diff --git a/tests/pytorch/test_fused_optimizer.py b/tests/pytorch/test_fused_optimizer.py
index a2863cba98..6832ef89dd 100644
--- a/tests/pytorch/test_fused_optimizer.py
+++ b/tests/pytorch/test_fused_optimizer.py
@@ -166,6 +166,19 @@ def test_frozen_model(self):
 
             torch.testing.assert_close(ref_param, tst_param)
 
+    def test_empty_param_at_end_of_group(self):
+        tensors = [
+            torch.ones(4, dtype=torch.float, device="cuda"),
+            torch.empty(0, dtype=torch.float, device="cuda"),
+        ]
+        ref_param, tst_param, ref_optim, tst_optim = self.gen_param_optim(tensors, self.options)
+
+        self.gen_grad(ref_param, tst_param)
+        ref_optim.step()
+        tst_optim.step()
+
+        torch.testing.assert_close(ref_param, tst_param)
+
     def gen_precision_aware_test(
         self,
         use_fp8_params,
@@ -796,6 +809,19 @@ def test_float(self):
     def test_half(self):
         self.gen_single_type_test(param_type=torch.float16)
 
+    def test_empty_param_at_end_of_group(self):
+        tensors = [
+            torch.ones(4, dtype=torch.float, device="cuda"),
+            torch.empty(0, dtype=torch.float, device="cuda"),
+        ]
+        ref_param, tst_param, ref_optim, tst_optim = self.gen_param_optim(tensors, self.options)
+
+        self.gen_grad(ref_param, tst_param)
+        ref_optim.step()
+        tst_optim.step()
+
+        torch.testing.assert_close(ref_param, tst_param)
+
 
 class Model(torch.nn.Module):
     def __init__(self):
diff --git a/transformer_engine/common/multi_tensor/multi_tensor_apply.cuh b/transformer_engine/common/multi_tensor/multi_tensor_apply.cuh
index 6710a161b3..d6ac23d4af 100644
--- a/transformer_engine/common/multi_tensor/multi_tensor_apply.cuh
+++ b/transformer_engine/common/multi_tensor/multi_tensor_apply.cuh
@@ -75,6 +75,9 @@ void multi_tensor_apply(int64_t block_size, int64_t chunk_size,
     loc_tensor_info++;
 
     auto chunks_this_tensor = (tensor_lists[0][t]->numel() + chunk_size - 1) / chunk_size;
+    NVTE_CHECK(chunks_this_tensor > 0,
+               "multi_tensor_apply expects tensors with at least one chunk; zero-sized tensors "
+               "must be filtered before launch because they skip the chunk loop");
 
     for (auto chunk = 0; chunk < chunks_this_tensor; chunk++) {
       tl.block_to_tensor[loc_block_info] = loc_tensor_info - 1;
diff --git a/transformer_engine/pytorch/optimizers/fused_sgd.py b/transformer_engine/pytorch/optimizers/fused_sgd.py
index d7ab3fe9fe..10151e1406 100644
--- a/transformer_engine/pytorch/optimizers/fused_sgd.py
+++ b/transformer_engine/pytorch/optimizers/fused_sgd.py
@@ -295,20 +295,19 @@ def step(self, closure=None):
             for _, (launch_set, first_run) in enumerate(zip(launch_sets, first_runs)):
                 assert len(launch_set[0]) == len(launch_set[1])
                 assert len(launch_set[0]) == len(launch_set[2])
-                if len(launch_set[0]) > 0:
-                    multi_tensor_applier(
-                        self.multi_tensor_sgd,
-                        self._dummy_overflow_buf,
-                        launch_set,
-                        weight_decay,
-                        momentum,
-                        dampening,
-                        group["lr"],
-                        nesterov,
-                        first_run,
-                        self.wd_after_momentum,
-                        1.0 / self.most_recent_scale,
-                    )
+                multi_tensor_applier(
+                    self.multi_tensor_sgd,
+                    self._dummy_overflow_buf,
+                    launch_set,
+                    weight_decay,
+                    momentum,
+                    dampening,
+                    group["lr"],
+                    nesterov,
+                    first_run,
+                    self.wd_after_momentum,
+                    1.0 / self.most_recent_scale,
+                )
 
         self.most_recent_scale = 1.0
         self.scale_set_by_backward = False
diff --git a/transformer_engine/pytorch/optimizers/multi_tensor_apply.py b/transformer_engine/pytorch/optimizers/multi_tensor_apply.py
index a5cbd27337..e7d4fa0db3 100644
--- a/transformer_engine/pytorch/optimizers/multi_tensor_apply.py
+++ b/transformer_engine/pytorch/optimizers/multi_tensor_apply.py
@@ -18,6 +18,16 @@ def __call__(self, op, noop_flag_buffer, tensor_lists, *args):
                 if isinstance(t, DTensor):
                     tensor_lists[i][j] = t._local_tensor
 
+        if any(len(tensors) != len(tensor_lists[0]) for tensors in tensor_lists):
+            raise RuntimeError("Expected aligned multi-tensor lists.")
+
+        keep_slot = [tensor.numel() > 0 for tensor in tensor_lists[0]]
+        for i, tensors in enumerate(tensor_lists):
+            tensor_lists[i] = [tensor for tensor, keep in zip(tensors, keep_slot) if keep]
+
+        if not tensor_lists[0]:
+            return None
+
         return op(self.chunk_size, noop_flag_buffer, tensor_lists, *args)