diff --git a/test/unit/test_block_reorder.py b/test/unit/test_block_reorder.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e195318c87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/test_block_reorder.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+import unittest, random
+from tinygrad.dtype import dtypes
+from tinygrad.ops import print_uops, UOp, Ops
+from tinygrad.codegen.linearize import block_reorder
+#from tinygrad.renderer.cstyle import ClangRenderer
+
+def is_toposorted(lst:list[UOp]):
+  seen = set()
+  for u in lst:
+    if any(p not in seen for p in u.src): return False
+    seen.add(u)
+  return True
+
+class TestBlockReorder(unittest.TestCase):
+  def test_loads_randomize(self):
+    a = UOp(Ops.DEFINE_GLOBAL, dtype=dtypes.float.ptr(), arg=0)
+    b = UOp(Ops.DEFINE_GLOBAL, dtype=dtypes.float.ptr(), arg=1)
+    c = UOp(Ops.DEFINE_GLOBAL, dtype=dtypes.float.ptr(), arg=2)
+    v1 = UOp(Ops.DEFINE_VAR, dtype=dtypes.int, arg=("a",))
+    v2 = UOp(Ops.DEFINE_VAR, dtype=dtypes.int, arg=("b",))
+    sink = c.store(sum([
+      a.index(v1).load(dtype=dtypes.float),
+      a.index(v1+1).load(dtype=dtypes.float),
+      a.index(v1+2).load(dtype=dtypes.float),
+      b.index(v2).load(dtype=dtypes.float),
+      b.index(v2+1).load(dtype=dtypes.float),
+      b.index(v2+2).load(dtype=dtypes.float),
+    ])).sink()
+
+    golden = block_reorder(sink.toposort)
+
+    # test random order is always same
+    for _ in range(50):
+      # shuffle and form a valid toposort
+      lst = golden[:]
+      random.shuffle(lst)
+      topolst = []
+      for u in lst:
+        for p in u.toposort:
+          if p not in topolst: topolst.append(p)
+      assert is_toposorted(topolst)
+
+      for x,y in zip(golden, this_order:=block_reorder(topolst)):
+        if x is not y:
+          print_uops(golden)
+          print_uops(this_order)
+        self.assertIs(x, y)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+  unittest.main()
diff --git a/tinygrad/codegen/linearize.py b/tinygrad/codegen/linearize.py
index e53d7fea07..1a0590c8c9 100644
--- a/tinygrad/codegen/linearize.py
+++ b/tinygrad/codegen/linearize.py
@@ -11,11 +11,12 @@ from tinygrad.spec import type_verify
 def block_reorder(lst:list[UOp]) -> list[UOp]:
   in_this_block = set(lst)
   local_children: defaultdict[UOp, list[UOp]] = defaultdict(list)
-  in_degree: defaultdict[UOp, int] = defaultdict(int)
+  in_degree:dict[UOp, int] = {}
   priorities:dict[UOp, int] = {}
 
   # get local children and assign priorities
   for u in reversed(lst):
+    in_degree[u] = 0
     for s in u.src:
       if s in in_this_block:
         local_children[s].append(u)
@@ -26,21 +27,18 @@ def block_reorder(lst:list[UOp]) -> list[UOp]:
     if u.op is Ops.BARRIER: priority.append(-1500)
     priorities[u] = min(priority)
 
-  # placement queue
-  queue:list[tuple[int, tuple, UOp]] = []
-  def push(u:UOp): heapq.heappush(queue, (priorities[u], u.tuplize, u))
-
-  # place the first ones that don't have deps
-  for u in lst:
-    if u not in in_degree: push(u)
+  # number the uops in "ideal" order
+  nkey = {u:i for i,u in enumerate(sorted(lst, key=lambda x: (priorities[x], x.tuplize)))}
 
+  # then force then to be toposorted in as close to the ideal order as possible
+  heapq.heapify(heap:=[(nkey[u],u) for u in lst if in_degree[u] == 0])
   newlst = []
-  while queue:
-    _,_,x = heapq.heappop(queue)
-    newlst.append(x)
-    for u in local_children[x]:
-      in_degree[u] -= 1
-      if in_degree[u] == 0: push(u)
+  while heap:
+    _,u = heapq.heappop(heap)
+    newlst.append(u)
+    for v in local_children[u]:
+      in_degree[v] -= 1
+      if in_degree[v] == 0: heapq.heappush(heap, (nkey[v],v))
 
   assert len(newlst) == len(lst), f"len mismatch {len(newlst)} != {len(lst)}"
   return newlst