diff --git a/crates/ml/src/cuda_pipeline/batched_forward.rs b/crates/ml/src/cuda_pipeline/batched_forward.rs
index a703d2966..0dcc79747 100644
--- a/crates/ml/src/cuda_pipeline/batched_forward.rs
+++ b/crates/ml/src/cuda_pipeline/batched_forward.rs
@@ -237,13 +237,26 @@ impl CublasForward {
         let lt_raw_handle = cublaslt_result::create_handle()
             .map_err(|e| MLError::ModelError(format!("cublasLtCreate: {e:?}")))?;
 
-        // 32 MB unconditionally — TF32 HMMA algorithms need large workspace
-        // even on Ampere (SM86). NVIDIA recommends 32 MB for Hopper but
-        // the TF32 heuristic returns NOT_SUPPORTED with 4 MB at (128,512,64).
+        // 32 MB workspace for cublasLtMatmul.
+        // CRITICAL: use cudaMalloc (not cuMemAllocAsync) so the workspace is
+        // accessible from ALL streams including forked branch streams. Stream-ordered
+        // allocations are only valid on the allocating stream, causing
+        // CUBLAS_STATUS_NOT_SUPPORTED when cublasLtMatmul runs on branch streams.
         let lt_ws_size: usize = 32 * 1024 * 1024;
-        let lt_ws_buf = stream.alloc_zeros::<u8>(lt_ws_size)
-            .map_err(|e| MLError::ModelError(format!("cublasLt workspace alloc: {e}")))?;
-        let lt_ws_ptr = lt_ws_buf.raw_ptr();
+        let lt_ws_ptr: u64;
+        unsafe {
+            let mut dev_ptr: cudarc::driver::sys::CUdeviceptr = 0;
+            let result = cudarc::driver::sys::cuMemAlloc_v2(&mut dev_ptr, lt_ws_size);
+            if result != cudarc::driver::sys::CUresult::CUDA_SUCCESS {
+                return Err(MLError::ModelError(format!("cuMemAlloc workspace: {result:?}")));
+            }
+            // Zero the workspace
+            cudarc::driver::sys::cuMemsetD8_v2(dev_ptr, 0, lt_ws_size);
+            lt_ws_ptr = dev_ptr;
+        }
+        // Dummy CudaSlice to satisfy struct field (workspace is managed by cuMemAlloc)
+        let lt_workspace_buf = stream.alloc_zeros::<u8>(1)
+            .map_err(|e| MLError::ModelError(format!("dummy ws alloc: {e}")))?;
 
         // ── Load f32 bias kernels from precompiled cubin ──
         let (add_bias_relu_f32_kernel, add_bias_f32_kernel) =
@@ -274,7 +287,7 @@ impl CublasForward {
             workspace_ptr,
             workspace_size,
             lt_handle: SendSyncCublasLtHandle(lt_raw_handle),
-            _lt_workspace_buf: lt_ws_buf,
+            _lt_workspace_buf: lt_workspace_buf,
             lt_workspace_ptr: lt_ws_ptr,
             lt_workspace_size: lt_ws_size,
             add_bias_relu_f32_kernel,