diff --git a/gguf-py/gguf/gguf_manager.py b/gguf-py/gguf/gguf_manager.py
index 4a51b717e..95b16aee1 100644
--- a/gguf-py/gguf/gguf_manager.py
+++ b/gguf-py/gguf/gguf_manager.py
@@ -55,31 +55,23 @@ class SplitArguments:
     split_style: SplitStyle
 
     def __init__(self, args: Namespace = None) -> None:
-        if args is None:
-            self.split = False
-            self.dry_run = False
-            self.small_first_shard = False
-            self.split_max_tensors = 0
-            self.split_max_size = 0
-            self.split_style = SplitStyle.NONE
-        else:
-            self.split = args.split
-            self.split_max_tensors = args.split_max_tensors
-            self.split_max_size = SplitStrategy.split_str_to_n_bytes(args.split_max_size) if args.split_max_size else None
-            self.dry_run = args.dry_run
-            self.small_first_shard = not args.large_first_shard
-            self.split_style = SplitStyle.NONE if not self.split \
-                else SplitStyle.TENSORS if self.split_max_tensors \
-                else SplitStyle.SIZE
+        self.split = args.split if args else False
+        self.split_max_tensors = args.split_max_tensors if args else 0
+        self.split_max_size = SplitStrategy.split_str_to_n_bytes(args.split_max_size) if args and args.split_max_size else 0
+        self.dry_run = args.dry_run if args else False
+        self.small_first_shard = not args.large_first_shard if args else False
+        self.split_style = SplitStyle.NONE if not self.split or not args \
+            else SplitStyle.TENSORS if self.split_max_tensors \
+            else SplitStyle.SIZE
 
 
-class SplitStrategy:
+class SplitStrategy(deque):
     data: SplitTensorsPerFile
 
     def __init__(self, fname_out: os.PathLike[str], model: list[TensorTempData], arch: str,
                  split_arguments: SplitArguments, use_temp_file: bool = True, endianess: GGUFEndian = GGUFEndian.LITTLE,
     ):
-        self.data = deque()
+        super().__init__()
 
         if split_arguments.split_style == SplitStyle.NONE:
             self.append((fname_out, model, GGUFWriter(fname_out, arch, use_temp_file=use_temp_file, endianess=endianess)))
@@ -121,15 +113,6 @@ class SplitStrategy:
                 outname = fname_out.with_name(SHARD_NAME_FORMAT.format(fname_out.stem, i + shard_offset, total_shards))
                 self.append((outname, deque(shard), GGUFWriter(outname, arch, use_temp_file=use_temp_file, endianess=endianess)))
 
-    def __len__(self):
-        return len(self.data)
-
-    def append(self, value: TensorTempData):
-        self.data.append(value)
-
-    def remove(self, item: TensorTempData):
-        self.data.remove(item)
-
     @staticmethod
     def get_tensor_size(tensor) -> int:
         # we don't have the LazyTensor class here from convert.py but we can try
@@ -216,18 +199,18 @@ class GGUFManager:
 
         # only the first shard needs all the KV data
         for key, (value, etype) in self.kv_data.items():
-            self.split_strategy.data[0][2].add_key(key)
-            self.split_strategy.data[0][2].add_val(value, etype)
+            self.split_strategy[0][2].add_key(key)
+            self.split_strategy[0][2].add_val(value, etype)
 
         if self.split_arguments.split_style != SplitStyle.NONE:
-            for i, (_, _, writer) in enumerate(self.split_strategy.data):
+            for i, (_, _, writer) in enumerate(self.split_strategy):
                 writer.add_uint16(LLM_KV_SPLIT_NO, i)
                 writer.add_uint16(LLM_KV_SPLIT_COUNT, self.total_shards)
                 writer.add_int32(LLM_KV_SPLIT_TENSORS_COUNT, self.total_tensors)
 
         # metadata/vocab only can write and return here
         if meta_only:
-            for i, (_, _, writer) in enumerate(self.split_strategy.data):
+            for i, (_, _, writer) in enumerate(self.split_strategy):
                 writer.write_header_to_file()
                 writer.write_kv_data_to_file()
             return
@@ -235,14 +218,14 @@ class GGUFManager:
         # tensor writing code starts here
 
         print("\nWriting the following files:")
-        for (shard_path, shard_tensors, _) in self.split_strategy.data:
+        for (shard_path, shard_tensors, _) in self.split_strategy:
             size = SplitStrategy.format_n_bytes_to_str(sum(SplitStrategy.get_tensor_size(t[1]) for t in shard_tensors)) if shard_tensors else "negligible - metadata only"
             print(f"  {shard_path}: n_tensors = {len(shard_tensors) if shard_tensors else 0}, total_size = {size}")
 
         if self.split_arguments.dry_run:
             print("\nDry run, not writing files")
             # instantiating GGUFWriters creates files
-            for name, _, _ in self.split_strategy.data:
+            for name, _, _ in self.split_strategy:
                 os.remove(name)
             return
 
@@ -251,7 +234,7 @@ class GGUFManager:
         ct = 0
         while True:
             try:
-                (_, tensors, writer) = self.split_strategy.data.popleft()
+                (_, tensors, writer) = self.split_strategy.popleft()
             except IndexError:
                 break
 
@@ -340,7 +323,7 @@ class GGUFManager:
         #self.write_padding(self.temp_file, tensor.nbytes)
 
     def close(self) -> None:
-        for _, _, writer in self.split_strategy.data:
+        for _, _, writer in self.split_strategy:
             writer.close()
 
     def add_architecture(self) -> None: