diff --git a/examples/models/llama/model.py b/examples/models/llama/model.py
index bc019444a7d..1ec85936f7a 100644
--- a/examples/models/llama/model.py
+++ b/examples/models/llama/model.py
@@ -245,24 +245,27 @@ def __init__(self, llm_config: Optional[LlmConfig] = None):
             for param in self.model_.parameters():
                 if isinstance(param, TorchAOBaseTensor):
                     param.requires_grad = False
+            if missing:
+                missing_weights = [fqn for fqn in missing if fqn.endswith(".weight")]
+                if missing_weights:
+                    raise ValueError(
+                        f"The provided checkpoint is missing the following weights that are expected by the model: {missing_weights}. Please fix the fqn's in your checkpoint to match."
+                    )
+            if unexpected:
+                if self.verbose:
+                    print(f"Unexpected keys: {unexpected}")
         else:
-            print("Checkpoint not provided, defaulting weights to zeros.")
+            print("Checkpoint not provided, using default initialization.")
+            # Because we loaded onto meta device, it is annoying to now load onto cpu
+            # with the standard random initialization.
             self.model_.to_empty(device="cpu")
-            # Need to provide concrete values for meta-initialized tensors for quantization.
-            # otherwise it is just filled with nan's.
-            for p in self.model_.parameters():
-                p.data.fill_(0)
-            for b in self.model_.buffers():
-                b.data.fill_(0)
-        if missing:
-            missing_weights = [fqn for fqn in missing if fqn.endswith(".weight")]
-            if missing_weights:
-                raise ValueError(
-                    f"The provided checkpoint is missing the following weights that are expected by the model: {missing_weights}. Please fix the fqn's in your checkpoint to match."
-                )
-        if unexpected:
-            if self.verbose:
-                print(f"Unexpected keys: {unexpected}")
+
+            def weight_reset(m):
+                reset_parameters = getattr(m, "reset_parameters", None)
+                if callable(reset_parameters):
+                    m.reset_parameters()
+
+            self.model_.apply(weight_reset)
 
         # Prune the input layer if input_prune_map is provided
         if input_prune_map is not None: