diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit_test.yaml b/.github/workflows/unit_test.yaml
index 8f3c2673d..4909f7dd2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit_test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit_test.yaml
@@ -23,9 +23,12 @@ jobs:
           python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
       - name: Update pip
         run: python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+      - name: Install pytorch
+        run: python -m pip install torch==2.9.0.dev20250826 --extra-index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/nightly/cpu
+      - name: Install monarch
+        run: python -m pip install monarch-no-torch==0.1.0.dev20250826 --find-links assets/wheels
       - name: Install dependencies
-        run: |
-          python -m pip install --no-build-isolation -e ".[dev,cpu]" --extra-index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/nightly/cpu --find-links assets/wheels
+        run: python -m pip install --no-build-isolation -e ".[dev]"
       - name: Run unit tests with coverage
         # TODO add all tests
         run: pytest tests/unit_tests --cov=. --cov-report=xml --durations=20 -vv
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 63cd82d4d..c38ffef03 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -35,14 +35,14 @@ source .venv/bin/activate
 
 ```bash
 # feature install if you don't have /user/local/cuda-12.8
-feature install --persist cuda_12_8
+feature install --persist cuda_12_9
 
 # add env variables
-export CUDA_VERSION=12.8
-export NVCC=/usr/local/cuda-${CUDA_VERSION}/bin/nvcc
-export CUDA_NVCC_EXECUTABLE=/usr/local/cuda-${CUDA_VERSION}/bin/nvcc
-export CUDA_HOME=/usr/local/cuda-${CUDA_VERSION}
-export PATH="${CUDA_HOME}/bin:$PATH"
+export CUDA_VERSION=12.9
+export NVCC=/usr/local/cuda-$CUDA_VERSION/bin/nvcc
+export CUDA_NVCC_EXECUTABLE=/usr/local/cuda-$CUDA_VERSION/bin/nvcc
+export CUDA_HOME=/usr/local/cuda-$CUDA_VERSION
+export PATH="$CUDA_HOME/bin:$PATH"
 export CUDA_INCLUDE_DIRS=$CUDA_HOME/include
 export CUDA_CUDART_LIBRARY=$CUDA_HOME/lib64/libcudart.so
 export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$CUDA_HOME/lib64:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 156d5884a..3113812a5 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -47,11 +47,6 @@ oss = [
     "torchmonarch-nightly==2025.8.1",
     "torchstore",
 ]
-cpu = [
-    "torch==2.9.0.dev20250826",
-    "monarch-no-torch==0.1.0.dev20250826",
-]
-
 
 [project.scripts]
 forge = "forge.cli.forge:main"
@@ -78,8 +73,8 @@ members = [
 # pytorch
 # TODO: get auto backend to work
 [[tool.uv.index]]
-name = "pytorch-nightly-cu128"
-url  = "https://download.pytorch.org/whl/nightly/cu128"
+name = "pytorch-nightly-cu129"
+url  = "https://download.pytorch.org/whl/nightly/cu129"
 #explicit = true
 
 # vllm
@@ -89,8 +84,8 @@ url  = "https://download.pytorch.org/whl/nightly/cu128"
 # explicit = true
 
 [tool.uv.sources]
-torchtitan = { index = "pytorch-nightly-cu128" }
-torch = { index = "pytorch-nightly-cu128" }
+torchtitan = { index = "pytorch-nightly-cu129" }
+torch = { index = "pytorch-nightly-cu129" }
 torchstore = { git = "ssh://git@github.com/meta-pytorch/torchstore.git" }
 #vllm = { index = "vllm-nightly" }