diff --git a/kj_loader.py b/kj_loader.py
index 2c2073d..0e5340a 100644
--- a/kj_loader.py
+++ b/kj_loader.py
@@ -576,13 +576,12 @@ def _load_checkpoint_clip_only(
         return reused_clip
 
     _warn_pickle_checkpoint_gpu_compatibility(loader_name, ckpt_path)
+    is_safetensors = _is_safetensors_path(ckpt_path)
+    header_info = checkpoint_component_info_from_header(ckpt_path) if is_safetensors else None
+    model_config = None if header_info is None else header_info.get("model_config")
     explicit_device = REGISTRY.explicit_load_device(kind=KIND_CLIP, source_path=ckpt_path)
     with REGISTRY.load_context(kind=KIND_CLIP, source_path=ckpt_path, explicit_device=explicit_device, cache_key=loader_key):
-        sd, metadata = comfy.utils.load_torch_file(ckpt_path, return_metadata=True)
-    header_info = checkpoint_component_info_from_header(ckpt_path) if _is_safetensors_path(ckpt_path) else None
-    model_config = None if header_info is None else header_info.get("model_config")
-    if model_config is None:
-        if _is_safetensors_path(ckpt_path):
+        if is_safetensors and model_config is None:
             requested_device = explicit_device if explicit_device is not None else torch.device("cpu")
             sd, metadata, _, _ = load_safetensors_state_dict(
                 ckpt_path,
@@ -590,6 +589,9 @@ def _load_checkpoint_clip_only(
                 return_metadata=True,
                 selected_keys=None,
             )
+        else:
+            sd, metadata = comfy.utils.load_torch_file(ckpt_path, return_metadata=True)
+    if model_config is None:
         _, clip, _, _ = comfy.sd.load_state_dict_guess_config(
             sd,
             output_vae=False,
@@ -602,7 +604,7 @@ def _load_checkpoint_clip_only(
         scaled_fp8_list = []
         for key in list(sd.keys()):
             if key.endswith(".scaled_fp8"):
-                scaled_fp8_list.append(key[:-len("scaled_fp8")])
+                scaled_fp8_list.append(key[:-len(".scaled_fp8")])
 
         if scaled_fp8_list:
             clip_source_sd: dict[str, Any] = {}
@@ -611,7 +613,7 @@ def _load_checkpoint_clip_only(
                     continue
                 clip_source_sd[key] = value
             for prefix in scaled_fp8_list:
-                quant_sd, _ = comfy.utils.convert_old_quants(sd, prefix, metadata={})
+                quant_sd, _ = comfy.utils.convert_old_quants(sd, prefix, metadata=metadata or {})
                 clip_source_sd.update(quant_sd)
         else:
             clip_source_sd = sd
@@ -652,13 +654,12 @@ def _load_checkpoint_vae_only(
         return reused_vae
 
     _warn_pickle_checkpoint_gpu_compatibility(loader_name, ckpt_path)
+    is_safetensors = _is_safetensors_path(ckpt_path)
+    header_info = checkpoint_component_info_from_header(ckpt_path) if is_safetensors else None
+    model_config = None if header_info is None else header_info.get("model_config")
     explicit_device = REGISTRY.explicit_load_device(kind=KIND_VAE, source_path=ckpt_path)
     with REGISTRY.load_context(kind=KIND_VAE, source_path=ckpt_path, explicit_device=explicit_device, cache_key=loader_key):
-        sd, metadata = comfy.utils.load_torch_file(ckpt_path, return_metadata=True)
-    header_info = checkpoint_component_info_from_header(ckpt_path) if _is_safetensors_path(ckpt_path) else None
-    model_config = None if header_info is None else header_info.get("model_config")
-    if model_config is None:
-        if _is_safetensors_path(ckpt_path):
+        if is_safetensors and model_config is None:
             requested_device = explicit_device if explicit_device is not None else torch.device("cpu")
             sd, metadata, _, _ = load_safetensors_state_dict(
                 ckpt_path,
@@ -666,6 +667,9 @@ def _load_checkpoint_vae_only(
                 return_metadata=True,
                 selected_keys=None,
             )
+        else:
+            sd, metadata = comfy.utils.load_torch_file(ckpt_path, return_metadata=True)
+    if model_config is None:
         _, _, vae, _ = comfy.sd.load_state_dict_guess_config(
             sd,
             output_vae=True,
@@ -681,7 +685,11 @@ def _load_checkpoint_vae_only(
             filter_keys=True,
         )
         vae_sd = model_config.process_vae_state_dict(vae_sd)
-        vae = comfy.sd.VAE(sd=vae_sd, metadata=metadata)
+        if len(vae_sd) == 0:
+            _LOG.warning("%s: no VAE weights found in %s after selective checkpoint load", loader_name, ckpt_path)
+            vae = None
+        else:
+            vae = comfy.sd.VAE(sd=vae_sd, metadata=metadata)
     _bind_vae_for_reuse(vae, source_path=ckpt_path, note="checkpoint vae", loader_key=loader_key)
     return vae
 
diff --git a/residency.py b/residency.py
index a229e2c..e90e063 100644
--- a/residency.py
+++ b/residency.py
@@ -436,15 +436,26 @@ class ResidencyRegistry:
             entry.last_touched = _now()
             return obj
 
+    def _entry_id_for_object(self, obj: Any) -> str | None:
+        current = obj
+        seen: set[int] = set()
+        while current is not None and id(current) not in seen:
+            seen.add(id(current))
+            entry_id = getattr(current, "__gpu_resident_loader_entry_id__", None)
+            if entry_id is None:
+                try:
+                    entry_id = self._object_to_entry.get(current)
+                except TypeError:
+                    entry_id = None
+            if entry_id is not None:
+                return entry_id
+            current = getattr(current, "parent", None)
+        return None
+
     def entry_for_object(self, obj: Any) -> ResidencyEntry | None:
         if obj is None:
             return None
-        entry_id = getattr(obj, "__gpu_resident_loader_entry_id__", None)
-        if entry_id is None:
-            try:
-                entry_id = self._object_to_entry.get(obj)
-            except TypeError:
-                entry_id = None
+        entry_id = self._entry_id_for_object(obj)
         if entry_id is None:
             return None
         with self._lock: