diff --git a/test/test_schedule.py b/test/test_schedule.py
index a7ad17ea9c..9e140fc38c 100644
--- a/test/test_schedule.py
+++ b/test/test_schedule.py
@@ -1936,14 +1936,22 @@ class TestBigGraph(unittest.TestCase):
   def test_sink_childless_const(self):
     x = UOp.const(dtypes.int, 0)
     big_graph = big_graph_rewrite(x.sink(), realizes:={})
-    self.assertIs(big_graph, UOp(Ops.SINK, dtypes.void, (x,)))
+    self.assertIs(big_graph, UOp(Ops.NOOP))
     self.assertEqual(len(realizes), 0)
 
   def test_sink_childless_const_alt(self):
     x = UOp.const(dtypes.int, 0)
-    y = UOp(Ops.VIEW, dtypes.int, (UOp(Ops.BUFFER, dtypes.int.ptr(), (), 0), UOp.const(dtypes.int, 0)), ShapeTracker.from_shape((10, 10)))
+    y = UOp(Ops.VIEW, dtypes.int, (UOp(Ops.BUFFER, dtypes.int.ptr(), (), 0), UOp.const(dtypes.int, 0)), ShapeTracker.from_shape(()))
     big_graph = big_graph_rewrite(UOp.sink(x, y), realizes:={})
-    self.assertIs(big_graph, UOp(Ops.SINK, dtypes.void, (x, y)))
+    self.assertIs(big_graph, UOp(Ops.NOOP))
+    self.assertEqual(len(realizes), 0)
+
+  def test_sink_childless_const_alt_expanded(self):
+    # this is a real STORE of CONST
+    y = UOp(Ops.VIEW, dtypes.int, (UOp(Ops.BUFFER, dtypes.int.ptr(), (), 0), UOp.const(dtypes.int, 0)), ShapeTracker.from_shape(()))
+    out = UOp(Ops.VIEW, dtypes.int, (UOp(Ops.BUFFER, dtypes.int.ptr(), (), 0), y.reshape((1,)).expand((2,)).contiguous(),), ShapeTracker.from_shape((2,)))
+    big_graph = big_graph_rewrite(out.sink(), realizes:={})
+    self.assertIs(big_graph, out.sink())
     self.assertEqual(len(realizes), 1)
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/tinygrad/engine/schedule.py b/tinygrad/engine/schedule.py
index 1bb662fa7c..fcfa57a1d9 100644
--- a/tinygrad/engine/schedule.py
+++ b/tinygrad/engine/schedule.py
@@ -350,9 +350,13 @@ def fold_img_cast(ctx:Dict[UOp, UOp], xb:UOp, view:UOp, b:UOp, to_cast:UOp, **kw
   del ctx[b]
   return to_cast.view(unwrap(view.st))
 
+def init_big_graph(sink:UOp) -> Optional[UOp]:
+  new_src = tuple(x.base for x in sink.src if is_scheduled(x.base) and uval(x.base).op is not Ops.CONST and x.base.size != 0)
+  return None if new_src == sink.src else UOp(Ops.NOOP) if len(new_src) == 0 else UOp.sink(*new_src)
+
 do_realize = PatternMatcher([
   # always realize sinked ops
-  (UPat(Ops.SINK, name="sink"), lambda ctx,sink: ctx.update((x.buf_uop, x) for x in sink.src if is_scheduled(x))),
+  (UPat(Ops.SINK, name="sink"), init_big_graph),
   # always realize meta ops
   (UPatScheduled({Ops.ASSIGN, Ops.CONTIGUOUS, *GroupOp.Meta}), realize),
   # realize before expand or unsafe pad ops
@@ -388,12 +392,12 @@ break_sched = PatternMatcher([
 
 @track_rewrites(named=True)
 def create_schedule_with_vars(outs:List[LazyBuffer]) -> Tuple[List[ScheduleItem], Dict[Variable, int]]:
-  if len(outs:=dedup(x.base for x in outs if x.base.realized is None and x.base.op is not Ops.CONST)) == 0: return [], {}
   # create the big graph
   ctx = ScheduleContext()
   cache: Dict[LazyBuffer, UOp] = {}
   buffers: Dict[UOp, Buffer] = {}
   big_graph = graph_rewrite(UOp.sink(*(to_uop(x, ctx, buffers, cache) for x in outs)), do_realize, ctx.realizes)
+  for u in big_graph.src: ctx.realizes[u.buf_uop] = u
   # group realizes into kernels
   store_groups = group_realizes(ctx)
   graph_rewrite(big_graph, break_sched, ctx)
diff --git a/tinygrad/ops.py b/tinygrad/ops.py
index ef2c52d59e..fa19bbd22f 100644
--- a/tinygrad/ops.py
+++ b/tinygrad/ops.py
@@ -274,6 +274,8 @@ class UOp(MathTrait, metaclass=UOpMetaClass):
   @functools.cached_property
   def full_shape(self) -> Tuple[sint, ...]:
     return self.arg.shape if self.op is Ops.VIEW else tuple(smax(x) for x in zip(*[x.full_shape for x in self.src if x.has_st]))
+  @property
+  def size(self) -> int: return self.arg[1][1] if self.op is Ops.BUFFER else unwrap(self.st).size
 
   # *** uop evaluation ***
 
@@ -384,8 +386,6 @@ class UOp(MathTrait, metaclass=UOpMetaClass):
       case Ops.BUFFER: return self.arg[1][0]
       case _: return self.src[0].device
   @property
-  def size(self) -> int: return self.buf_uop.arg[1][1]
-  @property
   def buf_uop(self) -> UOp:
     if self.op is Ops.BUFFER: return self
     assert self.op in {*GroupOp.Buffer, Ops.ASSIGN, Ops.VIEW} and self.src[0].op is Ops.BUFFER, f"buf_uop called on {self.op}"