diff --git a/ring_attention_pytorch/ring_flash_attention_cuda.py b/ring_attention_pytorch/ring_flash_attention_cuda.py
index 27a8f02..859bb65 100644
--- a/ring_attention_pytorch/ring_flash_attention_cuda.py
+++ b/ring_attention_pytorch/ring_flash_attention_cuda.py
@@ -254,19 +254,17 @@ def backward(ctx, do):
         device = q.device
 
         dq = torch.zeros(q.shape, device = device, dtype = torch.float32)
-        dk = torch.zeros(k.shape, device = device, dtype = torch.float32)
-        dv = torch.zeros(v.shape, device = device, dtype = torch.float32)
+        dk = torch.zeros_like(k, device = device)
+        dv = torch.zeros_like(v, device = device)
 
-        # k and v will have 16 bits, while dk, dv needs to be kept at 32
-        # view everything as int for ring passing
-        # for minimizing communication
+        # k and v will have 16 bits, and dk and dv can also be accumulated safely with the same type, i think
+        # view everything as float32 for ring passing
 
-        k_dtype, v_dtype = k.dtype, v.dtype
+        assert k.dtype == v.dtype
+        kv_dtype = k.dtype
 
-        k, v = map(lambda t: t.view(torch.float32), (k, v))
-        kv = torch.cat((k, v), dim = -1)
-
-        kv_and_dkv = torch.stack((kv, dk, dv))
+        k, v, dk, dv = map(lambda t: t.view(torch.float32), (k, v, dk, dv))
+        kv_and_dkv = torch.stack((k, v, dk, dv))
 
         # receive buffers, to be alternated with sent buffer
 
@@ -279,12 +277,11 @@ def backward(ctx, do):
 
         for (ring_rank, _), ((kv_and_dkv, mask), (receive_kv_and_dkv, receive_mask)) in ring_pass_fn(kv_and_dkv, mask, receive_buffers = (receive_kv_and_dkv, receive_mask), max_iters = max_ring_passes, ring_size = ring_size):
 
-            kv, dk, dv = kv_and_dkv
+            k, v, dk, dv = kv_and_dkv
 
-            # reconstitute correct types for k, v, dk, dv
+            # view k, v, dk, dv as the correct type of either float16 or bfloat16
 
-            k, v = kv.chunk(2, dim = -1)
-            k, v = k.view(k_dtype), v.view(v_dtype)
+            k, v, dk, dv = map(lambda t: t.view(kv_dtype), (k, v, dk, dv))
 
             # translate key padding mask to bias
 
@@ -313,7 +310,7 @@ def backward(ctx, do):
             # use flash attention backwards kernel to calculate dq, dk, dv and accumulate
 
             if need_accum:
-                ring_dq = torch.empty_like(q)
+                ring_dq = torch.empty(q.shape, device = device, dtype = torch.float32)
                 ring_dk = torch.empty_like(k)
                 ring_dv = torch.empty_like(v)
 
@@ -344,13 +341,15 @@ def backward(ctx, do):
             if not ring_reduce_col:
                 continue
 
-            dkv = kv_and_dkv[1:]
+            dkv = kv_and_dkv[2:]
 
             max_ring_passes = default(max_ring_passes, ring_size)
             dkv = ring_pass(ring_size - max_ring_passes + 1, dkv)
 
             dk, dv = dkv
 
+        dk, dv = map(lambda t: t.view(kv_dtype), (dk, dv))
+
         dq, dk, dv = map(lambda t: t.to(dtype), (dq, dk, dv))
 
         return dq, dk, dv, None, None, None, None, None, None, None
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index b904a75..95ab65e 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 setup(
   name = 'ring-attention-pytorch',
   packages = find_packages(exclude=[]),
-  version = '0.3.17',
+  version = '0.3.18',
   license='MIT',
   description = 'Ring Attention - Pytorch',
   author = 'Phil Wang',