diff --git a/test/backend/test_pickle.py b/test/backend/test_pickle.py
index 02e9a7da63..dbf9dae402 100644
--- a/test/backend/test_pickle.py
+++ b/test/backend/test_pickle.py
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@ class TestPickle(unittest.TestCase):
     t_values = t.numpy()
     del t # free buffers
     print("** post pickle")
-    init = GlobalCounters.kernel_count
+    GlobalCounters.reset()
     t2:Tensor = pickle.loads(st)
     np.testing.assert_equal(t_values, t2.numpy())
     # expect at most one COPY kernel
-    self.assertLessEqual(GlobalCounters.kernel_count-init, 1)
+    self.assertLessEqual(GlobalCounters.kernel_count, 1)
 
   def test_pickle_realized_tensor_alt(self):
     print("** init")
diff --git a/test/null/test_mnist_dataset.py b/test/null/test_mnist_dataset.py
index 9db9a9e37d..88b44fca2c 100644
--- a/test/null/test_mnist_dataset.py
+++ b/test/null/test_mnist_dataset.py
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ class TestDataset(unittest.TestCase):
   def test_dataset_is_realized(self):
     X_train, _, _, _ = mnist()
     X_train[0].contiguous().realize()
-    start = GlobalCounters.kernel_count
+    GlobalCounters.reset()
     X_train[0].contiguous().realize()
-    self.assertEqual(GlobalCounters.kernel_count-start, 1)
+    self.assertEqual(GlobalCounters.kernel_count, 1)
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
   unittest.main()
diff --git a/test/unit/test_assign.py b/test/unit/test_assign.py
index ffcf970652..eb1f97a6cf 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_assign.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_assign.py
@@ -263,16 +263,16 @@ class TestAssign(unittest.TestCase):
   def test_assign_contiguous(self):
     b = Tensor.arange(16).reshape(4,4).contiguous().realize()
     a = (Tensor.arange(16).reshape(4,4).contiguous().realize() + 1)
-    kc = GlobalCounters.kernel_count
+    GlobalCounters.reset()
     b.assign(a.contiguous()).realize()
-    assert GlobalCounters.kernel_count - kc == 2
+    self.assertEqual(GlobalCounters.kernel_count, 2)
 
   def test_assign_contiguous_permute(self):
     b = Tensor.arange(16).reshape(4,4).contiguous().realize()
     a = (Tensor.arange(16).reshape(4,4).contiguous().realize() + 1).permute((1,0))
-    kc = GlobalCounters.kernel_count
+    GlobalCounters.reset()
     b.assign(a.contiguous()).realize()
-    assert GlobalCounters.kernel_count - kc == 2
+    self.assertEqual(GlobalCounters.kernel_count, 2)
 
   def test_permuted_assignment(self):
     a = Tensor(np.arange(N*N, dtype=np.float32)).reshape(N,N)
@@ -345,9 +345,9 @@ class TestAssign(unittest.TestCase):
     c.assign(r + c)
     d.assign(r + d)
 
-    kc = GlobalCounters.kernel_count
+    GlobalCounters.reset()
     Tensor.realize(b, c, d)
-    assert GlobalCounters.kernel_count - kc == 1
+    self.assertEqual(GlobalCounters.kernel_count, 1)
     np.testing.assert_allclose(b.numpy(), a.sum(1).numpy()+1)
     np.testing.assert_allclose(c.numpy(), a.sum(1).numpy()+2)
     np.testing.assert_allclose(d.numpy(), a.sum(1).numpy()+3)
@@ -389,13 +389,13 @@ class TestAssign(unittest.TestCase):
     b = Tensor.arange(32 * 32).reshape(32, 32).realize()
     c = Tensor.arange(32 * 32).reshape(32, 32).realize()
 
-    kc = GlobalCounters.kernel_count
+    GlobalCounters.reset()
     r = a.sum(axis=1)
     b_perm = b.permute(1, 0)
     b.assign(r + b)
     c.assign(r + b_perm.contiguous())
     Tensor.realize(b, c)
-    assert GlobalCounters.kernel_count - kc == 2
+    self.assertEqual(GlobalCounters.kernel_count, 2)
     np.testing.assert_equal(b.numpy(), a.numpy().sum(1) + np.arange(32 * 32).reshape(32, 32))
     np.testing.assert_equal(c.numpy(), a.numpy().sum(1) + np.arange(32 * 32).reshape(32, 32).transpose(1, 0))
 
@@ -403,9 +403,9 @@ class TestAssign(unittest.TestCase):
     a = Tensor.ones(4, 4).contiguous().realize()
     b = a.shrink((None, (0, 2))).pad((None, (0, 2)), value=2)
     a.assign(a + b)
-    kc = GlobalCounters.kernel_count
+    GlobalCounters.reset()
     a.realize()
-    assert GlobalCounters.kernel_count - kc == 1
+    self.assertEqual(GlobalCounters.kernel_count, 1)
     np.testing.assert_equal(a.numpy(), np.ones((4, 4))+np.pad(np.ones((4, 4))[:, 0:2], ((0, 0), (0, 2)), constant_values=2))
 
   def test_permuted_assignment_masked_view_not_contiguous(self):
@@ -442,9 +442,9 @@ class TestAssign(unittest.TestCase):
     a = Tensor.arange(100).float().contiguous().realize()
     expected = np.arange(100, dtype=np.float32)
     expected[0:10] = expected[50:60].copy()
-    kc = GlobalCounters.kernel_count
+    GlobalCounters.reset()
     a[0:10].assign(a[50:60]).realize()
-    assert GlobalCounters.kernel_count - kc == 2, "currently conservative, forces contiguous"
+    self.assertEqual(GlobalCounters.kernel_count, 2)  # currently conservative, forces contiguous
     np.testing.assert_allclose(a.numpy(), expected)
 
   @unittest.skipUnless(is_dtype_supported(dtypes.half), "need half")