[int, ...]]: return all(isinstance(s, int) for s in t)
@@ -207,9 +211,7 @@ def init_c_struct_t(fields: Tuple[Tuple[str, ctypes._SimpleCData], ...]):
     _pack_, _fields_ = 1, fields
   return CStruct
 def init_c_var(ctypes_var, creat_cb): return (creat_cb(ctypes_var), ctypes_var)[1]
-def flat_mv(mv:memoryview):
-  if len(mv) == 0: return mv
-  return mv.cast("B", shape=(mv.nbytes,))
+def flat_mv(mv:memoryview): return mv if len(mv) == 0 else mv.cast("B", shape=(mv.nbytes,))
 
 # *** Helpers for CUDA-like APIs.