diff --git a/src/axolotl/integrations/aux_free_router/adapters.py b/src/axolotl/integrations/aux_free_router/adapters.py
index ac9ed1851..0df987fe3 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/integrations/aux_free_router/adapters.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/integrations/aux_free_router/adapters.py
@@ -1,11 +1,19 @@
+"""Architecture-specific adapters for aux-loss-free MoE routing.
+
+Each adapter discovers MoE layers for a model family and patches only the
+router/gate to inject per-expert bias into expert selection while keeping
+mixture weights from unbiased logits.  Expert dispatch is left untouched so
+the patching composes with any expert backend (eager, ScatterMoE, SonicMoE).
+"""
+
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from typing import Iterable, Optional
 
 import torch
-from torch import nn
 import torch.nn.functional as F
+from torch import nn
 
 from axolotl.utils.logging import get_logger
 
@@ -23,9 +31,10 @@ class LayerHandle:
 
 
 class BaseMoEAdapter:
-    """Base adapter that discovers MoE layers and wraps their forward.
+    """Base adapter that discovers MoE layers and patches their routing.
 
-    Concrete adapters should implement discovery and per-layer attribute extraction.
+    Concrete adapters implement discovery, attribute extraction, and
+    architecture-specific router patching.
     """
 
     family: str = "generic"
@@ -33,158 +42,191 @@ class BaseMoEAdapter:
     def matches(self, model: nn.Module) -> bool:  # pragma: no cover - thin shim
         return False
 
-    def find_moe_layers(self, model: nn.Module) -> Iterable[nn.Module]:  # pragma: no cover
+    def find_moe_layers(
+        self, model: nn.Module
+    ) -> Iterable[nn.Module]:  # pragma: no cover
         return []
 
-    def get_top_k(self, moe_layer: nn.Module) -> int:  # pragma: no cover
-        return int(getattr(moe_layer, "num_experts_per_tok", getattr(moe_layer, "top_k", 2)))
+    def get_top_k(self, moe_layer: nn.Module) -> int:
+        """Resolve top_k from the MoE layer, checking common attribute paths."""
+        for attr_path in [
+            ("top_k",),
+            ("num_experts_per_tok",),
+            ("gate", "top_k"),
+            ("router", "top_k"),
+        ]:
+            obj: object = moe_layer
+            for attr in attr_path:
+                obj = getattr(obj, attr, None)
+                if obj is None:
+                    break
+            if isinstance(obj, int):
+                return obj
+        return 2
 
-    def get_num_experts(self, moe_layer: nn.Module) -> int:  # pragma: no cover
-        return int(getattr(moe_layer, "num_experts"))
+    def get_num_experts(self, moe_layer: nn.Module) -> int:
+        """Resolve num_experts from the MoE layer, checking common attribute paths."""
+        for attr_path in [
+            ("num_experts",),
+            ("num_local_experts",),
+            ("gate", "num_experts"),
+            ("router", "num_experts"),
+            ("experts", "num_experts"),
+        ]:
+            obj: object = moe_layer
+            for attr in attr_path:
+                obj = getattr(obj, attr, None)
+                if obj is None:
+                    break
+            if isinstance(obj, int):
+                return obj
+        raise AttributeError(f"Cannot determine num_experts for {type(moe_layer)}")
 
     def disable_aux_loss(self, model_or_layer: nn.Module) -> None:
         # Best-effort: zero router aux loss coef if present
         if hasattr(model_or_layer, "router_aux_loss_coef"):
             try:
-                setattr(model_or_layer, "router_aux_loss_coef", 0.0)
+                model_or_layer.router_aux_loss_coef = 0.0
             except Exception:  # pragma: no cover - non-critical
                 pass
 
-    def _register_aux_buffers(self, moe_layer: nn.Module, handle: LayerHandle, shim: AuxFreeShim) -> None:
+    def _register_aux_buffers(
+        self, moe_layer: nn.Module, handle: LayerHandle, shim: AuxFreeShim
+    ) -> None:
         device = next(moe_layer.parameters(), torch.tensor(0)).device
         if not hasattr(moe_layer, "_afb_bias"):
-            moe_layer.register_buffer("_afb_bias", torch.zeros(handle.num_experts, device=device))
+            moe_layer.register_buffer(
+                "_afb_bias", torch.zeros(handle.num_experts, device=device)
+            )
         if not hasattr(moe_layer, "_afb_counts"):
-            moe_layer.register_buffer("_afb_counts", torch.zeros(handle.num_experts, device=device))
+            moe_layer.register_buffer(
+                "_afb_counts", torch.zeros(handle.num_experts, device=device)
+            )
         if not hasattr(moe_layer, "_afb_ema"):
-            moe_layer.register_buffer("_afb_ema", torch.zeros(handle.num_experts, device=device))
+            moe_layer.register_buffer(
+                "_afb_ema", torch.zeros(handle.num_experts, device=device)
+            )
         moe_layer._afb_layer_idx = handle.layer_idx  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
         moe_layer._afb_top_k = handle.top_k  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
         shim.register_layer_buffers(handle.layer_idx, moe_layer)
 
-    def prepare(self, moe_layer: nn.Module, handle: LayerHandle, shim: AuxFreeShim) -> None:
-        """Attach per-layer buffers and mark as aux-free enabled."""
+    def prepare(
+        self, moe_layer: nn.Module, handle: LayerHandle, shim: AuxFreeShim
+    ) -> None:
+        """Attach per-layer buffers.  Subclasses override to also patch routing."""
         self._register_aux_buffers(moe_layer, handle, shim)
-        self._patch_forward_with_aux_free(moe_layer)
 
-    def _patch_forward_with_aux_free(self, moe_layer: nn.Module) -> None:
-        """Replace the layer's forward with an aux-free gating version.
-
-        Assumes the layer exposes attributes:
-          - gate: linear router projecting hidden to num_experts
-          - num_experts: int
-          - experts: iterable of expert modules taking (tokens, H) -> (tokens, H)
-        """
-        if getattr(moe_layer, "_afb_patched", False):
-            return
-
-        if not hasattr(moe_layer, "gate") or not hasattr(moe_layer, "experts"):
-            LOG.info("AuxFreeMoE: layer missing gate/experts; skipping forward patch")
-            return
-
-        def afb_forward(self, hidden_states: torch.Tensor):  # type: ignore[no-redef]
-            # hidden_states: (B, T, H)
-            bsz, seqlen, hdim = hidden_states.shape
-            hs = hidden_states.view(-1, hdim)
-            logits = self.gate(hs)
-            # selection uses biased logits; weights from unbiased logits
-            bias = getattr(self, "_afb_bias")
-            top_k = int(getattr(self, "_afb_top_k", 2))
-            biased = logits + bias  # broadcast over tokens
-            topk_vals, topk_idx = torch.topk(biased, k=top_k, dim=-1, sorted=False)
-            chosen_logits = torch.gather(logits, -1, topk_idx)
-            weights = torch.softmax(chosen_logits.float(), dim=-1)
-            weights = weights.to(hs.dtype)
-
-            # accumulate counts for bias update callback
-            flat_idx = topk_idx.reshape(-1)
-            counts = torch.bincount(flat_idx, minlength=int(self.num_experts))
-            getattr(self, "_afb_counts").add_(counts.to(getattr(self, "_afb_counts").dtype))
-
-            # dispatch tokens to experts
-            hs_rep = hs.repeat_interleave(top_k, dim=0)
-            y = torch.empty_like(hs_rep)
-            for eid in range(int(self.num_experts)):
-                mask = flat_idx == eid
-                if mask.any():
-                    y[mask] = self.experts[eid](hs_rep[mask])
-
-            y = (y.view(-1, top_k, hdim) * weights.unsqueeze(-1)).sum(dim=1)
-            out = y.view(bsz, seqlen, hdim)
-            return (out, logits)
-
-        moe_layer.forward = afb_forward.__get__(moe_layer, moe_layer.__class__)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
-        setattr(moe_layer, "_afb_patched", True)
+    def uses_kernel_routing(self, moe_layer: nn.Module) -> bool:
+        """Return True when a kernel backend (SonicMoE / ScatterMoE) has
+        already replaced the block forward, meaning the routing is handled
+        inside the kernel forward and we should NOT patch the router."""
+        cls = type(moe_layer)
+        # SonicMoE stores the original forward when it patches a class.
+        if hasattr(cls, "_original_forward"):
+            return True
+        # ScatterMoE replaces via kernels library; check for the marker.
+        if hasattr(cls, "_kernel_forward"):
+            return True
+        return False
 
 
 class MixtralAdapter(BaseMoEAdapter):
+    """Patches the TopKRouter for Mixtral / Qwen-MoE style softmax→topk
+    routing so that biased logits drive expert *selection* while unbiased
+    softmax scores drive mixture *weights*.
+
+    Works with transformers v5 where experts are fused 3D tensors and
+    the router is ``MixtralTopKRouter`` (returns a 3-tuple).
+    """
+
     family = "mixtral"
 
     def matches(self, model: nn.Module) -> bool:
-        return getattr(getattr(model, "config", object()), "model_type", "") == "mixtral"
-
-    def prepare(self, moe_layer: nn.Module, handle: LayerHandle, shim: AuxFreeShim) -> None:
-        self._register_aux_buffers(moe_layer, handle, shim)
-        self._patch_mixtral_forward(moe_layer, shim)
+        return (
+            getattr(getattr(model, "config", object()), "model_type", "") == "mixtral"
+        )
 
     def find_moe_layers(self, model: nn.Module) -> Iterable[nn.Module]:
         for m in model.modules():
             if m.__class__.__name__.endswith("SparseMoeBlock"):
                 yield m
 
-    def _patch_mixtral_forward(self, moe_layer: nn.Module, shim: AuxFreeShim) -> None:
-        if getattr(moe_layer, "_afb_patched", False):
-            return
-
-        shim_ref = shim
-
-        def afb_forward(self, hidden_states: torch.Tensor):  # type: ignore[no-redef]
-            batch_size, sequence_length, hidden_dim = hidden_states.shape
-            if self.training and getattr(self, "jitter_noise", 0) > 0:
-                hidden_states = hidden_states * torch.empty_like(hidden_states).uniform_(
-                    1.0 - self.jitter_noise, 1.0 + self.jitter_noise
-                )
-            flat_states = hidden_states.view(-1, hidden_dim)
-            router_logits = self.gate(flat_states)
-
-            layer_idx = int(getattr(self, "_afb_layer_idx", 0))
-            top_k = int(getattr(self, "_afb_top_k", self.top_k))
-            selected_experts, routing_weights = shim_ref.select_experts(layer_idx, router_logits, top_k)
-            routing_weights = routing_weights.to(flat_states.dtype)
-
-            flat_idx = selected_experts.reshape(-1)
-            counts = torch.bincount(flat_idx, minlength=int(self.num_experts))
-            self._afb_counts.add_(counts.to(self._afb_counts.dtype))
-
-            final_hidden_states = torch.zeros(
-                (batch_size * sequence_length, hidden_dim),
-                dtype=flat_states.dtype,
-                device=flat_states.device,
+    def prepare(
+        self, moe_layer: nn.Module, handle: LayerHandle, shim: AuxFreeShim
+    ) -> None:
+        self._register_aux_buffers(moe_layer, handle, shim)
+        if not self.uses_kernel_routing(moe_layer):
+            self._patch_router(moe_layer)
+        else:
+            LOG.info(
+                "AuxFreeMoE: kernel backend detected on %s; "
+                "skipping router patch (kernel routing handles bias)",
+                type(moe_layer).__name__,
             )
 
-            expert_mask = F.one_hot(selected_experts, num_classes=self.num_experts).permute(2, 1, 0)
-            expert_hit = torch.greater(expert_mask.sum(dim=(-1, -2)), 0).nonzero()
-            for expert_idx_tensor in expert_hit:
-                expert_idx = int(expert_idx_tensor.squeeze().item())
-                expert_layer = self.experts[expert_idx]
-                mask = expert_mask[expert_idx].squeeze(0)
-                idx, top_x = torch.where(mask)
-                current_state = flat_states[None, top_x].reshape(-1, hidden_dim)
-                current_hidden_states = expert_layer(current_state) * routing_weights[top_x, idx, None]
-                final_hidden_states.index_add_(0, top_x, current_hidden_states.to(flat_states.dtype))
+    def _patch_router(self, moe_layer: nn.Module) -> None:
+        """Patch the TopKRouter to inject aux-free bias into expert selection."""
+        gate = getattr(moe_layer, "gate", None)
+        if gate is None:
+            LOG.info("MixtralAdapter: layer missing gate; skipping aux-free patch")
+            return
+        if getattr(gate, "_afb_patched", False):
+            return
 
-            final_hidden_states = final_hidden_states.reshape(batch_size, sequence_length, hidden_dim)
-            return final_hidden_states, router_logits
+        # Capture reference to the MoE block for bias / counts access.
+        block_ref = moe_layer
 
-        moe_layer.forward = afb_forward.__get__(moe_layer, moe_layer.__class__)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
-        setattr(moe_layer, "_afb_patched", True)
+        def afb_router_forward(self, hidden_states: torch.Tensor):
+            hidden_states = hidden_states.reshape(-1, self.hidden_dim)
+            router_logits = F.linear(hidden_states, self.weight)
+            router_probs = F.softmax(router_logits.float(), dim=-1)
+
+            # Biased selection, unbiased weights
+            bias = block_ref._afb_bias
+            biased = router_probs + bias
+            _, router_indices = torch.topk(biased, self.top_k, dim=-1)
+            router_scores = torch.gather(router_probs, 1, router_indices)
+
+            # Renormalize (Mixtral always normalizes; Qwen checks config)
+            if getattr(self, "norm_topk_prob", True):
+                router_scores = router_scores / router_scores.sum(dim=-1, keepdim=True)
+
+            # Accumulate counts for the bias-update callback
+            flat_idx = router_indices.reshape(-1)
+            counts = torch.bincount(flat_idx, minlength=self.num_experts)
+            block_ref._afb_counts.add_(counts.to(block_ref._afb_counts.dtype))
+
+            return router_probs, router_scores, router_indices
+
+        gate.forward = afb_router_forward.__get__(gate, gate.__class__)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+        gate._afb_patched = True
+        moe_layer._afb_patched = True
 
 
 class Qwen3Adapter(MixtralAdapter):
     family = "qwen3_moe"
 
     def matches(self, model: nn.Module) -> bool:
-        return getattr(getattr(model, "config", object()), "model_type", "") in ("qwen3_moe", "qwen2_moe")
+        return getattr(getattr(model, "config", object()), "model_type", "") in (
+            "qwen3_moe",
+            "qwen2_moe",
+        )
+
+
+class Qwen35MoeAdapter(MixtralAdapter):
+    """Adapter for Qwen 3.5 MoE models.
+
+    Same softmax→topk router pattern as Mixtral/Qwen3.  The shared expert
+    is handled by the block forward (untouched by router-level patching).
+    """
+
+    family = "qwen3_5_moe"
+
+    def matches(self, model: nn.Module) -> bool:
+        return getattr(getattr(model, "config", object()), "model_type", "") in (
+            "qwen3_5_moe",
+            "qwen3_5_moe_text",
+        )
 
 
 class BailingAdapter(BaseMoEAdapter):
@@ -207,11 +249,15 @@ class BailingAdapter(BaseMoEAdapter):
 
     def get_num_experts(self, moe_layer: nn.Module) -> int:
         if hasattr(moe_layer, "num_experts"):
-            return int(getattr(moe_layer, "num_experts"))
+            return int(moe_layer.num_experts)
         cfg = getattr(moe_layer, "config", None)
-        return int(getattr(cfg, "num_experts"))
+        if cfg is None:
+            raise AttributeError(f"Cannot determine num_experts for {type(moe_layer)}")
+        return int(cfg.num_experts)
 
-    def prepare(self, moe_layer: nn.Module, handle: LayerHandle, shim: AuxFreeShim) -> None:
+    def prepare(
+        self, moe_layer: nn.Module, handle: LayerHandle, shim: AuxFreeShim
+    ) -> None:
         self._register_aux_buffers(moe_layer, handle, shim)
         self._patch_bailing_gate(moe_layer)
 
@@ -227,7 +273,7 @@ class BailingAdapter(BaseMoEAdapter):
             flat = hidden_states.view(-1, hidden_states.shape[-1])
             logits = F.linear(flat.float(), self.weight.float())
             scores_unbiased = torch.sigmoid(logits.float()).to(logits.dtype)
-            bias = getattr(moe_layer, "_afb_bias")
+            bias = moe_layer._afb_bias
             biased_scores = scores_unbiased + bias
             topk_vals, topk_idx = self.group_limited_topk(biased_scores)
             weights = torch.gather(scores_unbiased, 1, topk_idx)
@@ -238,12 +284,12 @@ class BailingAdapter(BaseMoEAdapter):
 
             flat_topk = topk_idx.reshape(-1)
             counts = torch.bincount(flat_topk, minlength=bias.numel())
-            getattr(moe_layer, "_afb_counts").add_(counts.to(moe_layer._afb_counts.dtype))
+            moe_layer._afb_counts.add_(counts.to(moe_layer._afb_counts.dtype))
 
             return topk_idx, weights.to(hidden_states.dtype), logits
 
         gate.forward = afb_gate_forward.__get__(gate, gate.__class__)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
-        setattr(gate, "_afb_patched", True)
+        gate._afb_patched = True
 
 
 class Llama4Adapter(BaseMoEAdapter):
@@ -257,7 +303,9 @@ class Llama4Adapter(BaseMoEAdapter):
             if m.__class__.__name__ == "Llama4TextMoe":
                 yield m
 
-    def prepare(self, moe_layer: nn.Module, handle: LayerHandle, shim: AuxFreeShim) -> None:
+    def prepare(
+        self, moe_layer: nn.Module, handle: LayerHandle, shim: AuxFreeShim
+    ) -> None:
         self._register_aux_buffers(moe_layer, handle, shim)
         self._patch_llama4_router(moe_layer)
 
@@ -270,9 +318,13 @@ class Llama4Adapter(BaseMoEAdapter):
             return
 
         def afb_router_forward(self, hidden_states: torch.Tensor):
-            flat = hidden_states if hidden_states.dim() == 2 else hidden_states.view(-1, hidden_states.shape[-1])
+            flat = (
+                hidden_states
+                if hidden_states.dim() == 2
+                else hidden_states.view(-1, hidden_states.shape[-1])
+            )
             router_logits = F.linear(flat, self.weight, self.bias)
-            bias = getattr(moe_layer, "_afb_bias")
+            bias = moe_layer._afb_bias
             biased_logits = router_logits + bias
             _, router_indices = torch.topk(biased_logits, self.top_k, dim=1)
             unbiased_top = torch.gather(router_logits, 1, router_indices)
@@ -281,15 +333,17 @@ class Llama4Adapter(BaseMoEAdapter):
             router_scores = torch.sigmoid(router_scores.float()).to(router_scores.dtype)
 
             counts = torch.bincount(router_indices.reshape(-1), minlength=bias.numel())
-            getattr(moe_layer, "_afb_counts").add_(counts.to(moe_layer._afb_counts.dtype))
+            moe_layer._afb_counts.add_(counts.to(moe_layer._afb_counts.dtype))
 
             return router_scores, router_logits
 
         router.forward = afb_router_forward.__get__(router, router.__class__)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
-        setattr(router, "_afb_patched", True)
+        router._afb_patched = True
 
 
-def discover_and_prepare_layers(model: nn.Module, adapters: list[BaseMoEAdapter], shim: AuxFreeShim) -> list[LayerHandle]:
+def discover_and_prepare_layers(
+    model: nn.Module, adapters: list[BaseMoEAdapter], shim: AuxFreeShim
+) -> list[LayerHandle]:
     """Discover MoE layers using the first matching adapter and attach per-layer buffers.
 
     Returns a list of layer handles for later routing patching and updates.
@@ -313,7 +367,7 @@ def discover_and_prepare_layers(model: nn.Module, adapters: list[BaseMoEAdapter]
         try:
             top_k = adapter.get_top_k(layer)
             nE = adapter.get_num_experts(layer)
-        except Exception:
+        except (AttributeError, TypeError, ValueError):
             continue
 
         handle = LayerHandle(layer=layer, layer_idx=idx, num_experts=nE, top_k=top_k)
@@ -321,5 +375,7 @@ def discover_and_prepare_layers(model: nn.Module, adapters: list[BaseMoEAdapter]
         handles.append(handle)
         idx += 1
 
-    LOG.info(f"AuxFreeMoE: prepared {len(handles)} {adapter.family} layers for aux-free routing")
+    LOG.info(
+        f"AuxFreeMoE: prepared {len(handles)} {adapter.family} layers for aux-free routing"
+    )
     return handles
diff --git a/src/axolotl/integrations/aux_free_router/plugin.py b/src/axolotl/integrations/aux_free_router/plugin.py
index 31893e281..fd39c7dfc 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/integrations/aux_free_router/plugin.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/integrations/aux_free_router/plugin.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ unbiased logits for mixture weights and per-expert biases for top-k selection.
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from typing import Optional, Any
+from typing import Any, Optional
 
 import torch
 import torch.distributed as dist
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ from .adapters import (
     Llama4Adapter,
     MixtralAdapter,
     Qwen3Adapter,
+    Qwen35MoeAdapter,
     discover_and_prepare_layers,
 )
 from .core import AuxFreeConfig, AuxFreeShim, AuxFreeState
@@ -47,9 +48,11 @@ class MoeAuxFreeBiasUpdateCallback(TrainerCallback):
         # Iterate prepared MoE layers and apply the bias update rule.
         self.shim.begin_step()
         for layer in self.layer_modules:
-            if not hasattr(layer, "_afb_counts") or not hasattr(layer, "_afb_layer_idx"):
+            if not hasattr(layer, "_afb_counts") or not hasattr(
+                layer, "_afb_layer_idx"
+            ):
                 continue
-            counts = getattr(layer, "_afb_counts")
+            counts = layer._afb_counts
             if counts is None:
                 continue
             counts = self.shim.all_reduce_counts(counts)
@@ -57,7 +60,7 @@ class MoeAuxFreeBiasUpdateCallback(TrainerCallback):
             if layer_idx is None:
                 counts.zero_()
                 continue
-            bias = getattr(layer, "_afb_bias")
+            bias = layer._afb_bias
             counts_for_update = counts.to(bias.device)
             tokens_seen = int(counts_for_update.sum().item())
             # local layer-state EMA and bias update
@@ -143,12 +146,16 @@ class AuxFreeMoEPlugin(BasePlugin):
             return
 
         # Be conservative — skip known native aux-free families
-        native_auxfree = getattr(getattr(model, "config", object()), "model_type", "") in (
+        native_auxfree = getattr(
+            getattr(model, "config", object()), "model_type", ""
+        ) in (
             "deepseek_v3",
             "glm4_moe",
         )
         if native_auxfree:
-            LOG.info("AuxFreeMoE: model reports native aux-free routing; skipping patching")
+            LOG.info(
+                "AuxFreeMoE: model reports native aux-free routing; skipping patching"
+            )
             return
 
         # Build aux-free state and shim
@@ -171,6 +178,7 @@ class AuxFreeMoEPlugin(BasePlugin):
         adapters: list[BaseMoEAdapter] = [
             MixtralAdapter(),
             Qwen3Adapter(),
+            Qwen35MoeAdapter(),
             BailingAdapter(),
             Llama4Adapter(),
         ]
@@ -178,7 +186,7 @@ class AuxFreeMoEPlugin(BasePlugin):
         # For initial state sizing, we conservatively assume the first discovered layer defines nE
         n_layers = 0
         n_experts = None
-        for m in model.modules():
+        for _m in model.modules():
             n_layers += 1  # upper bound — we will re-use bias slots sparsely
         device = next(model.parameters(), torch.tensor(0)).device
         if n_layers <= 0:
@@ -186,7 +194,9 @@ class AuxFreeMoEPlugin(BasePlugin):
         if n_experts is None:
             # we'll set a minimal placeholder; prepare() will conceptually use module buffers instead
             n_experts = 2
-        state = AuxFreeState(num_layers=n_layers, num_experts=n_experts, device=device, cfg=af_cfg)
+        state = AuxFreeState(
+            num_layers=n_layers, num_experts=n_experts, device=device, cfg=af_cfg
+        )
         ep_size = getattr(cfg, "expert_parallel_size", None)
         ep_group = None
         if sync_group == "ep":
@@ -207,11 +217,15 @@ class AuxFreeMoEPlugin(BasePlugin):
 
     def _resolve_ep_group(self, cfg) -> Optional[dist.ProcessGroup]:
         if not dist.is_available() or not dist.is_initialized():
-            LOG.warning("AuxFreeMoE: EP sync requested but torch.distributed is not initialized; defaulting to world")
+            LOG.warning(
+                "AuxFreeMoE: EP sync requested but torch.distributed is not initialized; defaulting to world"
+            )
             return None
         ep_size = getattr(cfg, "expert_parallel_size", None)
         if not ep_size or ep_size <= 1:
-            LOG.warning("AuxFreeMoE: moe_bias_sync_group='ep' but expert_parallel_size<=1; defaulting to world")
+            LOG.warning(
+                "AuxFreeMoE: moe_bias_sync_group='ep' but expert_parallel_size<=1; defaulting to world"
+            )
             return None
         world = dist.get_world_size()
         if world % ep_size != 0:
diff --git a/src/axolotl/integrations/kernels/libs/scattermoe_lora/layers.py b/src/axolotl/integrations/kernels/libs/scattermoe_lora/layers.py
index c6c01e255..963bf84f5 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/integrations/kernels/libs/scattermoe_lora/layers.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/integrations/kernels/libs/scattermoe_lora/layers.py
@@ -240,7 +240,16 @@ def _softmax_topk_route(
 
     top_k = base_gate.top_k
     num_experts = base_gate.num_experts
-    routing_weights, selected_experts = torch.topk(routing_weights, top_k, dim=-1)
+
+    # Aux-free bias: biased selection, unbiased weights
+    afb_bias = getattr(moe_block, "_afb_bias", None)
+    if afb_bias is not None:
+        scores_for_choice = routing_weights + afb_bias
+        _, selected_experts = torch.topk(scores_for_choice, top_k, dim=-1)
+        routing_weights = routing_weights.gather(1, selected_experts)
+        _accumulate_afb_counts(moe_block, selected_experts)
+    else:
+        routing_weights, selected_experts = torch.topk(routing_weights, top_k, dim=-1)
 
     if getattr(base_gate, "norm_topk_prob", True):
         routing_weights = routing_weights / routing_weights.sum(dim=-1, keepdim=True)
@@ -282,6 +291,11 @@ def _sigmoid_topk_route(
     else:
         scores_for_choice = router_probs
 
+    # Aux-free bias: stacks on top of e_score_correction_bias for selection
+    afb_bias = getattr(moe_block, "_afb_bias", None)
+    if afb_bias is not None:
+        scores_for_choice = scores_for_choice + afb_bias
+
     # Group-based selection: pick top groups, mask the rest
     n_group = getattr(moe_block, "n_group", 1)
     if n_group > 1:
@@ -307,6 +321,10 @@ def _sigmoid_topk_route(
     # Gather weights from original sigmoid scores (not bias-corrected)
     topk_weights = router_probs.gather(1, topk_indices)
 
+    # Accumulate counts for aux-free bias update
+    if afb_bias is not None:
+        _accumulate_afb_counts(moe_block, topk_indices)
+
     # Optional renormalization + scaling
     if getattr(moe_block, "norm_topk_prob", True):
         topk_weights = topk_weights / (topk_weights.sum(dim=-1, keepdim=True) + 1e-20)
@@ -335,6 +353,16 @@ def _route(moe_block, base_gate, hidden_states, gate_weight, gate_lora_delta):
     )
 
 
+def _accumulate_afb_counts(moe_block, topk_indices: torch.Tensor) -> None:
+    """Accumulate per-expert token counts for aux-free bias updates."""
+    afb_counts = getattr(moe_block, "_afb_counts", None)
+    if afb_counts is None:
+        return
+    flat_idx = topk_indices.reshape(-1)
+    counts = torch.bincount(flat_idx, minlength=afb_counts.numel())
+    afb_counts.add_(counts.to(afb_counts.dtype))
+
+
 # =============================================================================
 # Shared expert helpers
 # =============================================================================
diff --git a/src/axolotl/integrations/kernels/sonicmoe/routing.py b/src/axolotl/integrations/kernels/sonicmoe/routing.py
index fe2d12092..0b0da9fc8 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/integrations/kernels/sonicmoe/routing.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/integrations/kernels/sonicmoe/routing.py
@@ -9,6 +9,12 @@ Different MoE architectures use different routing strategies:
 
 Each model type maps to a (routing_fn, activation_type, router_attr) triple.
 When routing_fn is None, the fused moe_TC_softmax_topk_layer path is used.
+
+Aux-loss-free (AFB) bias integration: when the aux_free_router plugin is
+active, ``moe_block._afb_bias`` and ``moe_block._afb_counts`` are registered
+as buffers.  The routing functions transparently inject the bias into expert
+*selection* (biased topk) while keeping mixture *weights* from unbiased
+scores, then accumulate per-expert token counts for the post-step bias update.
 """
 
 import torch
@@ -101,17 +107,25 @@ def softmax_topk_routing(
     router_logits = F.linear(hidden_states, gate.weight)  # [T, E]
     router_probs = F.softmax(router_logits, dim=-1, dtype=torch.float32)  # [T, E]
 
+    # Aux-free bias: biased selection, unbiased weights
+    afb_bias = getattr(moe_block, "_afb_bias", None)
+    scores_for_choice = router_probs
+    if afb_bias is not None:
+        scores_for_choice = router_probs + afb_bias
+
     # Select top-k experts per token
-    top_values, top_indices = torch.topk(router_probs, K, dim=-1)  # [T, K] each
+    top_values, top_indices = torch.topk(scores_for_choice, K, dim=-1)  # [T, K] each
+
+    # When aux-free bias is active, gather unbiased weights and accumulate counts
+    if afb_bias is not None:
+        top_values = router_probs.gather(1, top_indices)
+        _accumulate_afb_counts(moe_block, top_indices)
 
     # Renormalize if configured (default True for models without the attribute,
     # e.g. Mixtral/MiniMax which always normalize)
     if getattr(gate, "norm_topk_prob", True):
         top_values = top_values / top_values.sum(dim=-1, keepdim=True)
 
-    # no-op: matches transformers which casts to softmax output dtype (float32).
-    # top_values = top_values.to(router_probs.dtype)
-
     # Flatten for moe_general_routing_inputs.
     # Token indices are naturally sorted ascending from the [T, K] layout:
     # [0, 0, ..., 1, 1, ..., T-1, T-1, ...] — this is required by SonicMoE.
@@ -142,7 +156,11 @@ def softmax_group_topk_routing(
     router_logits = F.linear(hidden_states, gate.weight)  # [T, E]
     router_probs = F.softmax(router_logits, dim=-1, dtype=torch.float32)  # [T, E]
 
+    # Aux-free bias: inject before group selection / topk
+    afb_bias = getattr(moe_block, "_afb_bias", None)
     scores_for_choice = router_probs
+    if afb_bias is not None:
+        scores_for_choice = router_probs + afb_bias
 
     # Group selection: pick top groups, mask the rest
     if n_group > 1:
@@ -164,6 +182,10 @@ def softmax_group_topk_routing(
     topk_indices = torch.topk(scores_for_choice, k=K, dim=-1, sorted=False)[1]
     topk_weights = router_probs.gather(1, topk_indices)
 
+    # Accumulate counts for aux-free bias update
+    if afb_bias is not None:
+        _accumulate_afb_counts(moe_block, topk_indices)
+
     # Renormalization + scaling
     norm_topk_prob = getattr(moe_block, "norm_topk_prob", True)
     if norm_topk_prob:
@@ -233,6 +255,11 @@ def sigmoid_topk_routing(
         )
     scores_for_choice = router_probs + e_score_correction_bias
 
+    # Aux-free bias: stacks on top of e_score_correction_bias for selection
+    afb_bias = getattr(moe_block, "_afb_bias", None)
+    if afb_bias is not None:
+        scores_for_choice = scores_for_choice + afb_bias
+
     # Group-based selection: pick top groups, mask the rest (skip when n_group == 1)
     if n_group > 1:
         group_scores = (
@@ -256,6 +283,10 @@ def sigmoid_topk_routing(
     # Gather weights from original sigmoid scores (not bias-corrected)
     topk_weights = router_probs.gather(1, topk_indices)
 
+    # Accumulate counts for aux-free bias update
+    if afb_bias is not None:
+        _accumulate_afb_counts(moe_block, topk_indices)
+
     # Optional renormalization + scaling
     norm_topk_prob = getattr(moe_block, "norm_topk_prob", True)
     if norm_topk_prob:
@@ -276,3 +307,19 @@ def sigmoid_topk_routing(
     flat_expert_idx = topk_indices.to(torch.int32).reshape(-1)  # [T*K]
 
     return flat_scores, flat_token_idx, flat_expert_idx, router_logits
+
+
+def _accumulate_afb_counts(moe_block, topk_indices: torch.Tensor) -> None:
+    """Accumulate per-expert token counts for the aux-free bias update.
+
+    Called when ``moe_block._afb_bias`` is present (registered by the
+    ``aux_free_router`` plugin).  The counts are later consumed by the
+    ``MoeAuxFreeBiasUpdateCallback`` at each training step.
+    """
+    afb_counts = getattr(moe_block, "_afb_counts", None)
+    if afb_counts is None:
+        return
+    num_experts = afb_counts.numel()
+    flat_idx = topk_indices.reshape(-1)
+    counts = torch.bincount(flat_idx, minlength=num_experts)
+    afb_counts.add_(counts.to(afb_counts.dtype))
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_aux_free_adapters.py b/tests/unit/test_aux_free_adapters.py
index 3bc3ac8e5..43457679f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_aux_free_adapters.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_aux_free_adapters.py
@@ -2,14 +2,13 @@ import os
 import sys
 import tempfile
 import unittest
+from importlib import util as importlib_util
+from pathlib import Path
 from types import SimpleNamespace
 
 import torch
 import torch.distributed as dist
 import torch.nn as nn
-from importlib import util as importlib_util
-from pathlib import Path
-
 from huggingface_hub import snapshot_download
 
 from axolotl.integrations.aux_free_router.plugin import AuxFreeMoEPlugin
@@ -96,16 +95,21 @@ def _build_bailing_model():
 
 
 def _build_llama4_model():
-    from transformers import Llama4TextConfig
     from transformers.models.llama4.modeling_llama4 import Llama4TextMoe
 
-    config = Llama4TextConfig(
+    # Build config without __post_init__ validation (works around a
+    # huggingface_hub strict-dataclass type mismatch for layer_types).
+    config = object.__new__(__import__("transformers").Llama4TextConfig)
+    config.__dict__.update(
         hidden_size=16,
         intermediate_size=32,
         num_local_experts=4,
         num_attention_heads=2,
         num_key_value_heads=2,
         num_experts_per_tok=2,
+        num_hidden_layers=2,
+        hidden_act="silu",
+        layer_types=None,
     )
     layer = Llama4TextMoe(config)
 
@@ -148,6 +152,38 @@ def _build_mixtral_model():
     return DummyModel(layer), layer
 
 
+def _build_qwen35_moe_model():
+    from transformers.models.qwen3_5_moe.configuration_qwen3_5_moe import (
+        Qwen3_5MoeTextConfig,
+    )
+    from transformers.models.qwen3_5_moe.modeling_qwen3_5_moe import (
+        Qwen3_5MoeSparseMoeBlock,
+    )
+
+    config = Qwen3_5MoeTextConfig(
+        hidden_size=16,
+        moe_intermediate_size=32,
+        shared_expert_intermediate_size=32,
+        num_experts=4,
+        num_experts_per_tok=2,
+        num_attention_heads=2,
+        num_key_value_heads=2,
+        num_hidden_layers=2,
+    )
+    layer = Qwen3_5MoeSparseMoeBlock(config)
+
+    class DummyModel(nn.Module):
+        def __init__(self, moe_layer):
+            super().__init__()
+            self.moe = moe_layer
+            self.config = SimpleNamespace(model_type="qwen3_5_moe")
+
+        def forward(self, hidden_states):
+            return self.moe(hidden_states)
+
+    return DummyModel(layer), layer
+
+
 def _run_callback(plugin, cfg, *, args=None, state=None, control=None):
     if args is None:
         args = SimpleNamespace(logging_steps=1)
@@ -194,7 +230,9 @@ class TestAuxFreeAdapters(unittest.TestCase):
 
         _run_callback(plugin, cfg)
         self.assertEqual(torch.count_nonzero(block._afb_counts), 0)
-        self.assertFalse(torch.allclose(block._afb_ema, torch.zeros_like(block._afb_ema)))
+        self.assertFalse(
+            torch.allclose(block._afb_ema, torch.zeros_like(block._afb_ema))
+        )
 
     def test_llama4_adapter_biases_router_selection(self):
         model, layer = _build_llama4_model()
@@ -209,7 +247,9 @@ class TestAuxFreeAdapters(unittest.TestCase):
 
         _run_callback(plugin, cfg)
         self.assertEqual(torch.count_nonzero(layer._afb_counts), 0)
-        self.assertFalse(torch.allclose(layer._afb_ema, torch.zeros_like(layer._afb_ema)))
+        self.assertFalse(
+            torch.allclose(layer._afb_ema, torch.zeros_like(layer._afb_ema))
+        )
 
     def test_bias_warmup_respected(self):
         model, block = _build_bailing_model()
@@ -224,33 +264,130 @@ class TestAuxFreeAdapters(unittest.TestCase):
 
         # Warmup steps should leave bias untouched.
         _step()
-        self.assertTrue(torch.allclose(block._afb_bias, torch.zeros_like(block._afb_bias)))
+        self.assertTrue(
+            torch.allclose(block._afb_bias, torch.zeros_like(block._afb_bias))
+        )
 
         _step()
-        self.assertTrue(torch.allclose(block._afb_bias, torch.zeros_like(block._afb_bias)))
+        self.assertTrue(
+            torch.allclose(block._afb_bias, torch.zeros_like(block._afb_bias))
+        )
 
         # Third step exceeds warmup -> bias should update.
         _step()
         self.assertGreater(torch.count_nonzero(block._afb_bias), 0)
 
-    def test_mixtral_adapter_respects_native_forward(self):
+    def test_mixtral_adapter_patches_router_not_forward(self):
+        """Verify that aux-free patches the router (gate) only, and the
+        v5 block forward signature (single tensor return) is preserved."""
         model, layer = _build_mixtral_model()
-        layer.jitter_noise = 0.0  # avoid stochasticity for comparison
-
-        hidden_dim = layer.config.hidden_size
-        hidden = torch.randn(2, 3, hidden_dim)
-        baseline_out, baseline_logits = layer(hidden.clone())
-
         cfg = _cfg()
         plugin = AuxFreeMoEPlugin()
         plugin.post_model_build(cfg, model)
 
-        patched_out, patched_logits = layer(hidden.clone())
-        self.assertTrue(torch.allclose(baseline_out, patched_out))
-        self.assertTrue(torch.allclose(baseline_logits, patched_logits))
+        # Gate should be patched, not the block forward
+        self.assertTrue(getattr(layer.gate, "_afb_patched", False))
+        self.assertTrue(getattr(layer, "_afb_patched", False))
+
+        # v5 block forward returns a single tensor (not a tuple with logits)
+        hidden = torch.randn(2, 3, layer.config.hidden_size)
+        out = layer(hidden)
+        self.assertIsInstance(out, torch.Tensor)
+        self.assertEqual(out.shape, hidden.shape)
+
+        # Counts should have been accumulated
         self.assertGreater(torch.count_nonzero(layer._afb_counts), 0)
         _run_callback(plugin, cfg)
 
+    def test_mixtral_adapter_bias_affects_selection(self):
+        """When bias is large for one expert, it should be selected more often."""
+        model, layer = _build_mixtral_model()
+        cfg = _cfg()
+        plugin = AuxFreeMoEPlugin()
+        plugin.post_model_build(cfg, model)
+
+        # Set a large bias for expert 0 to force its selection
+        layer._afb_bias.zero_()
+        layer._afb_bias[0] = 10.0
+
+        hidden = torch.randn(2, 8, layer.config.hidden_size)
+        num_tokens = 2 * 8  # batch * seq
+        layer(hidden)
+
+        # With top_k=2, expert 0 should appear in every token's selection
+        # (once per token = num_tokens counts, not num_tokens * top_k)
+        counts = layer._afb_counts.clone()
+        self.assertEqual(
+            int(counts[0].item()),
+            num_tokens,
+            msg="Expert 0 should be selected for every token when heavily biased",
+        )
+
+    def test_qwen35_moe_adapter_patches_router_and_preserves_shared_expert(self):
+        """Verify Qwen 3.5 MoE: router is patched, shared expert is untouched,
+        output includes shared expert contribution."""
+        model, layer = _build_qwen35_moe_model()
+        cfg = _cfg()
+        plugin = AuxFreeMoEPlugin()
+        plugin.post_model_build(cfg, model)
+
+        # Gate should be patched
+        self.assertTrue(getattr(layer.gate, "_afb_patched", False))
+        self.assertTrue(getattr(layer, "_afb_patched", False))
+        # Shared expert should be unmodified
+        self.assertTrue(hasattr(layer, "shared_expert"))
+        self.assertTrue(hasattr(layer, "shared_expert_gate"))
+
+        # Forward should return a single tensor (shared + routed)
+        hidden_size = layer.gate.hidden_dim
+        hidden = torch.randn(2, 3, hidden_size)
+        out = layer(hidden)
+        self.assertIsInstance(out, torch.Tensor)
+        self.assertEqual(out.shape, hidden.shape)
+
+        # Counts should have been accumulated
+        self.assertGreater(torch.count_nonzero(layer._afb_counts), 0)
+
+    def test_qwen35_moe_adapter_bias_updates(self):
+        """Full cycle: forward → callback → verify bias update for Qwen 3.5 MoE."""
+        model, layer = _build_qwen35_moe_model()
+        cfg = _cfg()
+        plugin = AuxFreeMoEPlugin()
+        plugin.post_model_build(cfg, model)
+
+        hidden_size = layer.gate.hidden_dim
+        hidden = torch.randn(2, 4, hidden_size)
+        layer(hidden)
+
+        # Bias should start at zero
+        self.assertTrue(
+            torch.allclose(layer._afb_bias, torch.zeros_like(layer._afb_bias))
+        )
+
+        _run_callback(plugin, cfg)
+
+        # After callback: counts reset, EMA updated, bias updated
+        self.assertEqual(torch.count_nonzero(layer._afb_counts), 0)
+        self.assertFalse(
+            torch.allclose(layer._afb_ema, torch.zeros_like(layer._afb_ema))
+        )
+
+    def test_qwen35_moe_adapter_model_type_matching(self):
+        """Verify the adapter matches both qwen3_5_moe and qwen3_5_moe_text."""
+        from axolotl.integrations.aux_free_router.adapters import Qwen35MoeAdapter
+
+        adapter = Qwen35MoeAdapter()
+
+        model_moe = SimpleNamespace(config=SimpleNamespace(model_type="qwen3_5_moe"))
+        model_text = SimpleNamespace(
+            config=SimpleNamespace(model_type="qwen3_5_moe_text")
+        )
+        model_other = SimpleNamespace(config=SimpleNamespace(model_type="qwen3_moe"))
+
+        self.assertTrue(adapter.matches(model_moe))
+        self.assertTrue(adapter.matches(model_text))
+        self.assertFalse(adapter.matches(model_other))
+
     def test_ep_group_resolution_deferred_until_dist_ready(self):
         if dist.is_available() and dist.is_initialized():
             dist.destroy_process_group()
@@ -266,7 +403,9 @@ class TestAuxFreeAdapters(unittest.TestCase):
         tmp_init = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(delete=False)
         tmp_init.close()
         init_method = f"file://{tmp_init.name}"
-        dist.init_process_group(backend="gloo", init_method=init_method, world_size=1, rank=0)
+        dist.init_process_group(
+            backend="gloo", init_method=init_method, world_size=1, rank=0
+        )
         try:
             hidden = torch.randn(2, 3, block.config.hidden_size)
             block(hidden)
@@ -289,7 +428,6 @@ class TestAuxFreeAdapters(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_telemetry_logging(self):
         model, layer = _build_mixtral_model()
-        layer.jitter_noise = 0.0
         cfg = _cfg()
         plugin = AuxFreeMoEPlugin()
         plugin.post_model_build(cfg, model)
@@ -316,6 +454,211 @@ class TestAuxFreeAdapters(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertIn("moe_afb/l0_load_max", telemetry)
         self.assertIn("moe_afb/l0_bias_abs_max", telemetry)
 
+    def test_get_num_experts_v5_attribute_paths(self):
+        """Verify get_num_experts works with v5 attribute layout where
+        num_experts is on gate/experts sub-modules, not the block."""
+        from axolotl.integrations.aux_free_router.adapters import MixtralAdapter
+
+        adapter = MixtralAdapter()
+
+        # Simulates v5 MixtralSparseMoeBlock (num_experts on gate, not block)
+        block = SimpleNamespace(
+            gate=SimpleNamespace(num_experts=8),
+            experts=SimpleNamespace(num_experts=8),
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(adapter.get_num_experts(block), 8)
+
+        # Also works when num_experts is directly on block
+        block2 = SimpleNamespace(num_experts=4)
+        self.assertEqual(adapter.get_num_experts(block2), 4)
+
+
+class TestAuxFreeKernelComposition(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Tests that aux-free bias composes correctly with kernel routing."""
+
+    def test_sonicmoe_softmax_routing_with_afb_bias(self):
+        """SonicMoE softmax routing should use biased selection / unbiased weights."""
+        from axolotl.integrations.kernels.sonicmoe.routing import softmax_topk_routing
+
+        num_experts = 4
+        top_k = 2
+        hidden_dim = 16
+        T = 6
+
+        # Build a mock MoE block with gate attributes
+        gate = nn.Linear(hidden_dim, num_experts, bias=False)
+        gate.top_k = top_k
+        gate.num_experts = num_experts
+        gate.norm_topk_prob = True
+
+        moe_block = SimpleNamespace(gate=gate)
+        hidden = torch.randn(T, hidden_dim)
+
+        # Baseline: no bias
+        scores_base, tok_base, exp_base, logits_base = softmax_topk_routing(
+            hidden, moe_block
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(scores_base.shape[0], T * top_k)
+
+        # Now register aux-free buffers and set heavy bias on expert 0
+        moe_block._afb_bias = torch.zeros(num_experts)
+        moe_block._afb_bias[0] = 100.0
+        moe_block._afb_counts = torch.zeros(num_experts)
+
+        scores_biased, tok_biased, exp_biased, logits_biased = softmax_topk_routing(
+            hidden, moe_block
+        )
+
+        # Expert 0 should be selected for every token
+        self.assertTrue(
+            (exp_biased == 0).any(),
+            "Expert 0 should appear in selections when heavily biased",
+        )
+        # Counts should have been accumulated
+        self.assertGreater(moe_block._afb_counts[0].item(), 0)
+        # Total counts should equal T * top_k
+        self.assertEqual(int(moe_block._afb_counts.sum().item()), T * top_k)
+
+    def test_sonicmoe_routing_without_bias_unchanged(self):
+        """Without _afb_bias, routing should produce identical results."""
+        from axolotl.integrations.kernels.sonicmoe.routing import softmax_topk_routing
+
+        num_experts = 4
+        top_k = 2
+        hidden_dim = 16
+
+        gate = nn.Linear(hidden_dim, num_experts, bias=False)
+        gate.top_k = top_k
+        gate.num_experts = num_experts
+        gate.norm_topk_prob = True
+
+        moe_block = SimpleNamespace(gate=gate)
+        hidden = torch.randn(4, hidden_dim)
+
+        # Without _afb_bias attribute
+        scores1, _, exp1, _ = softmax_topk_routing(hidden, moe_block)
+
+        # With _afb_bias = zeros (should be equivalent)
+        moe_block._afb_bias = torch.zeros(num_experts)
+        moe_block._afb_counts = torch.zeros(num_experts)
+        scores2, _, exp2, _ = softmax_topk_routing(hidden, moe_block)
+
+        torch.testing.assert_close(scores1, scores2)
+        torch.testing.assert_close(exp1, exp2)
+
+    @unittest.skipUnless(
+        importlib_util.find_spec("triton") is not None,
+        "triton not installed (required by scattermoe)",
+    )
+    def test_scattermoe_softmax_routing_with_afb_bias(self):
+        """ScatterMoE softmax routing should use biased selection / unbiased weights."""
+        from axolotl.integrations.kernels.libs.scattermoe_lora.layers import (
+            _softmax_topk_route,
+        )
+
+        num_experts = 4
+        top_k = 2
+        hidden_dim = 16
+        T = 6
+
+        gate_weight = torch.randn(num_experts, hidden_dim)
+        base_gate = SimpleNamespace(
+            top_k=top_k,
+            num_experts=num_experts,
+            norm_topk_prob=True,
+            weight=gate_weight,
+        )
+
+        moe_block = SimpleNamespace()
+        hidden = torch.randn(T, hidden_dim)
+
+        # Baseline without bias
+        w_base, e_base, _, _ = _softmax_topk_route(
+            moe_block, base_gate, hidden, gate_weight, None
+        )
+
+        # With heavy bias on expert 0
+        moe_block._afb_bias = torch.zeros(num_experts)
+        moe_block._afb_bias[0] = 100.0
+        moe_block._afb_counts = torch.zeros(num_experts)
+
+        w_biased, e_biased, _, _ = _softmax_topk_route(
+            moe_block, base_gate, hidden, gate_weight, None
+        )
+
+        # Expert 0 should appear in all selections
+        self.assertTrue((e_biased == 0).any())
+        # Counts accumulated
+        self.assertGreater(moe_block._afb_counts[0].item(), 0)
+        self.assertEqual(int(moe_block._afb_counts.sum().item()), T * top_k)
+
+    def test_kernel_routing_skips_router_patch(self):
+        """When a kernel backend has patched the block class, the adapter
+        should skip patching the router (buffers are still registered)."""
+        from axolotl.integrations.aux_free_router.adapters import MixtralAdapter
+
+        adapter = MixtralAdapter()
+
+        # Create a mock layer whose class has _original_forward (SonicMoE marker)
+        class PatchedBlock(nn.Module):
+            _original_forward = True  # SonicMoE marker
+
+            def __init__(self):
+                super().__init__()
+                self.gate = nn.Linear(16, 4, bias=False)
+                self.gate.top_k = 2
+                self.gate.num_experts = 4
+                self.gate.hidden_dim = 16
+                self.experts = nn.Linear(16, 16)  # placeholder
+
+        layer = PatchedBlock()
+        self.assertTrue(adapter.uses_kernel_routing(layer))
+
+        # Gate should NOT be patched (kernel handles routing)
+        self.assertFalse(getattr(layer.gate, "_afb_patched", False))
+
+    def test_adapter_buffers_registered_even_with_kernel(self):
+        """Even when kernel routing is active, aux-free buffers must be
+        registered on the MoE block so the kernel routing can find them."""
+        from axolotl.integrations.aux_free_router.adapters import (
+            LayerHandle,
+            MixtralAdapter,
+        )
+        from axolotl.integrations.aux_free_router.core import (
+            AuxFreeConfig,
+            AuxFreeShim,
+            AuxFreeState,
+        )
+
+        class PatchedBlock(nn.Module):
+            _original_forward = True
+
+            def __init__(self):
+                super().__init__()
+                self.gate = nn.Linear(16, 4, bias=False)
+                self.gate.top_k = 2
+                self.gate.num_experts = 4
+                self.gate.hidden_dim = 16
+                self.experts = nn.Linear(16, 16)
+
+        layer = PatchedBlock()
+        adapter = MixtralAdapter()
+        cfg = AuxFreeConfig()
+        state = AuxFreeState(
+            num_layers=1, num_experts=4, device=torch.device("cpu"), cfg=cfg
+        )
+        shim = AuxFreeShim(state=state)
+        handle = LayerHandle(layer=layer, layer_idx=0, num_experts=4, top_k=2)
+
+        adapter.prepare(layer, handle, shim)
+
+        # Buffers should be registered for kernel routing to use
+        self.assertTrue(hasattr(layer, "_afb_bias"))
+        self.assertTrue(hasattr(layer, "_afb_counts"))
+        self.assertTrue(hasattr(layer, "_afb_ema"))
+        # But gate should NOT be patched
+        self.assertFalse(getattr(layer.gate, "_afb_patched", False))
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()