diff --git a/test/test_assign.py b/test/test_assign.py
index 718faad44c..d63c092abc 100644
--- a/test/test_assign.py
+++ b/test/test_assign.py
@@ -424,5 +424,21 @@ class TestAssign(unittest.TestCase):
     a = Tensor.empty(5, device=f"disk:{temp('disk_assignment')}").assign(Tensor.ones(5)).numpy()
     np.testing.assert_equal(a, np.ones(5))
 
+  def test_assign_slice_then_read(self):
+    """Assign to slice then read from buffer - read should see the assigned values.
+    This is the KV cache pattern from llm.py.
+    """
+    v_pos = Variable("pos", 0, 3).bind(0)
+
+    # without .realize() after assign, the read doesn't see the assigned values
+    cache = Tensor.zeros(4, 4).contiguous().realize()
+    cache[v_pos:v_pos+1, :].assign(Tensor.ones(1, 4))
+    self.assertEqual(cache.sum().item(), 0.0)  # should be 4.0!
+
+    # TODO: remove .realize() workaround once assign-read dependency is fixed
+    cache2 = Tensor.zeros(4, 4).contiguous().realize()
+    cache2[v_pos:v_pos+1, :].assign(Tensor.ones(1, 4)).realize()
+    self.assertEqual(cache2.sum().item(), 4.0)
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
   unittest.main()
diff --git a/test/test_jit_footguns.py b/test/test_jit_footguns.py
index 704653d143..2afc494f3e 100644
--- a/test/test_jit_footguns.py
+++ b/test/test_jit_footguns.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ Comments marked "should be X!" indicate the intuitively expected value.
 
 SILENT MISMATCHES (highest priority - wrong results, no error):
   class_method_shared_across_instances EASY could check if first arg is self and warn
+  slice_assign_requires_realize      MED    assign graph not connected to read during JIT replay
   output_buffer_reuse                MED    performance tradeoff, could add option or better docs
   python_constants_frozen            HARD   inherent to tracing JITs
   conditional_branches_frozen        HARD   inherent to tracing JITs
@@ -49,6 +50,31 @@ class TestJitFootguns(unittest.TestCase):
 
     self.assertEqual([r1.item(), r2.item(), r3.item()], [2, 4, 6])
 
+  def test_slice_assign_requires_realize(self):
+    """Slice assign then read from same buffer - assign isn't connected to read without explicit realize()."""
+    from tinygrad import Variable
+    v_pos = Variable("pos", 0, 3)
+
+    # without .realize() after assign, the read doesn't see the assigned values
+    cache = Tensor.zeros(4, 4).contiguous().realize()
+    @TinyJit
+    def f_broken(pos):
+      cache[pos:pos+1, :].assign(Tensor.ones(1, 4))
+      return cache.sum().realize()
+    for i in range(4):
+      cache.assign(Tensor.zeros(4, 4)).realize()
+      self.assertEqual(f_broken(v_pos.bind(i)).item(), 0.0)  # should be 4.0!
+
+    # workaround: add .realize() after assign
+    cache2 = Tensor.zeros(4, 4).contiguous().realize()
+    @TinyJit
+    def f_fixed(pos):
+      cache2[pos:pos+1, :].assign(Tensor.ones(1, 4)).realize()
+      return cache2.sum().realize()
+    for i in range(4):
+      cache2.assign(Tensor.zeros(4, 4)).realize()
+      self.assertEqual(f_fixed(v_pos.bind(i)).item(), 4.0)
+
   def test_non_tensor_outputs_error(self):
     @TinyJit
     def f(x, mult): return (x * 2).realize(), mult * 10