diff --git a/test/test_multitensor.py b/test/test_multitensor.py
index a059899835..7bc21753fb 100644
--- a/test/test_multitensor.py
+++ b/test/test_multitensor.py
@@ -1135,7 +1135,7 @@ def helper_test_shard_op(shps, fxn, atol=1e-6, rtol=1e-3):
     except Exception as e:
       raise Exception(f"Failed shape {single_out.shape}: {e}")
 
-@unittest.skipIf(not_support_multi_device, "no multi")
+@unittest.skipIf(not_support_multi_device(), "no multi")
 class TestTensorOps(unittest.TestCase):
   def test_interpolate(self):
     helper_test_shard_op([(4,16,16),(4,24,24)], lambda x: Tensor.interpolate(x, (19,19)))
@@ -1143,5 +1143,40 @@ class TestTensorOps(unittest.TestCase):
   def test_bitcast(self):
     helper_test_shard_op([(256,), (256,)], lambda x: x.bitcast(dtypes.int))
 
+# TODO: make these tests pass with VIZ=1
+@unittest.skipIf(not_support_multi_device(), "no multi")
+class TestMultiRamUsage(unittest.TestCase):
+  def setUp(self):
+    self.baseline = GlobalCounters.mem_used
+    self.N = 100
+  def assertUsed(self, amt, strict=True):
+    used = GlobalCounters.mem_used - self.baseline
+    print(f"used {used} bytes")
+    if strict: self.assertEqual(used, amt)
+    else: self.assertLessEqual(used, amt)
+
+  def test_zeros(self):
+    _ = Tensor.zeros(self.N, self.N).contiguous().realize()
+    self.assertUsed(self.N*self.N*4)
+
+  def test_zeros_del(self):
+    _ = Tensor.zeros(self.N, self.N).contiguous().realize()
+    del _
+    self.assertUsed(0)
+
+  def test_zeros_copy(self):
+    _ = Tensor.zeros(self.N, self.N).contiguous().to(devices_2).realize()
+    # NOTE: the first one on the DEFAULT device should be freed
+    self.assertUsed(self.N*self.N*4*2)
+
+  @unittest.skip("TODO: this is broken")
+  def test_zeros_shard(self):
+    _ = Tensor.zeros(self.N, self.N).contiguous().shard(devices_2, axis=0).realize()
+    self.assertUsed(self.N*self.N*4) # sharding should not increase total ram usage
+
+  def test_zeros_contiguous_shard(self):
+    _ = Tensor.zeros(self.N, self.N).contiguous().shard(devices_2, axis=0).contiguous().realize()
+    self.assertUsed(self.N*self.N*4) # sharding should not increase total ram usage
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
   unittest.main()
diff --git a/tinygrad/device.py b/tinygrad/device.py
index 281983ab0d..016eb0d6a3 100644
--- a/tinygrad/device.py
+++ b/tinygrad/device.py
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ class Buffer:
   def ensure_allocated(self) -> Buffer: return self.allocate() if not self.is_allocated() else self
   def allocate(self, opaque=None, external_ptr=None) -> Buffer:
     assert not self.is_allocated(), "can't allocate already allocated buffer"
+    if DEBUG >= 7: print(f"buffer: allocate {self.nbytes} bytes on {self.device}")
     self.allocator:Allocator = Device[self.device].allocator
     if external_ptr is not None:
       self.options = replace(self.options, external_ptr=external_ptr) if self.options else BufferSpec(external_ptr=external_ptr)
@@ -144,6 +145,7 @@ class Buffer:
     return self
   def deallocate(self):
     assert self.is_allocated(), "buffer must be allocated to deallocate"
+    if DEBUG >= 7: print(f"buffer: deallocate {self.nbytes} bytes on {self.device}")
     if self._base is None and (self.options is None or self.options.external_ptr is None):
       if not self.device.startswith("DISK"): GlobalCounters.mem_used -= self.nbytes
       self.allocator.free(self._buf, self.nbytes, self.options)