diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ac086e6..21d53d9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@ This package is meant to work in concert with the upstream bindings.
 Practically speaking that means you need to have *some* package installed that includes mlir python bindings.
 In addition, you have to do one of two things to **configure this package** (after installing it):
 
-1. `$ configure-mlir-python-utils -y <MLIR_PYTHON_PACKAGE_PREFIX>`, where `MLIR_PYTHON_PACKAGE_PREFIX` is (as it says) the
+1. `$ configure-mlir-python-utils -y <MLIR_PYTHON_PACKAGE_PREFIX>`, where `MLIR_PYTHON_PACKAGE_PREFIX` is (as it says)
+   the
    package prefix for your chosen upstream bindings. So for example, for `torch-mlir`, you would
-   execute `configure-mlir-python-utils torch_mlir`, since `torch-mlir`'s bindings are the root of the `torch-mlir` python
+   execute `configure-mlir-python-utils torch_mlir`, since `torch-mlir`'s bindings are the root of the `torch-mlir`
+   python
    package. **When in doubt about this prefix**, it is everything up until `ir` (e.g., as
    in `from torch_mlir import ir`).
 2. `$ export MLIR_PYTHON_PACKAGE_PREFIX=<MLIR_PYTHON_PACKAGE_PREFIX>`, i.e., you can set this string as an environment
@@ -49,4 +51,12 @@ pip install setuptools -U
 pip install -e .[torch-mlir-test] \
    -f https://github.com/makslevental/mlir-wheels/releases/expanded_assets/latest \
    -f https://llvm.github.io/torch-mlir/package-index/
+```
+
+There's an annoying bug where if you try to register to a different set of host bindings it won't work the first (e.g.,
+going from `torch-mlir` to `mlir`).
+Workaround is to delete the prefix token before configuring, like so:
+
+```shell
+rm /home/mlevental/dev_projects/mlir_utils/mlir_utils/_configuration/__MLIR_PYTHON_PACKAGE_PREFIX__ && configure-mlir-python-utils mlir
 ```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mlir_utils/_configuration/module_alias_map.py b/mlir_utils/_configuration/module_alias_map.py
index a6260b6..cc73a47 100644
--- a/mlir_utils/_configuration/module_alias_map.py
+++ b/mlir_utils/_configuration/module_alias_map.py
@@ -87,3 +87,11 @@ def find_spec(
             )
         else:
             return None
+
+
+def maybe_remove_alias_module_loader():
+    for i in range(len(sys.meta_path)):
+        finder = sys.meta_path[i]
+        if isinstance(finder, AliasedModuleFinder):
+            del sys.meta_path[i]
+            return
diff --git a/mlir_utils/dialects/ext/arith.py b/mlir_utils/dialects/ext/arith.py
index 2d5eb39..ac78138 100644
--- a/mlir_utils/dialects/ext/arith.py
+++ b/mlir_utils/dialects/ext/arith.py
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ def __call__(cls, *args, **kwargs):
 
 
 class ArithValue(Value, metaclass=ArithValueMeta):
-    """Mixin class for functionality shared by Value subclasses that support
+    """Class for functionality shared by Value subclasses that support
     arithmetic operations.
 
     Note, since we bind the ArithValueMeta here, it is here that the __new__ and
diff --git a/mlir_utils/dialects/ext/tensor.py b/mlir_utils/dialects/ext/tensor.py
index d82f7d2..46138ff 100644
--- a/mlir_utils/dialects/ext/tensor.py
+++ b/mlir_utils/dialects/ext/tensor.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 from mlir.ir import Type, Value, RankedTensorType, DenseElementsAttr, ShapedType
 
 from mlir_utils.dialects.ext.arith import ArithValue
+from mlir_utils.dialects.util import register_value_caster
 
 try:
     from mlir_utils.dialects.tensor import *
@@ -64,28 +65,5 @@ def empty(
 
         return cls(EmptyOp(shape, el_type).result)
 
-    def __class_getitem__(
-        cls, dim_sizes_dtype: Tuple[Union[list[int], tuple[int, ...]], Type]
-    ) -> Type:
-        """A convenience method for creating RankedTensorType.
-
-        Args:
-          dim_sizes_dtype: A tuple of both the shape of the type and the dtype.
-
-        Returns:
-          An instance of RankedTensorType.
-        """
-        if len(dim_sizes_dtype) != 2:
-            raise ValueError(
-                f"Wrong type of argument to {cls.__name__}: {dim_sizes_dtype=}"
-            )
-        dim_sizes, dtype = dim_sizes_dtype
-        if not isinstance(dtype, Type):
-            raise ValueError(f"{dtype=} is not {Type=}")
-        static_sizes = []
-        for s in dim_sizes:
-            if isinstance(s, int):
-                static_sizes.append(s)
-            else:
-                static_sizes.append(ShapedType.get_dynamic_size())
-        return RankedTensorType.get(static_sizes, dtype)
+
+register_value_caster(RankedTensorType.static_typeid, Tensor)
diff --git a/mlir_utils/dialects/util.py b/mlir_utils/dialects/util.py
index 13e8ec2..c520288 100644
--- a/mlir_utils/dialects/util.py
+++ b/mlir_utils/dialects/util.py
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 import ctypes
-from functools import wraps
 import inspect
+from collections import defaultdict
+from functools import wraps
+from typing import Callable
 
 from mlir.dialects._ods_common import get_op_result_or_value, get_op_results_or_values
-from mlir.ir import InsertionPoint, Value, Type
+from mlir.ir import InsertionPoint, Value, Type, TypeID
 
 
 def get_result_or_results(op):
@@ -31,20 +33,52 @@ def maybe_no_args(*args, **kwargs):
     return maybe_no_args
 
 
+__VALUE_CASTERS: defaultdict[
+    TypeID, list[Callable[[Value], Value | None]]
+] = defaultdict(list)
+
+
+def register_value_caster(
+    typeid: TypeID, caster: Callable[[Value], Value], priority: int = None
+):
+    if not isinstance(typeid, TypeID):
+        raise ValueError(f"{typeid=} is not a TypeID")
+    if priority is None:
+        __VALUE_CASTERS[typeid].append(caster)
+    else:
+        __VALUE_CASTERS[typeid].insert(priority, caster)
+
+
+def has_value_caster(typeid: TypeID):
+    if not isinstance(typeid, TypeID):
+        raise ValueError(f"{typeid=} is not a TypeID")
+    if not typeid in __VALUE_CASTERS:
+        return False
+    return True
+
+
+def get_value_caster(typeid: TypeID):
+    if not has_value_caster(typeid):
+        raise ValueError(f"no registered caster for {typeid=}")
+    return __VALUE_CASTERS[typeid]
+
+
 def maybe_cast(val: Value):
     """Maybe cast an ir.Value to one of Tensor, Scalar.
 
     Args:
       val: The ir.Value to maybe cast.
     """
-    from mlir_utils.dialects.ext.tensor import Tensor
     from mlir_utils.dialects.ext.arith import Scalar
 
     if not isinstance(val, Value):
         return val
 
-    if Tensor.isinstance(val):
-        return Tensor(val)
+    if has_value_caster(val.type.typeid):
+        for caster in get_value_caster(val.type.typeid):
+            if casted := caster(val):
+                return casted
+        raise ValueError(f"no successful casts for {val=}")
     if Scalar.isinstance(val):
         return Scalar(val)
     return val
diff --git a/tests/test_value_caster.py b/tests/test_value_caster.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4045e6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_value_caster.py
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import pytest
+from mlir.ir import OpResult
+
+from mlir_utils.dialects.ext.tensor import S, empty
+from mlir_utils.dialects.ext.arith import constant
+from mlir_utils.dialects.util import register_value_caster
+
+# noinspection PyUnresolvedReferences
+from mlir_utils.testing import mlir_ctx as ctx, filecheck, MLIRContext
+from mlir_utils.types import f64_t, RankedTensorType
+
+# needed since the fix isn't defined here nor conftest.py
+pytest.mark.usefixtures("ctx")
+
+
+def test_caster_registration(ctx: MLIRContext):
+    sizes = S, 3, S
+    ten = empty(sizes, f64_t)
+    assert repr(ten) == "Tensor(%0, tensor<?x3x?xf64>)"
+
+    def dummy_caster(val):
+        print(val)
+        return val
+
+    register_value_caster(RankedTensorType.static_typeid, dummy_caster)
+    ten = empty(sizes, f64_t)
+    assert repr(ten) == "Tensor(%1, tensor<?x3x?xf64>)"
+
+    register_value_caster(RankedTensorType.static_typeid, dummy_caster, 0)
+    ten = empty(sizes, f64_t)
+    assert repr(ten) != "Tensor(%1, tensor<?x3x?xf64>)"
+    assert isinstance(ten, OpResult)
+
+    one = constant(1)
+    assert repr(one) == "Scalar(%3, i64)"