diff --git a/shortfin/python/shortfin_apps/llm/components/service.py b/shortfin/python/shortfin_apps/llm/components/service.py
index 5b43c1310..71d54c234 100644
--- a/shortfin/python/shortfin_apps/llm/components/service.py
+++ b/shortfin/python/shortfin_apps/llm/components/service.py
@@ -340,8 +340,9 @@ async def run(self):
                 for r in self.exec_requests:
                     assert r.start_position == 0
 
+            extra_token_slots = 1 if is_decode else 0
             bsl = max(
-                (r.start_position + len(r.input_token_ids)) for r in self.exec_requests
+                (extra_token_slots + len(r.input_token_ids)) for r in self.exec_requests
             )
             bsl = int(math.ceil(bsl / seq_stride) * seq_stride)
             block_count = bsl // seq_stride
@@ -389,13 +390,17 @@ async def run(self):
             if self.phase == InferencePhase.DECODE:
                 start_positions_host = start_positions.for_transfer()
                 with start_positions_host.map(discard=True) as m:
-                    m.fill(0)
+                    m.fill(
+                        1
+                    )  # Pad unused requests. Must pad with nonzero value because division by 0 floods clobber page (page 0) in cache with NaN values.
                     m.items = [req.start_position for req in self.exec_requests]
                 start_positions_host.copy_to(start_positions)
 
                 seq_lens_host = seq_lens.for_transfer()
                 with seq_lens_host.map(discard=True) as m:
-                    m.fill(0)
+                    m.fill(
+                        1
+                    )  # Pad unused requests. Must pad with nonzero value because division by 0 floods clobber page (page 0) in cache with NaN values.
                     m.items = [
                         req.start_position + len(req.input_token_ids)
                         for req in self.exec_requests