diff --git a/src/levanter/optim/kron.py b/src/levanter/optim/kron.py
index 6cbf583bf..2de182052 100644
--- a/src/levanter/optim/kron.py
+++ b/src/levanter/optim/kron.py
@@ -527,6 +527,7 @@ def broadcast_qs(_, ps, q, s):
     def update_fn(updates: base.Updates, state: dict, params: base.Params = None):
         del params
         count_inc = safe_int32_increment(state["count"])
+        key, subkey = jax.random.split(state["key"])
 
         # unbox if haliax style partitioned
         scanned_layers_ = scanned_layers
@@ -801,7 +802,7 @@ def add_dims_to_spec(_, qss, sds):
             )
 
         # maybe update preconditioner
-        def update_preconditioner_fn(key, Qs, grads_in, bal_counter):
+        def update_preconditioner_fn(rngkey, Qs, grads_in, bal_counter):
             with jax.default_matmul_precision(precond_update_precision):
                 # balance preconditioners about every 100 updates
                 def balance_Qs(Qs_to_bal):
@@ -828,8 +829,7 @@ def _balance_Q(Q):
                     Qs = _safe_sharding_constraint(Qs, Qs_sharding)
 
                 # create random vectors
-                key, subkey = jax.random.split(key)
-                Vs = _tree_random_like(subkey, grads_in)
+                Vs = _tree_random_like(rngkey, grads_in)
                 # apply params sharding to random vectors
                 if have_params_sharding:
                     Vs = _safe_sharding_constraint(Vs, partitioned_sharding)
@@ -882,22 +882,22 @@ def _balance_Q(Q):
                     new_Qs = _safe_sharding_constraint(new_Qs, Qs_sharding)
 
                 new_Qs = otu.tree_cast(new_Qs, precond_dtype)
-                return key, new_Qs, balance_counter_inc
+                return new_Qs, balance_counter_inc
 
-        def pass_through_fn(key, qs, grads_in, bal_counter):
+        def pass_through_fn(rngkey, qs, grads_in, bal_counter):
             if have_qs_sharding:
                 qs = _safe_sharding_constraint(qs, Qs_sharding)
-            return key, qs, bal_counter
+            return qs, bal_counter
 
         # update preconditioner deterministically
         update_counter_inc = safe_int32_increment(state["update_counter"])
         do_update = update_counter_inc >= 1 / update_prob_in
         update_counter_inc = jnp.where(do_update, 0, update_counter_inc)
-        key, Qs, balance_counter_inc = jax.lax.cond(
+        Qs, balance_counter_inc = jax.lax.cond(
             do_update,
             update_preconditioner_fn,
             pass_through_fn,
-            state["key"],
+            subkey,
             Qs,
             momentum_updates,
             state["balance_counter"],