diff --git a/test/helpers.py b/test/helpers.py
index 832f530ff8..542e0ea80c 100644
--- a/test/helpers.py
+++ b/test/helpers.py
@@ -15,12 +15,14 @@ def derandomize_model(model):
       p.realize()
 
 def assert_jit_cache_len(fxn, expected_len):
-  assert len(fxn.jit_cache) > 0
+  if not fxn.jit_cache:
+    assert expected_len == 0, expected_len
+    return
   # until we have a better way of typing the prg in ExecItem
   if issubclass(type(fxn.jit_cache[0].prg), Runner) and not type(fxn.jit_cache[0].prg).__name__.endswith('Graph'):
-    assert len(fxn.jit_cache) == expected_len
+    assert len(fxn.jit_cache) == expected_len, len(fxn.jit_cache)
   else:
-    assert len(fxn.jit_cache) == 1
+    assert len(fxn.jit_cache) == 1, len(fxn.jit_cache)
     # until we have a better way of typing the prg in ExecItem
     assert type(fxn.jit_cache[0].prg).__name__.endswith('Graph')
     assert len(fxn.jit_cache[0].prg.jit_cache) == expected_len
diff --git a/test/test_jit.py b/test/test_jit.py
index f23c3d9a80..a2bef07ad3 100644
--- a/test/test_jit.py
+++ b/test/test_jit.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from test.helpers import assert_jit_cache_len
 from tinygrad.tensor import Tensor
 from tinygrad.engine.jit import TinyJit
 from tinygrad.device import Device
-from tinygrad.helpers import CI
+from tinygrad.helpers import CI, Context
 from tinygrad.dtype import dtypes
 
 def _simple_test(add, extract=lambda x: x, N=10):
@@ -66,6 +66,17 @@ class TestJit(unittest.TestCase):
         b = Tensor.randn(10, 10)
         add(a, b)
 
+  def test_jit_zero_does_not_jit(self):
+    @TinyJit
+    def add(a, b): return (a+b).realize()
+    with Context(JIT=0):
+      for i in range(5):
+        a = Tensor([i])
+        b = Tensor([i])
+        c = add(a, b)
+        np.testing.assert_allclose(c.numpy(), 2*i)
+      assert_jit_cache_len(add, 0)
+
   def test_jit_shape_mismatch(self):
     @TinyJit
     def add(a, b): return (a+b).realize()
diff --git a/tinygrad/engine/jit.py b/tinygrad/engine/jit.py
index 9972516517..ce6b68302d 100644
--- a/tinygrad/engine/jit.py
+++ b/tinygrad/engine/jit.py
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ class TinyJit(Generic[ReturnType]):
     var_vals: Dict[Variable, int] = merge_dicts([varvals for _,varvals,_,_ in st_varvals_dtype_device] + \
                                                 [dict(v.unbind() for v in itertools.chain(args, kwargs.values()) if isinstance(v, Variable))])
     st_vars_dtype_device = [(x[0], tuple(sorted(x[1].keys(), key=lambda v: v.expr)), x[2], x[3]) for x in st_varvals_dtype_device]
-    if self.cnt == 0:
+    if not JIT or self.cnt == 0:
       # jit ignore
       with Context(BEAM=0 if getenv("IGNORE_JIT_FIRST_BEAM") else BEAM.value):
         self.ret = self.fxn(*args, **kwargs)