diff --git a/nemo/core/classes/modelPT.py b/nemo/core/classes/modelPT.py
index 89aa163bf062..5520efe295ad 100644
--- a/nemo/core/classes/modelPT.py
+++ b/nemo/core/classes/modelPT.py
@@ -1459,7 +1459,7 @@ def maybe_init_from_pretrained_checkpoint(self, cfg: OmegaConf, map_location: st
                 if isinstance(cfg.init_from_ptl_ckpt, str):
                     # Restore checkpoint
                     ckpt_path = cfg.pop('init_from_ptl_ckpt')
-                    ckpt = torch.load(ckpt_path, map_location=map_location)
+                    ckpt = torch.load(ckpt_path, map_location=map_location, weights_only=True)
 
                     # Restore checkpoint into current model
                     self.load_state_dict(ckpt['state_dict'], strict=False)
@@ -1473,7 +1473,7 @@ def maybe_init_from_pretrained_checkpoint(self, cfg: OmegaConf, map_location: st
                     for model_load_cfg in model_load_dict.values():
                         ckpt_path = model_load_cfg.path
                         # Restore model
-                        ckpt = torch.load(ckpt_path, map_location=map_location)
+                        ckpt = torch.load(ckpt_path, map_location=map_location, weights_only=True)
 
                         include = model_load_cfg.pop('include', [""])
                         exclude = model_load_cfg.pop('exclude', [])