diff --git a/alt_e2eshark/onnx_tests/models/azure_models.py b/alt_e2eshark/onnx_tests/models/azure_models.py
index 84fb386f..a8d63a8c 100644
--- a/alt_e2eshark/onnx_tests/models/azure_models.py
+++ b/alt_e2eshark/onnx_tests/models/azure_models.py
@@ -7,13 +7,16 @@
 from ..helper_classes import AzureDownloadableModel
 from e2e_testing.registry import register_test
 from e2e_testing.storage import load_test_txt_file
+import onnxruntime
 
 this_file = Path(__file__)
 lists_dir = (this_file.parent).joinpath("external_lists")
 
 model_names = load_test_txt_file(lists_dir.joinpath("shark-test-suite.txt"))
-for i in range(1,4):
-    model_names += load_test_txt_file(lists_dir.joinpath(f"vai-hf-cnn-fp32-shard{i}.txt"))
+for i in range(1, 4):
+    model_names += load_test_txt_file(
+        lists_dir.joinpath(f"vai-hf-cnn-fp32-shard{i}.txt")
+    )
     model_names += load_test_txt_file(lists_dir.joinpath(f"vai-int8-p0p1-shard{i}.txt"))
 model_names += load_test_txt_file(lists_dir.joinpath("vai-vision-int8.txt"))
 
@@ -23,7 +26,90 @@
     "DeepLabV3_resnet50_vaiq_int8",
 ]
 
+# if the model has significant shape issues, consider applying basic optimizations before import by adding to this list:
+basic_opt = [
+    "gcvit_base",
+    "gcvit_small",
+    "gcvit_tiny",
+    "gcvit_xtiny",
+    "gcvit_xxtiny",
+    "swinv2_base_window12to16_192to256.ms_in22k_ft_in1k",
+    "swinv2_base_window12to24_192to384.ms_in22k_ft_in1k",
+    "swinv2_base_window16_256.ms_in1k",
+    "swinv2_base_window8_256.ms_in1k",
+    "swinv2_large_window12to16_192to256.ms_in22k_ft_in1k",
+    "swinv2_large_window12to24_192to384.ms_in22k_ft_in1k",
+    "swinv2_small_window16_256.ms_in1k",
+    "swinv2_small_window8_256.ms_in1k",
+    "swinv2_tiny_window16_256.ms_in1k",
+    "swinv2_tiny_window8_256.ms_in1k",
+    "xcit_large_24_p16_224",
+    "xcit_large_24_p16_224_dist",
+    "xcit_large_24_p16_384_dist",
+    "xcit_large_24_p8_224",
+    "xcit_large_24_p8_224_dist",
+    "xcit_large_24_p8_384_dist",
+    "xcit_medium_24_p16_224",
+    "xcit_medium_24_p16_224_dist",
+    "xcit_medium_24_p16_384_dist",
+    "xcit_medium_24_p8_224",
+    "xcit_medium_24_p8_224_dist",
+    "xcit_medium_24_p8_384_dist",
+    "xcit_nano_12_p16_224",
+    "xcit_nano_12_p16_224_dist",
+    "xcit_nano_12_p16_384_dist",
+    "xcit_nano_12_p8_224",
+    "xcit_nano_12_p8_224_dist",
+    "xcit_nano_12_p8_384_dist",
+    "xcit_small_12_p16_224",
+    "xcit_small_12_p16_224_dist",
+    "xcit_small_12_p16_384_dist",
+    "xcit_small_12_p8_224",
+    "xcit_small_12_p8_224_dist",
+    "xcit_small_12_p8_384_dist",
+    "xcit_small_24_p16_224",
+    "xcit_small_24_p16_224_dist",
+    "xcit_small_24_p16_384_dist",
+    "xcit_small_24_p8_224",
+    "xcit_small_24_p8_224_dist",
+    "xcit_small_24_p8_384_dist",
+    "xcit_tiny_12_p16_224",
+    "xcit_tiny_12_p16_224_dist",
+    "xcit_tiny_12_p16_384_dist",
+    "xcit_tiny_12_p8_224",
+    "xcit_tiny_12_p8_224_dist",
+    "xcit_tiny_12_p8_384_dist",
+    "xcit_tiny_24_p16_224",
+    "xcit_tiny_24_p16_224_dist",
+    "xcit_tiny_24_p16_384_dist",
+    "xcit_tiny_24_p8_224",
+    "xcit_tiny_24_p8_224_dist",
+    "xcit_tiny_24_p8_384_dist",
+]
+
+custom_registry += basic_opt
 # for simple models without dim params or additional customization, we should be able to register them directly with AzureDownloadableModel
 # TODO: many of the models in the text files loaded from above will likely need to be registered with an alternative test info class.
 for t in set(model_names).difference(custom_registry):
     register_test(AzureDownloadableModel, t)
+
+
+class AzureWithOpt(AzureDownloadableModel):
+    def apply_ort_basic_optimizations(self):
+        opt = onnxruntime.SessionOptions()
+        opt.graph_optimization_level = (
+            onnxruntime.GraphOptimizationLevel.ORT_ENABLE_BASIC
+        )
+        optimized_model = str(Path(self.model).parent.joinpath("model.optimized.onnx"))
+        opt.optimized_model_filepath = optimized_model
+        session = onnxruntime.InferenceSession(self.model, opt)
+        self.model = optimized_model
+        del session
+
+    def construct_model(self):
+        super().construct_model()
+        self.apply_ort_basic_optimizations()
+
+
+for t in basic_opt:
+    register_test(AzureWithOpt, t)