diff --git a/test/test_linearizer.py b/test/test_linearizer.py
index 3870c5581b..124bd77ca1 100644
--- a/test/test_linearizer.py
+++ b/test/test_linearizer.py
@@ -780,8 +780,8 @@ class TestLinearizerUOptimize(unittest.TestCase):
     k.hand_coded_optimizations()
     k.linearize()
 
-    store_val = [u.vin[-1] for u in k.uops if u.uop is UOps.STORE][0]
-    assert store_val.dtype == dtypes.float.vec(4) and store_val.uop != UOps.CAST
+    store_els = [u for u in k.uops if u.uop is UOps.STORE][0].vin[2:]
+    assert len(store_els) == 4 and all(el.dtype is dtypes.float for el in store_els)
 
   def test_grouped_store_locals_and_globals(self):
     if not Device[Device.DEFAULT].compiler.linearizer_opts.has_local or not Device[Device.DEFAULT].compiler.linearizer_opts.has_shared:
diff --git a/tinygrad/codegen/uops.py b/tinygrad/codegen/uops.py
index cf8be22bba..ef23437622 100644
--- a/tinygrad/codegen/uops.py
+++ b/tinygrad/codegen/uops.py
@@ -217,18 +217,16 @@ class UOpGraph:
             self.uops.remove(u)
             changed_something = True
 
-    # (recursively) remove childless uops
-    self.remove_childless()
-
     # store float4 upcasts directly if possible
-    replaced_stores: Dict[UOp,UOp] = {}
+    replaced_stores: Dict[UOp,Tuple[UOp,...]] = {}
     for u in self.uops:
       if u.uop is not UOps.STORE or (val:=u.vin[-1]).uop is not UOps.CAST or cast(DType,val.dtype).count == 1: continue
-      if all(el.uop is UOps.GEP for el in val.vin): replaced_stores[u] = val.vin[0].vin[0]
-      elif all(el.uop is UOps.PHI for el in val.vin): replaced_stores[u] = phi_resolve_acc(val)
+      if all(el.uop is UOps.GEP for el in val.vin) or all(el.uop is UOps.PHI for el in val.vin): replaced_stores[u] = val.vin
     for prev,new in replaced_stores.items():
-      self.uops.remove(prev.vin[-1]) # remove the old upcast
-      self.uops[self.uops.index(prev)].vin = (prev.vin[0],prev.vin[1],new) # replace with the float4 value
+      self.uops[self.uops.index(prev)].vin = (prev.vin[0],prev.vin[1],*new) # replace with the float4 elements
+
+    # (recursively) remove childless uops
+    self.remove_childless()
 
     # add UOps.END*
     self.add_ends()
diff --git a/tinygrad/renderer/cstyle.py b/tinygrad/renderer/cstyle.py
index 6f286b6882..ff3a4ec119 100644
--- a/tinygrad/renderer/cstyle.py
+++ b/tinygrad/renderer/cstyle.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ from typing import Dict, List, Optional, NamedTuple, Tuple, Union, DefaultDict,
 import math, functools
 from collections import defaultdict, Counter
 from tinygrad.codegen.linearizer import UOps, UOp
+from tinygrad.codegen.uops import phi_resolve_acc
 from tinygrad.ops import UnaryOps, BinaryOps, TernaryOps
 from tinygrad.helpers import prod, strip_parens, getenv
 from tinygrad.dtype import ImageDType, dtypes, DType, PtrDType
@@ -118,9 +119,14 @@ def uops_to_cstyle(lang:CStyleLanguage, function_name:str, uops:List[UOp]) -> st
       kk("}")
     elif uop is UOps.STORE:
       assert vin[0].dtype is not None and vin[2].dtype is not None
-      if len(vin) > 3: kk(f"if ({r[vin[3]]}) {{")
-      kk(lang.render_store(r[vin[0]], vin[0].dtype, r[vin[2]], vin[2].dtype, strip_parens(r[vin[1]]), vin[0].uop is UOps.DEFINE_LOCAL))
-      if len(vin) > 3: kk("}")
+      if len(vin) > 3 and len(set(u.uop for u in vin[2:])) == 1:
+         # find the vector's definition
+         val = r[phi_resolve_acc(vin[2])] if vin[2].uop is UOps.PHI else r[vin[2].vin[0]]
+         kk(lang.render_store(r[vin[0]], vin[0].dtype, val, vin[2].dtype.vec(len(vin[2:])), strip_parens(r[vin[1]]), vin[0].uop is UOps.DEFINE_LOCAL))
+      else:
+        if len(vin) > 3: kk(f"if ({r[vin[3]]}) {{")
+        kk(lang.render_store(r[vin[0]], vin[0].dtype, r[vin[2]], vin[2].dtype, strip_parens(r[vin[1]]), vin[0].uop is UOps.DEFINE_LOCAL))
+        if len(vin) > 3: kk("}")
     else:
       assert dtype is not None, f"None dtype for uop {uop}"
       if uop is UOps.LOOP: