diff --git a/transformer_engine/pytorch/attention.py b/transformer_engine/pytorch/attention.py
index 192f430ae1..4a69a5be80 100644
--- a/transformer_engine/pytorch/attention.py
+++ b/transformer_engine/pytorch/attention.py
@@ -1561,7 +1561,7 @@ def forward(
                 fused_attn_qkv_dtype = TE_DType[q.dtype]
                 fused_attn_backend = FusedAttnBackend["F16_arbitrary_seqlen"]
 
-        p2p_comm_buffers = [None for _ in range(cp_size)]
+        p2p_comm_buffers = [None, None]
         if use_fused_attention and qkv_format in ["bshd", "sbhd"]:
             p2p_comm_buffers[0] = torch.cat((k.unsqueeze(-3), v.unsqueeze(-3)), dim=-3)
         else:
@@ -1576,12 +1576,12 @@ def forward(
                         req.wait()
 
                     if i < (cp_size - 1):
-                        p2p_comm_buffers[i + 1] = torch.empty_like(p2p_comm_buffers[i])
+                        p2p_comm_buffers[(i + 1) % 2] = torch.empty_like(p2p_comm_buffers[i % 2])
                         send_recv_reqs[i % 2] = flash_attn_p2p_communicate(
                             rank,
-                            p2p_comm_buffers[i],
+                            p2p_comm_buffers[i % 2],
                             send_dst,
-                            p2p_comm_buffers[i + 1],
+                            p2p_comm_buffers[(i + 1) % 2],
                             recv_src,
                             cp_group,
                             batch_p2p_comm,
@@ -1592,11 +1592,11 @@ def forward(
                         or fp8_meta["recipe"].fp8_mha
                         or int(os.getenv("NVTE_FP8_DPA_BWD", "1"))
                     ):
-                        kv_inputs[i % 2] = p2p_comm_buffers[i]
+                        kv_inputs[i % 2] = p2p_comm_buffers[i % 2]
                     else:
                         # KV exchange is in BF16/FP16, cast received KV in each step
                         kv_inputs[i % 2] = cast_to_fp8(
-                            p2p_comm_buffers[i],
+                            p2p_comm_buffers[i % 2],
                             fp8_meta["scaling_fwd"],
                             META_QKV,
                             fp8_dtype_forward,