diff --git a/nemo_rl/utils/nvml.py b/nemo_rl/utils/nvml.py
index 706c1b1cd6..de9ea55f63 100644
--- a/nemo_rl/utils/nvml.py
+++ b/nemo_rl/utils/nvml.py
@@ -12,11 +12,14 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 import contextlib
+import logging
 import os
 from typing import Generator
 
 import pynvml
 
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 
 @contextlib.contextmanager
 def nvml_context() -> Generator[None, None, None]:
@@ -78,13 +81,16 @@ def get_device_uuid(device_idx: int) -> str:
 
 
 def get_free_memory_bytes(device_idx: int) -> float:
-    """Get the free memory of a CUDA device in bytes using NVML."""
+    """Get the free memory of a CUDA device in bytes using NVML, with torch.cuda fallback."""
     global_device_idx = device_id_to_physical_device_id(device_idx)
     with nvml_context():
         try:
             handle = pynvml.nvmlDeviceGetHandleByIndex(global_device_idx)
             return pynvml.nvmlDeviceGetMemoryInfo(handle).free
         except pynvml.NVMLError as e:
-            raise RuntimeError(
-                f"Failed to get free memory for device {device_idx} (global index: {global_device_idx}): {e}"
-            )
+            logger.warning("NVML memory query failed for device %d: %s. Falling back to torch.cuda.mem_get_info.", device_idx, e)
+
+    import torch
+
+    free, _total = torch.cuda.mem_get_info(device_idx)
+    return free