diff --git a/pippy/IR.py b/pippy/IR.py
index 48f32fcac..23c0db526 100644
--- a/pippy/IR.py
+++ b/pippy/IR.py
@@ -1004,34 +1004,6 @@ def move_param_to_callee(
 
         split.delete_all_unused_submodules()
 
-        # Users want the first pipeline stage to accept kwargs if the original
-        # program does. This is controlled by the `_codegen` field of the graph,
-        # so we make a copy here. Note: we only want the input spec and not the
-        # output spec, because the output spec is for the last stage. Maybe a
-        # TODO? Not sure yet.
-        submod0 = list(split.children())[0]
-        model_sign = signature(traced.forward)
-        model_num_args = len(model_sign.parameters)
-        submod0_sign = signature(submod0.forward)
-        submod0_num_args = len(submod0_sign.parameters)
-        if model_num_args != submod0_num_args:
-            # We don't change the signature of the first stage if it takes
-            # different number of args than original model
-            logger.info(
-                f"Original model takes {model_num_args} args but the first pipeline stage takes {submod0_num_args}. "
-                "Please provide args to respective pipeline stages."
-            )
-        else:
-            # Support kwargs for the first stage
-            submod0.graph._codegen = copy.deepcopy(traced.graph._codegen)
-            # `_replace` is actually not "private" or internal. based on this doc:
-            # To prevent conflicts with field names, the method and attribute names
-            # start with an underscore
-            submod0.graph._codegen.pytree_info = (
-                submod0.graph._codegen.pytree_info._replace(out_spec=None)
-            )
-            submod0.recompile()
-
         split.graph.lint()
         split.recompile()
 
@@ -1176,6 +1148,33 @@ def from_tracing(
                 f"{node.meta['example_value'] if 'example_value' in node.meta else 'None'}",
             )
 
+        # Users want the first pipeline stage to accept kwargs if the original
+        # program does. This is controlled by the `_codegen` field of the graph,
+        # so we make a copy here. Note: we only want the input spec and not the
+        # output spec, because the output spec is for the last stage. Maybe a
+        # TODO? Not sure yet.
+        split = pipe.split_gm
+        submod0 = list(split.children())[0]
+        submod0_sign = signature(submod0.forward)
+        model_sign = signature(traced.forward)
+        if len(model_sign.parameters) != len(submod0_sign.parameters):
+            # We don't change the signature of the first stage if it takes
+            # different number of args than original model
+            logger.info(
+                f"Original model takes {len(model_sign.parameters)} args but the first pipeline stage takes {len(submod0_sign.parameters)}. "
+                "Please provide args to respective pipeline stages."
+            )
+        else:
+            # Support kwargs for the first stage
+            submod0.graph._codegen = copy.deepcopy(traced.graph._codegen)
+            # `_replace` is actually not "private" or internal. based on this doc:
+            # To prevent conflicts with field names, the method and attribute names
+            # start with an underscore
+            submod0.graph._codegen.pytree_info = (
+                submod0.graph._codegen.pytree_info._replace(out_spec=None)
+            )
+            submod0.recompile()
+
         return pipe
 
     def __str__(self):
@@ -1284,8 +1283,12 @@ def __init__(
         self.stop_prop = False
 
     def run(self):
+        # Prepare input from node.meta, which will be filled during tracing if
+        # input is a tensor.  For non-tensor inputs, e.g. constants, its value
+        # would have been burned into the program, so we use an arbitrary value
+        # here (None).
         inp = tuple(
-            node.meta["val"]
+            node.meta["val"] if "val" in node.meta else None
             for node in self.module.graph.nodes
             if node.op == "placeholder"
         )