diff --git a/tinygrad/engine/schedule.py b/tinygrad/engine/schedule.py
index 3b6828688d..ae30efe400 100644
--- a/tinygrad/engine/schedule.py
+++ b/tinygrad/engine/schedule.py
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ to_si = PatternMatcher([
   # once images are loaded they become the base dtype
   (UPat(set(Ops)-{Ops.DEFINE_GLOBAL}, name="x"), lambda x: x.replace(dtype=x.dtype.base) if isinstance(x.dtype, ImageDType) else None),
   # CONST(VIEW) becomes VALID too, TODO: doesn't have to
-  (UPat(Ops.CONST, name="x", src=(UPat(Ops.VIEW, name="st"),)), lambda x,st: UOp.const(x.dtype, x.const_arg).valid(st.st)),
+  (UPat((Ops.CONST, Ops.DEFINE_VAR), name="x", src=(UPat(Ops.VIEW, name="st"),)), lambda x,st: x.replace(src=()).valid(st.st)),
 ])
 
 # LOAD(BUFFER) -> the STORE value if it's we're doing the STORE in the same kernel
@@ -444,8 +444,8 @@ do_realize = PatternMatcher([
 
 def unbind_variable(ctx:ScheduleContext, bind:UOp, var:UOp, val:UOp):
   assert isinstance(val.const_arg, int), f"expected BIND value to be int {val}"
-  ctx.var_vals[ret:=var.replace(src=())] = val.const_arg
-  return ret.valid(unwrap(bind.st))
+  ctx.var_vals[var.replace(src=())] = val.const_arg
+  return var
 
 def load_realized(ctx:ScheduleContext, b:UOp, st:UOp):
   # NOTE: if we're assigning to the BUFFER too, PRELOAD tells toposort to place this load before the ASSIGN
diff --git a/tinygrad/ops.py b/tinygrad/ops.py
index 7f30ebe5a0..731244918b 100644
--- a/tinygrad/ops.py
+++ b/tinygrad/ops.py
@@ -1323,14 +1323,14 @@ merge_views = PatternMatcher([
   (UPat(Ops.VIEW, name="vm1", src=(UPat(Ops.VIEW, name="vm2"),)), lambda vm1,vm2: vm2.replace(arg=vm2.st+vm1.st)),
   (UPat(Ops.VIEW, name="vm", src=(UPat.var("x"),)), lambda vm,x: x if vm.st.contiguous and x.st is not None and x.shape == vm.shape else None),
   # merge unmasked const views
-  (UPat(Ops.VIEW, name="view", src=(UPat(Ops.CONST, name="const", src=(UPat(Ops.VIEW, name="st"),) ),)),
+  (UPat(Ops.VIEW, name="view", src=(UPat((Ops.CONST, Ops.DEFINE_VAR), name="const", src=(UPat(Ops.VIEW, name="st"),) ),)),
    lambda st,const,view: const.replace(src=(st.replace(arg=st.st+view.st),)) if all(v.mask is None for v in (st.st+view.st).views) else None),
 ])
 
 # push VIEW to parents
 view_left = merge_views+PatternMatcher([
   # VIEW(CONST) becomes VALID
-  (UPat(Ops.VIEW, name="vm", src=(UPat.cvar("x"),)), lambda vm,x: UOp.const(x.dtype, x.const_arg).valid(vm.st)),
+  (UPat(Ops.VIEW, name="vm", src=(UPat((Ops.CONST, Ops.DEFINE_VAR), name="x"),)), lambda vm,x: x.replace(src=()).valid(vm.st)),
   # VIEW before elementwise/buffer ops
   (UPat(Ops.VIEW, name="vm", src=(UPat({*GroupOp.ALU, Ops.CAST, Ops.BITCAST, Ops.ASSIGN}, name="e"),)),
    lambda e,vm: e.replace(src=tuple(s if s.st is None else s.view(vm.st) if s is s.base else s.base.view(s.st+vm.st) for s in e.src))),