diff --git a/tensorrt_llm/_torch/pyexecutor/_util.py b/tensorrt_llm/_torch/pyexecutor/_util.py
index 8b0668b1bba9..15c768241588 100644
--- a/tensorrt_llm/_torch/pyexecutor/_util.py
+++ b/tensorrt_llm/_torch/pyexecutor/_util.py
@@ -1899,7 +1899,7 @@ def configure_kv_cache_capacity(self,
                     kv_stats_draft.allocated_bytes
                     if kv_stats_draft is not None else 0)
                 warmup.close()
-                py_executor.release_resources()
+                py_executor.release_resources(startup_profiling=True)
                 py_executor.enable_iter_perf_stats = origin_iter_stats
                 py_executor.set_gather_responses(False)
 
diff --git a/tensorrt_llm/_torch/pyexecutor/py_executor.py b/tensorrt_llm/_torch/pyexecutor/py_executor.py
index 43efe52eca16..53b14906c659 100644
--- a/tensorrt_llm/_torch/pyexecutor/py_executor.py
+++ b/tensorrt_llm/_torch/pyexecutor/py_executor.py
@@ -2192,16 +2192,20 @@ def _stop_mpi_progress_thread(self) -> None:
             self._mpi_progress_thread = None
             self._mpi_progress_thread_exit_hook = None
 
-    def release_resources(self) -> None:
+    def release_resources(self, *, startup_profiling: bool = False) -> None:
         """Stop a profiling phase and detach resources before cache replacement.
 
         Call collectively after consuming profiling responses. Graph destruction
-        precedes workspace release, and transfer registrations precede cache
+        precedes workspace release, and registrations normally precede cache
         release. Model engines, weights and the execution stream remain valid.
+
+        ``startup_profiling`` is only for the unpublished initial sizing phase,
+        whose dummy requests do not transfer KV cache.
         """
         if self._closed or self._resources_released:
             raise RuntimeError("Executor resources are already released")
-        if not self._release_execution_resources():
+        if not self._release_execution_resources(
+                startup_profiling=startup_profiling):
             raise RuntimeError(
                 "Cannot release resources after an executor hang")
         self.resource_manager = None
@@ -2267,8 +2271,8 @@ def shutdown(self) -> None:
 
     def _release_execution_resources(self,
                                      *,
-                                     release_model_owned_graphs: bool = False
-                                     ) -> bool:
+                                     release_model_owned_graphs: bool = False,
+                                     startup_profiling: bool = False) -> bool:
         """Stop execution and release GPU resources; retain model ownership."""
         if getattr(self, "_shutdown_runtime_complete", False):
             return self._release_execution_pools()
@@ -2360,12 +2364,16 @@ def _release_execution_resources(self,
         # resource managers start freeing GPU-backed workspaces.
         if torch.cuda.is_available():
             torch.cuda.synchronize()
-        if self.kv_cache_transceiver is not None:
+        if not startup_profiling and self.kv_cache_transceiver is not None:
             self.kv_cache_transceiver.shutdown()
         if self.resource_manager is not None:
             for manager in self.resource_manager.resource_managers.values():
                 if manager:
                     manager.shutdown()
+        if startup_profiling and self.kv_cache_transceiver is not None:
+            # This unpublished phase has no KV transfers. Keep NIXL alive until
+            # the temporary pools are released so their VMM memory is reclaimed.
+            self.kv_cache_transceiver.shutdown()
         # Retry a later failure without repeating request publication, graph
         # release, or resource-manager shutdown.
         self._shutdown_runtime_complete = True
diff --git a/tests/unittest/_torch/pyexecutor/kv_cache/test_kv_cache_estimation.py b/tests/unittest/_torch/pyexecutor/kv_cache/test_kv_cache_estimation.py
index 5c06f0766e20..67220a2b7580 100644
--- a/tests/unittest/_torch/pyexecutor/kv_cache/test_kv_cache_estimation.py
+++ b/tests/unittest/_torch/pyexecutor/kv_cache/test_kv_cache_estimation.py
@@ -2089,7 +2089,7 @@ def test_profiling_failure_releases_resources_and_restores_response_state():
     ):
         creator.configure_kv_cache_capacity(executor)
 
-    executor.release_resources.assert_called_once_with()
+    executor.release_resources.assert_called_once_with(startup_profiling=True)
     executor.shutdown.assert_not_called()
     executor.warmup_scope.assert_called_once_with()
     warmup_scope.__enter__.assert_called_once()