diff --git a/server/text_generation_server/layers/attention/cuda.py b/server/text_generation_server/layers/attention/cuda.py
index f16004cd..a3afd422 100644
--- a/server/text_generation_server/layers/attention/cuda.py
+++ b/server/text_generation_server/layers/attention/cuda.py
@@ -14,6 +14,18 @@ major, minor = torch.cuda.get_device_capability()
 is_sm75 = major == 7 and minor == 5
 _PARTITION_SIZE = 512
 
+if SYSTEM == "cuda":
+    try:
+        attention_kernels = load_kernel(
+            module="attention", repo_id="kernels-community/attention"
+        )
+    except Exception as e:
+        raise ImportError(
+            f"Could not import attention kernels. Make sure your installation is correct. Complete error: {e}"
+        )
+else:
+    attention_kernels = None
+
 
 def paged_attention(
     query: torch.Tensor,
@@ -108,9 +120,6 @@ def paged_attention(
         if softcap is not None:
             raise RuntimeError("Paged attention doesn't support softcapping")
         input_lengths = seqlen.input_lengths + seqlen.cache_lengths
-        attention_kernels = load_kernel(
-            module="attention", repo_id="kernels-community/attention"
-        )
 
         out = torch.empty_like(query)
 
diff --git a/server/text_generation_server/layers/attention/kv_cache.py b/server/text_generation_server/layers/attention/kv_cache.py
index 2e1dd1c5..6e7cb713 100644
--- a/server/text_generation_server/layers/attention/kv_cache.py
+++ b/server/text_generation_server/layers/attention/kv_cache.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ if SYSTEM == "cuda":
         )
     except Exception as e:
         raise ImportError(
-            f"Could not import attention_kernels. Make sure your installation is correct. Complete error: {e}"
+            f"Could not import attention kernels. Make sure your installation is correct. Complete error: {e}"
         )
 else:
     attention_kernels = None
@@ -233,8 +233,6 @@ def paged_reshape_and_cache(
 ):
 
     if SYSTEM == "cuda":
-        assert attention_kernels is not None
-
         kv_cache_dtype = "auto"
         if key_cache.dtype == torch.float8_e4m3fn:
             kv_cache_dtype = "fp8"