diff --git a/tinygrad/engine/schedule.py b/tinygrad/engine/schedule.py
index ab74958206..cbd8aa98b9 100644
--- a/tinygrad/engine/schedule.py
+++ b/tinygrad/engine/schedule.py
@@ -226,15 +226,24 @@ create_kernels = merge_views+PatternMatcher([
   (UPat(Ops.KERNEL, name="x"), append_to_kernel),
 ])
 
-# **** convert Kernel to a ScheduleItem (for legacy reasons)
+# **** fix kernel AST
 
-@dataclass(frozen=True)
-class ScheduleItem:
-  ast: UOp
-  bufs: tuple[Buffer, ...]
-  metadata: tuple[Metadata, ...]
+# ** create buffer ops + enumerate buffers
 
-# **** Kernel creation
+def load_buf(ctx:list[UOp], x:UOp):
+  if x not in ctx: ctx.append(x)
+  return UOp(Ops.LOAD, x.dtype, (UOp(Ops.DEFINE_GLOBAL, x.dtype.ptr(x.size), (), ctx.index(x)), unwrap(x.st).to_uop()))
+
+add_buffer_ops = PatternMatcher([
+  # LOAD
+  (UPat(Ops.BUFFER, name="x"), load_buf),
+  # STORE (except for COPY/BUFFER_VIEW)
+  (UPat(Ops.SINK, src=(UPat((Ops.COPY, Ops.BUFFER_VIEW), name="x"),)), lambda x:x),
+  (UPat(Ops.SINK, src=(UPat(GroupOp.All-{Ops.STORE}, name="x"),)),
+   lambda x: UOp.store(UOp(Ops.DEFINE_GLOBAL, x.dtype.ptr(x.size), (), 0), ShapeTracker.from_shape(x.shape).to_uop(), x).sink()),
+])
+
+# ** push views to buffer ops
 
 def apply_swizzle(u:UOp) -> UOp:
   with Context(TRACK_MATCH_STATS=0): return graph_rewrite(u, view_left)
@@ -288,13 +297,22 @@ view_right = merge_views+PatternMatcher([
   (UPat(Ops.REDUCE_AXIS, src=(UPat(Ops.REDUCE_AXIS, name="first_reduce"),), name="root"), merge_double_reduce),
 ])
 
-def _append_st_vars(ctx:dict[Variable, int], x:UOp) -> UOp|None:
+# ** unbind variables
+
+def unbind_shapetracker(ctx:dict[Variable, int], x:UOp) -> UOp|None:
   st = unwrap(x.st).simplify()
   if any(x.op is Ops.BIND for x in st.vars()):
     st, var_vals = st.unbind()
     ctx.update(var_vals)
   return st.to_uop() if st != x.st else None
 
+def unbind_variable(ctx:dict[Variable, int], bind:UOp, var:UOp, val:UOp):
+  ctx[var.replace(src=())] = val.arg
+  return var
+unbind_vars = PatternMatcher([(UPat(Ops.BIND, name="bind", src=(UPat.var("var"), UPat.cvar("val"))), unbind_variable),])
+
+# ** fix_kernel_ops
+
 def check_load_st(glbl:UOp, view:UOp):
   if glbl.arg != 0 or (st:=unwrap(view.st)).contiguous: return
   # if it has a single view and it becomes contiguous when you shrink expanded axes, it's fine
@@ -307,7 +325,7 @@ def check_load_st(glbl:UOp, view:UOp):
 
 fix_kernel_ops = PatternMatcher([
   # BIND in shapetracker becomes DEFINE_VAR
-  (UPat(Ops.VIEW, name="x"), _append_st_vars),
+  (UPat(Ops.VIEW, name="x"), unbind_shapetracker),
   # remove CONTIGUOUS/ASSIGN/DEVICE
   (UPat(Ops.CONTIGUOUS, src=(UPat.var("x"),)), lambda x: x),
   (UPat(Ops.ASSIGN, src=(UPat(), UPat.var("x"),)), lambda x: x),
@@ -318,23 +336,12 @@ fix_kernel_ops = PatternMatcher([
   (UPat(Ops.LOAD, src=(UPat.var("glbl"), UPat.var("view"))), check_load_st),
 ])
 
-def load_buf(ctx:list[UOp], x:UOp):
-  if x not in ctx: ctx.append(x)
-  return UOp(Ops.LOAD, x.dtype, (UOp(Ops.DEFINE_GLOBAL, x.dtype.ptr(x.size), (), ctx.index(x)), unwrap(x.st).to_uop()))
-
-add_buffer_ops = PatternMatcher([
-  # LOAD
-  (UPat(Ops.BUFFER, name="x"), load_buf),
-  # STORE (except for COPY/BUFFER_VIEW)
-  (UPat(Ops.SINK, src=(UPat((Ops.COPY, Ops.BUFFER_VIEW), name="x"),)), lambda x:x),
-  (UPat(Ops.SINK, src=(UPat(GroupOp.All-{Ops.STORE}, name="x"),)),
-   lambda x: UOp.store(UOp(Ops.DEFINE_GLOBAL, x.dtype.ptr(x.size), (), 0), ShapeTracker.from_shape(x.shape).to_uop(), x).sink()),
-])
-
-def unbind_variable(ctx:dict[Variable, int], bind:UOp, var:UOp, val:UOp):
-  ctx[var.replace(src=())] = val.arg
-  return var
-unbind_vars = PatternMatcher([(UPat(Ops.BIND, name="bind", src=(UPat.var("var"), UPat.cvar("val"))), unbind_variable),])
+# TODO: replace this with the KERNEL UOp
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class ScheduleItem:
+  ast: UOp
+  bufs: tuple[Buffer, ...]
+  metadata: tuple[Metadata, ...]
 
 def schedule_uop(sink:UOp, var_vals:dict[Variable, int]) -> ScheduleItem:
   assert sink.op is Ops.ASSIGN and sink.src[1].op is Ops.KERNEL, f"{sink} must be ASSIGN"