diff --git a/tests/pytorch/attention/run_attention_with_cp.py b/tests/pytorch/attention/run_attention_with_cp.py
index 7c6cdefd15..fa2ac1d299 100644
--- a/tests/pytorch/attention/run_attention_with_cp.py
+++ b/tests/pytorch/attention/run_attention_with_cp.py
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ def run_dpa_with_cp(
         torch.cuda.Stream(),
         cp_comm_type,
     )
-    if config.softmax_type != "vanilla":
+    if is_training and config.softmax_type != "vanilla":
         core_attn.softmax_offset.grad.zero_()
     if dtype == "fp8":
         core_attn.fp8_initialized = False
@@ -690,7 +690,6 @@ def run_dpa_with_cp(
                             )
         else:
             out = out.index_select(0, seq_idx_q).contiguous()
-            out_ = out_
 
     atol, rtol, rmse_tol = get_tols(config, dtype)
     tensors_cp = [out_, dq_, dk_, dv_, dbias_, d_softmax_offset_, max_logit_]
diff --git a/tests/pytorch/attention/test_softmax_offset_inference.py b/tests/pytorch/attention/test_softmax_offset_inference.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..103cb29b40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/pytorch/attention/test_softmax_offset_inference.py
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import pytest
+import torch
+from transformer_engine.pytorch import DotProductAttention
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(not torch.cuda.is_available(), reason="CUDA not available")
+def test_softmax_offset_grad_none_in_eval():
+    """Regression test: eval mode leaves softmax_offset.grad as None.
+
+    The context-parallel test helper previously crashed here by calling
+    core_attn.softmax_offset.grad.zero_() unconditionally for non-vanilla
+    softmax. In eval mode requires_grad is False and no backward has run,
+    so .grad must stay None.
+    """
+    core_attn = (
+        DotProductAttention(8, (64, 64), num_gqa_groups=4, softmax_type="softmax_offset")
+        .cuda()
+        .eval()
+    )
+    assert not core_attn.softmax_offset.requires_grad