diff --git a/experiments/grug/moe/train.py b/experiments/grug/moe/train.py
index acec78c972..03c4c0ff44 100644
--- a/experiments/grug/moe/train.py
+++ b/experiments/grug/moe/train.py
@@ -234,10 +234,11 @@ class GrugTrainState:
     params: Transformer
     opt_state: optax.OptState
     ema_params: Transformer | None
+    pending_qb_betas: jax.Array
 
 
 def _apply_qb_betas(model: Transformer, qb_betas: jax.Array) -> Transformer:
-    """Set router biases from QB betas (computed on previous step, applied on host)."""
+    """Set router biases from QB betas (computed on previous step)."""
     new_blocks = list(model.blocks)
     moe_idx = 0
     for i, block in enumerate(model.blocks):
@@ -260,11 +261,13 @@ def initial_state(
     ema_beta: float | None,
 ) -> GrugTrainState:
     params = mp.cast_to_param(Transformer.init(model_config, key=key))
+    num_moe_layers = sum(1 for b in params.blocks if b.mlp is not None)
     return GrugTrainState(
         step=jnp.array(0, dtype=jnp.int32),
         params=params,
         opt_state=optimizer.init(params),
         ema_params=params if ema_beta is not None else None,
+        pending_qb_betas=jnp.zeros((num_moe_layers, model_config.num_experts)),
     )
 
 
@@ -288,6 +291,14 @@ def _make_train_step(
 
     @functools.partial(jax.jit, donate_argnums=(0,), static_argnames=("compute_watch",))
     def train_step(state: GrugTrainState, batch, *, compute_watch: bool = False):
+        # Apply pending QB betas to router biases inside JIT (avoids eager
+        # host-side TPU kernel launches that can cause SPMD sync issues).
+        qb_params = _apply_qb_betas(state.params, state.pending_qb_betas)
+        if ema_beta is not None:
+            qb_ema_params = _apply_qb_betas(state.ema_params, state.pending_qb_betas)
+        else:
+            qb_ema_params = None
+
         def loss_fn(params):
             compute_params = mp.cast_to_compute(params)
             return compute_params.next_token_loss(
@@ -299,19 +310,19 @@ def loss_fn(params):
                 return_router_metrics=True,
             )
 
-        (loss, summarized_metrics), grads = jax.value_and_grad(loss_fn, has_aux=True)(state.params)
+        (loss, summarized_metrics), grads = jax.value_and_grad(loss_fn, has_aux=True)(qb_params)
         metrics = {"train/loss": loss, **summarized_metrics}
-        updates, opt_state = optimizer.update(grads, state.opt_state, state.params)
-        params = optax.apply_updates(state.params, updates)
+        updates, opt_state = optimizer.update(grads, state.opt_state, qb_params)
+        params = optax.apply_updates(qb_params, updates)
 
         if ema_beta is None:
             ema_params = None
         else:
-            if state.ema_params is None:
+            if qb_ema_params is None:
                 raise ValueError("ema_params must be initialized when ema_beta is set.")
             ema_params = jax.tree_util.tree_map(
                 lambda old, new: ema_beta * old + (1.0 - ema_beta) * new,
-                state.ema_params,
+                qb_ema_params,
                 params,
             )
 
@@ -323,7 +334,7 @@ def loss_fn(params):
                 include_per_parameter_norms=watch_config.include_per_parameter_norms,
                 include_histogram=watch_config.include_histograms,
                 split_scan_layers=watch_config.split_scan_layers,
-                params=state.params,
+                params=qb_params,
                 grads=grads,
                 updates=updates,
                 opt_state=state.opt_state,
@@ -336,6 +347,7 @@ def loss_fn(params):
             params=params,
             opt_state=opt_state,
             ema_params=ema_params,
+            pending_qb_betas=metrics["qb_beta_per_layer"],
         )
 
         return next_state, metrics, watch_stats
@@ -470,22 +482,10 @@ def _init_state(model_rng):
 
         last_loss: float | jax.Array = 0.0
         last_step_duration = 0.0
-        pending_qb_betas: jax.Array | None = None
 
         # Main optimization loop.
         try:
             while int(state.step) < trainer.num_train_steps:
-                # QB: apply router bias updates from previous step (on host).
-                if pending_qb_betas is not None:
-                    state = dataclasses.replace(
-                        state,
-                        params=_apply_qb_betas(state.params, pending_qb_betas),
-                        ema_params=(
-                            _apply_qb_betas(state.ema_params, pending_qb_betas) if state.ema_params is not None else None
-                        ),
-                    )
-                    pending_qb_betas = None
-
                 with jax.profiler.TraceAnnotation("load_batch"):
                     batch = next(iterator)
                 step_start = time.perf_counter()
@@ -498,7 +498,6 @@ def _init_state(model_rng):
                 step = int(state.step) - 1
 
                 jax.block_until_ready(metrics["train/loss"])
-                pending_qb_betas = metrics["qb_beta_per_layer"]
 
                 if jnp.isnan(metrics["train/loss"]):
                     logger.error(f"NaN loss at step {int(state.step)}. Stopping training.")