diff --git a/tinygrad/uop/symbolic.py b/tinygrad/uop/symbolic.py
index 1aeeb7fa58..1a0b446b91 100644
--- a/tinygrad/uop/symbolic.py
+++ b/tinygrad/uop/symbolic.py
@@ -342,8 +342,8 @@ def reduce_mul_chain(r:UOp) -> UOp|None:
   if r.dtype != r.src[0].dtype: return None
   inside, outside = [], []
   for m in r.src[0].split_uop(Ops.MUL):
-    m_parents = m.toposort()
-    if all(r not in m_parents for r in r.src[1:]) and (r.arg != Ops.MAX or m.vmin >= 0): outside.append(m)
+    m_parents = m.backward_slice
+    if m not in r.src[1:] and all(r not in m_parents for r in r.src[1:]) and (r.arg != Ops.MAX or m.vmin >= 0): outside.append(m)
     else: inside.append(m)
   if len(outside) == 0: return None
   return r.replace(src=(prod(inside) if len(inside) else r.src[0].const_like(1),)+r.src[1:])*prod(outside)