diff --git a/src/streamdiffusion/acceleration/tensorrt/builder.py b/src/streamdiffusion/acceleration/tensorrt/builder.py
index 87abf90d..3c7db255 100644
--- a/src/streamdiffusion/acceleration/tensorrt/builder.py
+++ b/src/streamdiffusion/acceleration/tensorrt/builder.py
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ def build(
             del self.network
             gc.collect()
             torch.cuda.empty_cache()
+            # Additional cleanup for compile_engines_only mode
+            torch.cuda.synchronize()
+            torch.cuda.ipc_collect()
         if not force_onnx_optimize and os.path.exists(onnx_opt_path):
             print(f"Found cached model: {onnx_opt_path}")
         else:
@@ -72,6 +75,9 @@ def build(
                 onnx_opt_path=onnx_opt_path,
                 model_data=self.model,
             )
+            # Cleanup after ONNX optimization
+            gc.collect()
+            torch.cuda.empty_cache()
         self.model.min_latent_shape = min_image_resolution // 8
         self.model.max_latent_shape = max_image_resolution // 8
         if not force_engine_build and os.path.exists(engine_path):
@@ -97,3 +103,6 @@ def build(
         
         gc.collect()
         torch.cuda.empty_cache()
+        # Additional cleanup after engine build
+        torch.cuda.synchronize()
+        torch.cuda.ipc_collect()
diff --git a/src/streamdiffusion/modules/controlnet_module.py b/src/streamdiffusion/modules/controlnet_module.py
index 984776a8..0f1ab183 100644
--- a/src/streamdiffusion/modules/controlnet_module.py
+++ b/src/streamdiffusion/modules/controlnet_module.py
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ def install(self, stream) -> None:
 
     def add_controlnet(self, cfg: ControlNetConfig, control_image: Optional[Union[str, Any, torch.Tensor]] = None) -> None:
         model = self._load_pytorch_controlnet_model(cfg.model_id)
-        model = model.to(dtype=self.dtype)
+        model = model.to(device=self.device, dtype=self.dtype)
 
         preproc = None
         if cfg.preprocessor:
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ def _load_pytorch_controlnet_model(self, model_id: str) -> ControlNetModel:
                     controlnet = ControlNetModel.from_pretrained(
                         model_id, torch_dtype=self.dtype
                     )
-            controlnet = controlnet.to(dtype=self.dtype)
+            controlnet = controlnet.to(device=self.device, dtype=self.dtype)
             # Track model_id for updater diffing
             try:
                 setattr(controlnet, 'model_id', model_id)
diff --git a/src/streamdiffusion/wrapper.py b/src/streamdiffusion/wrapper.py
index 58ebbcab..35b6ba87 100644
--- a/src/streamdiffusion/wrapper.py
+++ b/src/streamdiffusion/wrapper.py
@@ -1043,6 +1043,10 @@ def _load_model(
                 from streamdiffusion.acceleration.tensorrt.export_wrappers.unet_controlnet_export import create_controlnet_wrapper
                 from streamdiffusion.acceleration.tensorrt.export_wrappers.unet_ipadapter_export import create_ipadapter_wrapper
 
+                # Clean up VRAM before starting TensorRT compilation when only compiling engines
+                if compile_engines_only:
+                    self.cleanup_gpu_memory_for_compilation()
+
                 # Legacy TensorRT implementation (fallback)
                 # Initialize engine manager
                 engine_manager = EngineManager(engine_dir)
@@ -1334,6 +1338,10 @@ def _load_model(
                         'max_image_resolution': 1024,
                     }
                 )
+                
+                # Clean up VRAM after VAE decoder compilation when only compiling engines
+                if compile_engines_only:
+                    self.cleanup_gpu_memory_for_compilation()
 
                 # Compile VAE encoder engine using EngineManager
                 vae_encoder = TorchVAEEncoder(stream.vae)
@@ -1359,6 +1367,10 @@ def _load_model(
                         'max_image_resolution': 1024,
                     }
                 )
+                
+                # Clean up VRAM after VAE encoder compilation when only compiling engines
+                if compile_engines_only:
+                    self.cleanup_gpu_memory_for_compilation()
 
                 cuda_stream = cuda.Stream()
 
@@ -1388,6 +1400,10 @@ def _load_model(
                     if load_engine:
                         logger.info("TensorRT UNet engine loaded successfully")
                     
+                    # Clean up VRAM after UNet compilation when only compiling engines
+                    if compile_engines_only:
+                        self.cleanup_gpu_memory_for_compilation()
+                    
                 except Exception as e:
                     error_msg = str(e).lower()
                     is_oom_error = ('out of memory' in error_msg or 'outofmemory' in error_msg or 
@@ -1506,6 +1522,10 @@ def _load_model(
                         cuda_stream=None,
                         load_engine=load_engine,
                     )
+                    
+                    # Clean up VRAM after safety checker compilation when only compiling engines
+                    if compile_engines_only:
+                        self.cleanup_gpu_memory_for_compilation()
                 
                 if load_engine:
                     self.safety_checker = NSFWDetectorEngine(
@@ -1585,6 +1605,10 @@ def _load_model(
                             logger.info(f"Compiled/loaded {len(compiled_cn_engines)} ControlNet TensorRT engine(s)")
                         except Exception:
                             pass
+                        
+                        # Clean up VRAM after ControlNet compilation when only compiling engines
+                        if compile_engines_only:
+                            self.cleanup_gpu_memory_for_compilation()
                 except Exception:
                     import traceback
                     traceback.print_exc()
@@ -1859,6 +1883,27 @@ def cleanup_gpu_memory(self) -> None:
         
         logger.info("   Enhanced GPU memory cleanup complete")
 
+    def cleanup_gpu_memory_for_compilation(self) -> None:
+        """Lightweight GPU memory cleanup specifically for TensorRT engine compilation."""
+        import gc
+        import torch
+        
+        logger.info("Cleaning up GPU memory for engine compilation...")
+        
+        # Force garbage collection
+        for i in range(2):
+            gc.collect()
+        
+        # Clear CUDA cache
+        if torch.cuda.is_available():
+            torch.cuda.empty_cache()
+            torch.cuda.synchronize()
+            
+            # Get memory info for logging
+            allocated = torch.cuda.memory_allocated() / (1024**3)  # GB
+            cached = torch.cuda.memory_reserved() / (1024**3)     # GB
+            logger.info(f"   GPU Memory after compilation cleanup: {allocated:.2f}GB allocated, {cached:.2f}GB cached")
+
     def check_gpu_memory_for_engine(self, engine_size_gb: float) -> bool:
         """
         Check if there's enough GPU memory to load a TensorRT engine.