diff --git a/extra/optimization/helpers.py b/extra/optimization/helpers.py
index 56e66f27..66a64094 100644
--- a/extra/optimization/helpers.py
+++ b/extra/optimization/helpers.py
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 # stuff needed to unpack a kernel
 from typing import Tuple
 from extra.ops import LazyOp, TernaryOps, BinaryOps, UnaryOps, ReduceOps, BufferOps, MemBuffer, ConstBuffer, MetaOps
+from tinygrad import Variable
 from tinygrad.codegen.kernel import Opt, OptOps
 from tinygrad.ops import UOp, UOps, KernelInfo
 from tinygrad.dtype import dtypes, PtrDType
 from tinygrad.shape.shapetracker import ShapeTracker
 from tinygrad.shape.view import View
-from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable, NumNode
+from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import NumNode
 inf, nan = float('inf'), float('nan')
 
 # kernel unpacker
diff --git a/extra/optimization/test_beam_search.py b/extra/optimization/test_beam_search.py
index e4350286..c37e8e57 100644
--- a/extra/optimization/test_beam_search.py
+++ b/extra/optimization/test_beam_search.py
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@ import unittest
 import numpy as np
 
 from tinygrad.helpers import BEAM, Timing, CI
-from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable
-from tinygrad.tensor import Tensor
+from tinygrad import Variable, Tensor
 from tinygrad.nn import Conv2d
 
 def rand(*shape):
diff --git a/test/external/fuzz_symbolic.py b/test/external/fuzz_symbolic.py
index 79eb52f9..a3c505f9 100644
--- a/test/external/fuzz_symbolic.py
+++ b/test/external/fuzz_symbolic.py
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import itertools
 import random
+from tinygrad import Variable
 from tinygrad.helpers import DEBUG
-from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable, NumNode
+from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import NumNode
 random.seed(42)
 
 def add_v(expr, rng=None):
diff --git a/test/models/test_real_world.py b/test/models/test_real_world.py
index fdf80a76..9b543f0d 100644
--- a/test/models/test_real_world.py
+++ b/test/models/test_real_world.py
@@ -3,9 +3,8 @@ import numpy as np
 from tinygrad.nn import optim
 from tinygrad.nn.state import get_parameters
 from tinygrad.engine.jit import TinyJit
-from tinygrad import Tensor, Device, GlobalCounters, dtypes
+from tinygrad import Tensor, Device, GlobalCounters, dtypes, Variable
 from tinygrad.helpers import CI, Context
-from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable
 from extra.lr_scheduler import OneCycleLR
 from test.helpers import derandomize_model, is_dtype_supported
 
diff --git a/test/test_sample.py b/test/test_sample.py
index 3bb4cf76..9af7557c 100644
--- a/test/test_sample.py
+++ b/test/test_sample.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import unittest
 import numpy as np
-from tinygrad.tensor import Tensor
-from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable
+from tinygrad import Tensor, Variable
 
 class TestSample(unittest.TestCase):
   def test_sample(self):
diff --git a/test/test_symbolic_jit.py b/test/test_symbolic_jit.py
index e4e87690..05608180 100644
--- a/test/test_symbolic_jit.py
+++ b/test/test_symbolic_jit.py
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 import unittest
 
 from test.helpers import assert_jit_cache_len
-from tinygrad.engine.jit import TinyJit
-from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable
-from tinygrad.tensor import Tensor
+from tinygrad import Variable, Tensor, TinyJit
 import numpy as np
 
 class TestSymbolicJit(unittest.TestCase):
diff --git a/test/test_symbolic_ops.py b/test/test_symbolic_ops.py
index 8142c513..ada84bd9 100644
--- a/test/test_symbolic_ops.py
+++ b/test/test_symbolic_ops.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import unittest
-from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable
+from tinygrad import Variable
 from tinygrad.helpers import getenv
 from tinygrad.tensor import Tensor
 from examples.gpt2 import Attention
diff --git a/test/test_symbolic_shapetracker.py b/test/test_symbolic_shapetracker.py
index 17f644f2..f89583b4 100644
--- a/test/test_symbolic_shapetracker.py
+++ b/test/test_symbolic_shapetracker.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import unittest
 from tinygrad.shape.shapetracker import ShapeTracker, View
-from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable, NumNode
+from tinygrad import Variable
+from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import NumNode
 from tinygrad.tensor import Tensor
 
 class TestSymbolic(unittest.TestCase):
diff --git a/test/test_uops.py b/test/test_uops.py
index 870c6cc9..0ddc0266 100644
--- a/test/test_uops.py
+++ b/test/test_uops.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ from tinygrad.engine.schedule import create_schedule, reduceop_fusor
 from tinygrad.engine.realize import CompiledRunner, lower_schedule_item, get_kernel
 from tinygrad.codegen.linearize import linearize_uop
 from tinygrad.codegen.uopgraph import full_graph_rewrite, sym
-from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable
 from test.helpers import is_dtype_supported, assert_equiv_uops
 
 def to_uops_list(u:List[UOp], opts=None, skip_check=False) -> List[UOp]: return linearize_uop(full_graph_rewrite(UOp.sink(*u), opts), skip_check)
@@ -360,7 +359,7 @@ class TestUOpMethod(unittest.TestCase):
     assert (add < mul) or (mul < add), "add and mul with same src should have an order"
 
   def test_uop_variables(self):
-    a = Variable("a", 1, 10)
+    a = UOp.variable("a", 1, 10)
     uop_var = UOp.const(dtypes.int, a)
     st_var = UOp(UOps.LOAD, dtypes.float, (UOp(UOps.DEFINE_GLOBAL, PtrDType(dtypes.float), (), 0),
                                            ShapeTracker.from_shape((2, a)).to_uop()))
diff --git a/test/unit/test_helpers.py b/test/unit/test_helpers.py
index 77580491..c8f4fa2b 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_helpers.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_helpers.py
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 import gzip, unittest
 from PIL import Image
+from tinygrad import Variable
 from tinygrad.helpers import Context, ContextVar
 from tinygrad.helpers import merge_dicts, strip_parens, prod, round_up, fetch, fully_flatten, from_mv, to_mv
 from tinygrad.tensor import get_shape
 from tinygrad.codegen.lowerer import get_contraction
-from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable, NumNode
+from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import NumNode
 import numpy as np
 
 VARIABLE = ContextVar("VARIABLE", 0)
diff --git a/test/unit/test_shapetracker.py b/test/unit/test_shapetracker.py
index f55dab82..d7082543 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_shapetracker.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_shapetracker.py
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ import numpy as np
 from tinygrad.dtype import dtypes
 from tinygrad.helpers import prod
 from tinygrad.shape.shapetracker import ShapeTracker, View
-from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable, NumNode
+from tinygrad import Variable
+from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import NumNode
 from tinygrad.ops import UOp, UOps, graph_rewrite
 from tinygrad.codegen.uopgraph import sym
 from itertools import product
diff --git a/test/unit/test_shapetracker_math.py b/test/unit/test_shapetracker_math.py
index cf9a7561..96af3d82 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_shapetracker_math.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_shapetracker_math.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from typing import List
 from tinygrad.helpers import prod
 from tinygrad.shape.view import View
 from tinygrad.shape.shapetracker import ShapeTracker
-from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable
+from tinygrad import Variable
 from test.unit.test_shapetracker import shapetracker_getitem
 
 class MultiShapeTracker:
diff --git a/test/unit/test_uop_symbolic.py b/test/unit/test_uop_symbolic.py
index a95d1770..f280b040 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_uop_symbolic.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_uop_symbolic.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from tinygrad.dtype import dtypes, PtrDType, ConstType
 from tinygrad.codegen.linearize import linearize_uop
 from tinygrad.codegen.uopgraph import full_graph_rewrite
 from tinygrad.ops import BinaryOps, UOp, UOps, print_uops
-from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable
+from tinygrad import Variable
 import functools
 
 def render(self) -> Tuple[str, ConstType, ConstType]:
diff --git a/tinygrad/__init__.py b/tinygrad/__init__.py
index 841215de..947d03c9 100644
--- a/tinygrad/__init__.py
+++ b/tinygrad/__init__.py
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ if int(os.getenv("TYPED", "0")):
   install_import_hook(__name__)
 from tinygrad.tensor import Tensor                                    # noqa: F401
 from tinygrad.engine.jit import TinyJit                               # noqa: F401
-from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable                          # noqa: F401
+from tinygrad.ops import UOp
+Variable = UOp.variable
 from tinygrad.dtype import dtypes                                     # noqa: F401
 from tinygrad.helpers import GlobalCounters, fetch, Context, getenv   # noqa: F401
 from tinygrad.device import Device                                    # noqa: F401
diff --git a/tinygrad/codegen/kernel.py b/tinygrad/codegen/kernel.py
index 6a6c4b3d..2eb5f473 100644
--- a/tinygrad/codegen/kernel.py
+++ b/tinygrad/codegen/kernel.py
@@ -603,7 +603,8 @@ class Kernel:
     # kernel name (before late upcast)
     name = ("r" if self.reduceop is not None else ("C" if all(x.op in BUFFER_UOPS for x in self.ast.parents) else "E")) + \
                  (f"{len(self.ast.src)}_" if len(self.ast.src) > 1 else "_") + \
-                 colored('_', 'BLACK').join([colored(str(x), c) for x,c in zip(self.full_shape, self.colors())])
+                 colored('_', 'BLACK').join([colored(str(x.render() if isinstance(x, UOp) else x), c) \
+                                             for x,c in zip(self.full_shape, self.colors())])
 
     # name the function something unique
     Kernel.kernel_cnt[(function_name := to_function_name(name))] += 1
diff --git a/tinygrad/ops.py b/tinygrad/ops.py
index 8ed9838b..837b759c 100644
--- a/tinygrad/ops.py
+++ b/tinygrad/ops.py
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ class UOp(MathTrait):
   __slots__ = ["op", "dtype", "src", "arg"]
   def __init__(self, op: UOps, dtype:DType=dtypes.void, src: Tuple[UOp,...]=tuple(), arg:Any=None):
     # TODO: instant check rules here make debugging easier
+    #assert op in UOps and isinstance(dtype, DType), f"bad UOp creation with {op} {dtype}"
     #if op is UOps.ALU and arg is BinaryOps.CMPNE: assert dtype.scalar() == dtypes.bool
     #if op is UOps.VECTORIZE and dtype != dtypes.void: assert len(src) == dtype.count, f"{len(src)} invalid for {dtype}"
     #if op is UOps.ALU and arg not in (BinaryOps.CMPNE, BinaryOps.CMPLT, TernaryOps.WHERE): assert all_same([dtype] + [x.dtype for x in src])
@@ -276,14 +277,35 @@ class UOp(MathTrait):
     if isinstance(b, UOp): return b.unbind()[0] if b.op is UOps.BIND else b
     if isinstance(b, tuple) and all_same(b): b = b[0]  # doesn't have to be a VCONST if they are all the same
     return UOp(UOps.VCONST if isinstance(b, tuple) else UOps.CONST, dtype, arg=dtypes.as_const(b, dtype) if dtype is not None else b) # type: ignore
+
+  # *** Variable stuff ***
+
+  @staticmethod
+  def variable(name:str, min_val:ConstType, max_val:ConstType): return UOp(UOps.DEFINE_VAR, dtypes.int, arg=(name, min_val, max_val))
   @staticmethod
   def define_var(name:str, dtype:DType, min_val:ConstType, max_val:ConstType): return UOp(UOps.DEFINE_VAR, dtype, arg=(name, min_val, max_val))
+  @property
+  def expr(self):
+    assert self.op is UOps.DEFINE_VAR, f"op is {self.op}, need DEFINE_VAR"
+    return self.arg[0]
+  def bind(self, val:int):
+    assert self.op is UOps.DEFINE_VAR, f"op is {self.op}, need DEFINE_VAR"
+    assert self.arg[1] <= val and val <= self.arg[2], f"bind {val} not in range {self.arg[1]}-{self.arg[2]}"
+    return UOp(UOps.BIND, self.dtype, (self, self.const_like(val)))
   def unbind(self) -> Tuple[Variable, int]:
     assert self.op is UOps.BIND and self.src[0].op is UOps.DEFINE_VAR and self.src[1].op is UOps.CONST, f"can't unbind {self}"
-    from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable
-    return cast(Variable, self.src[0]), self.src[1].arg
+    return self.src[0], self.src[1].arg
   @property
   def val(self) -> int: return self.unbind()[1]
+  def vars(self) -> Set[UOp]:
+    bound_vars = set([x for x in self.sparents if x.op is UOps.BIND and x.src[0].op is UOps.DEFINE_VAR])
+    bound_var_base = set(x.src[0] for x in bound_vars)
+    all_vars = set([x for x in self.sparents if x.op is UOps.DEFINE_VAR])
+    return bound_vars.union(set([x for x in all_vars if x not in bound_var_base]))
+  def variables(self) -> List[Variable]:
+    st_vars: List[Set[Variable]] = [x.st_arg.vars() for x in self.sparents if x.op in BUFFER_UOPS]
+    return sorted(set.union(*st_vars, [x.unbind()[0] if x.op is not UOps.DEFINE_VAR else x for x in self.vars()]), key=lambda v: v.arg)
+
   # TODO: this is context rewrite
   def substitute(self, dvars:Dict[UOp, UOp]):
     if self in dvars: return dvars[self]
@@ -299,15 +321,6 @@ class UOp(MathTrait):
   @functools.cached_property
   def full_shape(self) -> Tuple[sint, ...]:
     return self.arg.shape if self.op is UOps.VIEW else tuple(smax(x) for x in zip(*[x.full_shape for x in self.src if x.has_st]))
-  def vars(self) -> Set[UOp]:
-    bound_vars = set([x for x in self.sparents if x.op is UOps.BIND and x.src[0].op is UOps.DEFINE_VAR])
-    bound_var_base = set(x.src[0] for x in bound_vars)
-    all_vars = set([x for x in self.sparents if x.op is UOps.DEFINE_VAR])
-    return bound_vars.union(set([x for x in all_vars if x not in bound_var_base]))
-  def variables(self) -> List[Variable]:
-    st_vars: List[Set[Variable]] = [x.st_arg.vars() for x in self.sparents if x.op in BUFFER_UOPS]
-    from tinygrad.shape.symbolic import Variable
-    return sorted(set.union(*st_vars, [x.unbind()[0] if not isinstance(x, Variable) else x for x in self.vars()]), key=lambda v: v.arg)
   def const_factor(self) -> int:
     """largest known int that divides self"""
     if self.op is UOps.CONST: return self.arg
diff --git a/tinygrad/renderer/__init__.py b/tinygrad/renderer/__init__.py
index 1a8006c1..985b1604 100644
--- a/tinygrad/renderer/__init__.py
+++ b/tinygrad/renderer/__init__.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class Program:
     if not self._ran_post_init and self.uops is not None:
       # single pass through the uops
       for u in self.uops:
-        if u.op is UOps.DEFINE_VAR: self.vars.append(Variable(u.arg[0], u.arg[1], u.arg[2]))
+        if u.op is UOps.DEFINE_VAR: self.vars.append(u)
         if u.op is UOps.DEFINE_GLOBAL: self.globals.append(u.arg)
         if u.op is UOps.STORE: self.outs.extend([x.arg for x in u.src[0].sparents if x.op is UOps.DEFINE_GLOBAL])
         if u.op is UOps.SPECIAL:
diff --git a/tinygrad/shape/symbolic.py b/tinygrad/shape/symbolic.py
index 605e2141..c24dade8 100644
--- a/tinygrad/shape/symbolic.py
+++ b/tinygrad/shape/symbolic.py
@@ -1,28 +1,17 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
-from typing import Union, Optional, Dict, cast
+from typing import Union, Optional, Dict
 from tinygrad.dtype import dtypes
-from tinygrad.ops import UOp, UOps, exec_alu, ConstType
+from tinygrad.ops import UOp, UOps, exec_alu
 
 sint = Union[int, UOp]
 
 def NumNode(val:int): return UOp.const(dtypes.int, val)
-class Variable(UOp):
-  def __reduce__(self): return Variable, self.arg
-  def __new__(cls, expr:str, nmin:ConstType, nmax:ConstType):  # pylint: disable=signature-differs
-    return super().__new__(cls, UOps.DEFINE_VAR, dtypes.int, arg=(expr, nmin, nmax))
-  def __init__(self, expr:str, nmin:ConstType, nmax:ConstType):
-    super().__init__(UOps.DEFINE_VAR, dtypes.int, arg=(expr, nmin, nmax))
-  def bind(self, val:int):
-    assert self.op is UOps.DEFINE_VAR, f"op is {self.op}"
-    assert self.arg[1] <= val and val <= self.arg[2], f"bind {val} not in range {self.arg[1]}-{self.arg[2]}"
-    return UOp(UOps.BIND, self.dtype, (self, self.const_like(val)))
-  @property
-  def expr(self): return self.arg[0]
+Variable = UOp
 
 def sym_infer(uop: Union[UOp, int], var_vals: Optional[Dict[Variable, int]]) -> int:
   if isinstance(uop, (int, float)): return uop   # TODO: ugh, the float is a hack for qcom
   if uop.op == UOps.CONST: return uop.arg
-  if uop.op == UOps.DEFINE_VAR and var_vals is not None: return var_vals[cast(Variable, uop)]
+  if uop.op == UOps.DEFINE_VAR and var_vals is not None: return var_vals[uop]
   if uop.op == UOps.BIND: return uop.src[1].arg  # bound variable returns bound value
   if uop.op == UOps.ALU:
     src_values = [sym_infer(src, var_vals) for src in uop.src]
diff --git a/tinygrad/shape/view.py b/tinygrad/shape/view.py
index 55dc5a8a..71970385 100644
--- a/tinygrad/shape/view.py
+++ b/tinygrad/shape/view.py
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ class View:
 
     # Merge dimensions in vm2 if required.
     # NB: Merging too many dimensions can make it difficult to project vm2's mask, hence only combining when required.
-    idxs: List[UOp] = [Variable(f"idx{i}", 0, s-1) for i,s in enumerate(vm1.shape)]
+    idxs: List[UOp] = [UOp.variable(f"idx{i}", 0, s-1) for i,s in enumerate(vm1.shape)]
     merged_size, merged_term = 1, NumNode(0)
     extents: List[Tuple[sint, UOp]] = []
     for term, s, o in zip(reversed(terms), reversed(vm2.shape), reversed(origin)):