diff --git a/cuda_core/build_hooks.py b/cuda_core/build_hooks.py
index 444da18eb13..f4fb4af01f7 100644
--- a/cuda_core/build_hooks.py
+++ b/cuda_core/build_hooks.py
@@ -186,6 +186,9 @@ def get_sources(mod_name):
     # On Windows, _tensor_bridge.pyx needs a stub import library so the MSVC
     # linker can resolve the AOTI symbols (they live in torch_cpu.dll at
     # runtime).  We generate the .lib from a .def file at build time.
+    # Note: aoti_torch_get_current_cuda_stream lives in torch_cuda.dll and
+    # is resolved lazily at runtime (not via the stub lib) — see
+    # _tensor_bridge.pyx.
     _aoti_extra_link_args = []
     if sys.platform == "win32":
         _def_file = os.path.join("cuda", "core", "_include", "aoti_shim.def")
diff --git a/cuda_core/cuda/core/_include/aoti_shim.def b/cuda_core/cuda/core/_include/aoti_shim.def
index 5cc6897e815..e21097bd25e 100644
--- a/cuda_core/cuda/core/_include/aoti_shim.def
+++ b/cuda_core/cuda/core/_include/aoti_shim.def
@@ -34,4 +34,3 @@ EXPORTS
     aoti_torch_get_device_index
     aoti_torch_device_type_cpu
     aoti_torch_device_type_cuda
-    aoti_torch_get_current_cuda_stream
diff --git a/cuda_core/cuda/core/_include/aoti_shim.h b/cuda_core/cuda/core/_include/aoti_shim.h
index 809bdb1a2a6..464d27de46c 100644
--- a/cuda_core/cuda/core/_include/aoti_shim.h
+++ b/cuda_core/cuda/core/_include/aoti_shim.h
@@ -52,10 +52,13 @@ typedef struct AtenTensorOpaque* AtenTensorHandle;
 
 /*
  * IMPORTANT: Keep the AOTI_SHIM_API declaration list below in sync with
- * aoti_shim.def. On Windows, build_hooks.py turns that .def file into the
+ * aoti_shim.def.  On Windows, build_hooks.py turns that .def file into the
  * stub import library that MSVC needs to link _tensor_bridge without making
- * PyTorch a build-time dependency. If you add, remove, or rename an imported
- * AOTI symbol here, update aoti_shim.def in the same change.
+ * PyTorch a build-time dependency.  If you add, remove, or rename an
+ * imported AOTI symbol here, update aoti_shim.def in the same change.
+ *
+ * Exception: aoti_torch_get_current_cuda_stream lives in torch_cuda (not
+ * torch_cpu) and is resolved lazily at runtime — see _tensor_bridge.pyx.
  */
 
 /* ---- tensor metadata --------------------------------------------------- */
@@ -105,10 +108,11 @@ AOTI_SHIM_API AOTITorchError aoti_torch_get_device_index(
 AOTI_SHIM_API int32_t aoti_torch_device_type_cpu(void);
 AOTI_SHIM_API int32_t aoti_torch_device_type_cuda(void);
 
-/* ---- stream -------------------------------------------------------------- */
-
-AOTI_SHIM_API AOTITorchError aoti_torch_get_current_cuda_stream(
-    int32_t device_index, void** ret_stream);
+/* ---- stream --------------------------------------------------------------
+ * aoti_torch_get_current_cuda_stream is NOT declared here — it lives in
+ * torch_cuda (not torch_cpu) and is resolved at runtime.  See the inline
+ * C helper _resolve_cuda_stream_fn() in _tensor_bridge.pyx.
+ * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }  /* extern "C" */
diff --git a/cuda_core/cuda/core/_tensor_bridge.pyx b/cuda_core/cuda/core/_tensor_bridge.pyx
index 388ca738dbb..07eec56537b 100644
--- a/cuda_core/cuda/core/_tensor_bridge.pyx
+++ b/cuda_core/cuda/core/_tensor_bridge.pyx
@@ -103,8 +103,38 @@ cdef extern from "_include/aoti_shim.h":
     int32_t aoti_torch_device_type_cpu()
     int32_t aoti_torch_device_type_cuda()
 
-    # stream
-    AOTITorchError aoti_torch_get_current_cuda_stream(int32_t, void**)
+    # Note: aoti_torch_get_current_cuda_stream is NOT declared here because
+    # it lives in torch_cuda.dll (not torch_cpu.dll).  It is resolved lazily
+    # at runtime via dlsym / GetProcAddress — see _resolve_cuda_stream_fn().
+
+# Runtime resolution for aoti_torch_get_current_cuda_stream.
+# This symbol lives in torch_cuda.dll (Windows) / libtorch_cuda.so (Linux),
+# NOT in torch_cpu.  We resolve it lazily on first use so that the module
+# can be imported even with CPU-only PyTorch.
+ctypedef AOTITorchError (*_get_cuda_stream_fn_t)(int32_t, void**) nogil
+
+cdef extern from *:
+    """
+    #ifdef _WIN32
+    #include <windows.h>
+    static void* _resolve_cuda_stream_fn(void) {
+        HMODULE h = LoadLibraryA("torch_cuda.dll");
+        if (!h) return NULL;
+        return (void*)GetProcAddress(h, "aoti_torch_get_current_cuda_stream");
+    }
+    #else
+    #include <dlfcn.h>
+    #ifndef RTLD_DEFAULT
+    #define RTLD_DEFAULT ((void*)0)
+    #endif
+    static void* _resolve_cuda_stream_fn(void) {
+        return dlsym(RTLD_DEFAULT, "aoti_torch_get_current_cuda_stream");
+    }
+    #endif
+    """
+    void* _resolve_cuda_stream_fn() nogil
+
+cdef _get_cuda_stream_fn_t _cached_get_cuda_stream = NULL
 
 import numpy
 import sys
@@ -274,10 +304,17 @@ cpdef int sync_torch_stream(int32_t device_index,
     the consumer stream wait on it.  This is a no-op if both streams are
     the same.
     """
+    global _cached_get_cuda_stream
     cdef void* producer_s
     cdef EventHandle h_event
 
-    check_aoti(aoti_torch_get_current_cuda_stream(device_index, &producer_s),
+    if _cached_get_cuda_stream == NULL:
+        _cached_get_cuda_stream = <_get_cuda_stream_fn_t>_resolve_cuda_stream_fn()
+        if _cached_get_cuda_stream == NULL:
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                "Cannot resolve aoti_torch_get_current_cuda_stream from "
+                "torch_cuda — is CUDA-enabled PyTorch installed?")
+    check_aoti(_cached_get_cuda_stream(device_index, &producer_s),
                b"aoti_torch_get_current_cuda_stream")
     if <intptr_t>producer_s != consumer_s:
         with nogil: