diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 806d4cab..f4cde3d8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -229,6 +229,9 @@ jobs:
       - if: ${{ matrix.task == 'onnx' }}
         name: Test ONNX (CLANG)
         run: CLANG=1 python -m pytest -n=auto test/external/external_test_onnx_backend.py --durations=20
+      - if: ${{ matrix.task == 'onnx' }}
+        name: Run CLOUD=1 Test
+        run: CLOUDDEV=CLANG CLOUD=1 python3 test/test_ops.py TestOps.test_tiny_add
       - if: ${{ matrix.task == 'onnx' }}
         name: Test Action Space
         run: PYTHONPATH="." GPU=1 python3 extra/optimization/get_action_space.py
diff --git a/test/test_pickle.py b/test/test_pickle.py
index 6366eacf..ad69d382 100644
--- a/test/test_pickle.py
+++ b/test/test_pickle.py
@@ -85,6 +85,11 @@ class TestPickle(unittest.TestCase):
     sched_pk = pickle.loads(pk)
     assert_equiv_uops(sched_pk[-1].ast, sched[-1].ast)
 
+  def test_pickle_renderer(self):
+    from tinygrad.device import Device
+    pk = pickle.dumps(Device.default.renderer)
+    pickle.loads(pk)
+
 class TestPickleJIT(unittest.TestCase):
   @classmethod
   def setUpClass(cls):
diff --git a/tinygrad/device.py b/tinygrad/device.py
index 27e9da82..89c95880 100644
--- a/tinygrad/device.py
+++ b/tinygrad/device.py
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ class CompileError(Exception): pass
 
 class Compiler:
   def __init__(self, cachekey:Optional[str]=None): self.cachekey = None if getenv("DISABLE_COMPILER_CACHE") else cachekey
-  def compile(self, src:str) -> bytes: raise NotImplementedError("need a compile function")
+  def compile(self, src:str) -> bytes: return src.encode()   # NOTE: empty compiler is the default
   def compile_cached(self, src:str) -> bytes:
     if self.cachekey is None or (lib := diskcache_get(self.cachekey, src)) is None:
       assert not getenv("ASSERT_COMPILE"), f"tried to compile with ASSERT_COMPILE set\n{src}"
diff --git a/tinygrad/renderer/__init__.py b/tinygrad/renderer/__init__.py
index 2a3d7572..1a8006c1 100644
--- a/tinygrad/renderer/__init__.py
+++ b/tinygrad/renderer/__init__.py
@@ -89,4 +89,5 @@ class Renderer:
   extra_matcher: Any = None
   code_for_op: Dict[Op, Callable] = {}
 
+  def __reduce__(self): return self.__class__, ()
   def render(self, name:str, uops:List[UOp]) -> str: raise NotImplementedError("needs a renderer")
diff --git a/tinygrad/renderer/assembly.py b/tinygrad/renderer/assembly.py
index 5709fb7d..e27e2fdf 100644
--- a/tinygrad/renderer/assembly.py
+++ b/tinygrad/renderer/assembly.py
@@ -65,7 +65,9 @@ class PTXRenderer(Renderer):
   tensor_cores = [tc for tc in CUDARenderer.tensor_cores if tc.dtype_in == dtypes.half]
   code_for_op = asm_for_op
   extra_matcher = ptx_matcher
-  def __init__(self, arch:str, device="CUDA"): self.device, self.tensor_cores = device, PTXRenderer.tensor_cores if int(arch[3:]) >= 80 else []
+  def __init__(self, arch:str, device="CUDA"):
+    self.device, self.tensor_cores, self.arch = device, PTXRenderer.tensor_cores if int(arch[3:]) >= 80 else [], arch
+  def __reduce__(self): return self.__class__, (self.arch, self.device)
 
   # language options
   kernel_prefix = """.version VERSION
diff --git a/tinygrad/renderer/cstyle.py b/tinygrad/renderer/cstyle.py
index 69de5e90..d57deae1 100644
--- a/tinygrad/renderer/cstyle.py
+++ b/tinygrad/renderer/cstyle.py
@@ -313,7 +313,8 @@ class CUDARenderer(CStyleLanguage):
     st1_pattern=(((1,1),(1,0),(0,2),(0,3),(0,4)),((1,3),(1,5),(1,2),(0,0),(0,1),(1,4))),
     st2_pattern=(((1,1),(1,0),(1,4),(0,0),(0,1)),((0,4),(0,2),(1,5),(0,3),(1,3),(1,2))), reduce_axes=[(0,8),(1,2)],
     upcast_axes=([(0,8)],[(2,2),(3,2)],[(3,2),(2,2)])) for di, do in ([(dtypes.half,dtypes.float),(dtypes.bfloat16,dtypes.float)])]
-  def __init__(self, arch:str): self.tensor_cores = CUDARenderer.tensor_cores if int(arch[3:]) >= 80 else []
+  def __init__(self, arch:str): self.tensor_cores, self.arch = CUDARenderer.tensor_cores if int(arch[3:]) >= 80 else [], arch
+  def __reduce__(self): return self.__class__, (self.arch,)
 
   # language options
   kernel_prefix = "extern \"C\" __global__ "
diff --git a/tinygrad/runtime/ops_cloud.py b/tinygrad/runtime/ops_cloud.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8be9a56b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tinygrad/runtime/ops_cloud.py
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+# the CLOUD=1 device is a process boundary between the frontend/runtime
+# normally tinygrad is    frontend <-> middleware <-> runtime <-> hardware
+# with CLOUD tinygrad is  frontend <-> middleware <-> CloudDevice ///HTTP/// cloud_server <-> runtime <-> hardware
+# this client and server can be on the same machine, same network, or just same internet
+# it should be a secure (example: no use of pickle) boundary. HTTP is used for RPC
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+from typing import Tuple, Optional, Dict, Any, DefaultDict
+from collections import defaultdict
+import multiprocessing, functools, http.client, hashlib, json, time, contextlib, os, binascii
+from dataclasses import dataclass, field
+from tinygrad.helpers import getenv, DEBUG, fromimport, unwrap
+from tinygrad.device import Compiled, Allocator, Compiler, Device
+from http.server import HTTPServer, BaseHTTPRequestHandler
+
+# ***** backend *****
+
+@dataclass
+class CloudSession:
+  programs: Dict[Tuple[str, str], Any] = field(default_factory=dict)
+  buffers: Dict[int, Tuple[Any, int]] = field(default_factory=dict)
+  buffer_num = 0
+
+class CloudHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
+  protocol_version = 'HTTP/1.1'
+  dname: str
+  sessions: DefaultDict[str, CloudSession] = defaultdict(CloudSession)
+
+  def setup(self):
+    super().setup()
+    print(f"connection established with {self.client_address}, socket: {self.connection.fileno()}")
+
+  def get_data(self):
+    content_len = self.headers.get('Content-Length')
+    assert content_len is not None
+    return self.rfile.read(int(content_len))
+  def get_json(self): return json.loads(self.get_data())
+
+  def _fail(self):
+    self.send_response(404)
+    self.end_headers()
+    return 0
+
+  def _do(self, method):
+    session = CloudHandler.sessions[unwrap(self.headers.get("Cookie")).split("session=")[1]]
+    ret = b""
+    if self.path == "/renderer" and method == "GET":
+      cls, args = Device[CloudHandler.dname].renderer.__reduce__()
+      ret = json.dumps((cls.__module__, cls.__name__, args)).encode()
+    elif self.path.startswith("/alloc") and method == "POST":
+      size = int(self.path.split("=")[-1])
+      session.buffer_num += 1
+      session.buffers[session.buffer_num] = (Device[CloudHandler.dname].allocator.alloc(size), size)
+      ret = str(session.buffer_num).encode()
+    elif self.path.startswith("/buffer"):
+      key = int(self.path.split("/")[-1])
+      buf,sz = session.buffers[key]
+      if method == "GET": Device[CloudHandler.dname].allocator.copyout(memoryview(ret:=bytearray(sz)), buf)
+      elif method == "PUT": Device[CloudHandler.dname].allocator.copyin(buf, memoryview(bytearray(self.get_data())))
+      elif method == "DELETE":
+        Device[CloudHandler.dname].allocator.free(buf,sz)
+        del session.buffers[key]
+      else: return self._fail()
+    elif self.path.startswith("/program"):
+      name, hsh = self.path.split("/")[-2:]
+      if method == "PUT":
+        src = self.get_data()
+        assert hashlib.sha256(src).hexdigest() == hsh
+        lib = Device[CloudHandler.dname].compiler.compile_cached(src.decode())
+        session.programs[(name, hsh)] = Device[CloudHandler.dname].runtime(name, lib)
+      elif method == "POST":
+        j = self.get_json()
+        bufs = [session.buffers[x][0] for x in j['bufs']]
+        del j['bufs']
+        r = session.programs[(name, hsh)](*bufs, **j)
+        if r is not None: ret = str(r).encode()
+      elif method == "DELETE": del session.programs[(name, hsh)]
+      else: return self._fail()
+    else: return self._fail()
+    self.send_response(200)
+    self.send_header('Content-Length', str(len(ret)))
+    self.end_headers()
+    return self.wfile.write(ret)
+
+  def do_GET(self): return self._do("GET")
+  def do_POST(self): return self._do("POST")
+  def do_PUT(self): return self._do("PUT")
+  def do_DELETE(self): return self._do("DELETE")
+
+def cloud_server(port:int):
+  multiprocessing.current_process().name = "MainProcess"
+  CloudHandler.dname = getenv("CLOUDDEV", "METAL") if Device.DEFAULT == "CLOUD" else Device.DEFAULT
+  print(f"start cloud server on {port} with device {CloudHandler.dname}")
+  server = HTTPServer(('', port), CloudHandler)
+  server.serve_forever()
+
+# ***** frontend *****
+
+class CloudAllocator(Allocator):
+  def __init__(self, device:CloudDevice):
+    self.device = device
+    super().__init__()
+  def _alloc(self, size:int, options) -> int: return int(self.device.send("POST", f"alloc?size={size}"))
+  def _free(self, opaque, options):
+    with contextlib.suppress(ConnectionRefusedError, http.client.CannotSendRequest, http.client.RemoteDisconnected):
+      self.device.send("DELETE", f"buffer/{opaque}", data=b"")
+  def copyin(self, dest:int, src:memoryview): self.device.send("PUT", f"buffer/{dest}", data=bytes(src))
+  def copyout(self, dest:memoryview, src:int):
+    resp = self.device.send("GET", f"buffer/{src}")
+    assert len(resp) == len(dest), f"buffer length mismatch {len(resp)} != {len(dest)}"
+    dest[:] = resp
+
+class CloudProgram:
+  def __init__(self, device:CloudDevice, name:str, lib:bytes):
+    self.device = device
+    self.prgid = f"{name}/{hashlib.sha256(lib).hexdigest()}"
+    self.device.send("PUT", "program/"+self.prgid, lib)
+    super().__init__()
+  def __del__(self): self.device.send("DELETE", "program/"+self.prgid)
+
+  def __call__(self, *bufs, global_size=None, local_size=None, vals:Tuple[int, ...]=(), wait=False):
+    args = {"bufs": bufs, "vals": vals, "wait": wait}
+    if global_size is not None: args["global_size"] = global_size
+    if local_size is not None: args["local_size"] = local_size
+    ret = self.device.send("POST", "program/"+self.prgid, json.dumps(args).encode())
+    if wait: return float(ret)
+
+class CloudDevice(Compiled):
+  def __init__(self, device:str):
+    if (host:=getenv("HOST", "")) != "":
+      self.host = host
+    else:
+      p = multiprocessing.Process(target=cloud_server, args=(6667,))
+      p.daemon = True
+      p.start()
+      self.host = "127.0.0.1:6667"
+    self.cookie = binascii.hexlify(os.urandom(0x10)).decode()
+    if DEBUG >= 1: print(f"cloud with host {self.host}")
+    while 1:
+      try:
+        self.conn = http.client.HTTPConnection(self.host, timeout=60.0)
+        clouddev = json.loads(self.send("GET", "renderer").decode())
+        break
+      except Exception as e:
+        print(e)
+        time.sleep(0.1)
+    if DEBUG >= 1: print(f"remote has device {clouddev}")
+    # TODO: how to we have BEAM be cached on the backend? this should just send a specification of the compute. rethink what goes in Renderer
+    assert clouddev[0].startswith("tinygrad.renderer."), f"bad renderer {clouddev}"
+    renderer = fromimport(clouddev[0], clouddev[1])(*clouddev[2])
+    super().__init__(device, CloudAllocator(self), renderer, Compiler(), functools.partial(CloudProgram, self))
+
+  def send(self, method, path, data:Optional[bytes]=None) -> bytes:
+    # TODO: retry logic
+    self.conn.request(method, "/"+path, data, headers={"Cookie": f"session={self.cookie}"})
+    response = self.conn.getresponse()
+    assert response.status == 200, f"failed on {method} {path}"
+    return response.read()
+
+if __name__ == "__main__": cloud_server(getenv("PORT", 6667))