diff --git a/deepmd/model_format/dpa1.py b/deepmd/model_format/dpa1.py
index e0cf193ce6..3ca28a4fae 100644
--- a/deepmd/model_format/dpa1.py
+++ b/deepmd/model_format/dpa1.py
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ def deserialize(cls, data: dict) -> "DescrptDPA1":
         variables = data.pop("@variables")
         embeddings = data.pop("embeddings")
         type_embedding = data.pop("type_embedding")
-        attention_layers = data.pop("attention_layers")
+        attention_layers = data.pop("attention_layers", None)
         env_mat = data.pop("env_mat")
         obj = cls(**data)
         obj["davg"] = variables["davg"]
diff --git a/source/tests/pt/test_dpa1.py b/source/tests/pt/test_dpa1.py
index ffd5a25bd5..ae34305064 100644
--- a/source/tests/pt/test_dpa1.py
+++ b/source/tests/pt/test_dpa1.py
@@ -101,9 +101,23 @@ def test_consistency(
                 atol=atol,
                 err_msg=err_msg,
             )
+            # dp impl serialization
+            dd3 = DPDescrptDPA1.deserialize(dd2.serialize())
+            rd3, _, _, _, _ = dd3.call(
+                self.coord_ext,
+                self.atype_ext,
+                self.nlist,
+            )
+            np.testing.assert_allclose(
+                rd0.detach().cpu().numpy(),
+                rd3,
+                rtol=rtol,
+                atol=atol,
+                err_msg=err_msg,
+            )
             # old impl
             if idt is False and prec == "float64":
-                dd3 = DescrptDPA1(
+                dd4 = DescrptDPA1(
                     self.rcut,
                     self.rcut_smth,
                     self.sel,
@@ -114,12 +128,12 @@ def test_consistency(
                     old_impl=True,
                 ).to(env.DEVICE)
                 dd0_state_dict = dd0.se_atten.state_dict()
-                dd3_state_dict = dd3.se_atten.state_dict()
+                dd4_state_dict = dd4.se_atten.state_dict()
 
                 dd0_state_dict_attn = dd0.se_atten.dpa1_attention.state_dict()
-                dd3_state_dict_attn = dd3.se_atten.dpa1_attention.state_dict()
-                for i in dd3_state_dict:
-                    dd3_state_dict[i] = (
+                dd4_state_dict_attn = dd4.se_atten.dpa1_attention.state_dict()
+                for i in dd4_state_dict:
+                    dd4_state_dict[i] = (
                         dd0_state_dict[
                             i.replace(".deep_layers.", ".layers.")
                             .replace("filter_layers_old.", "filter_layers._networks.")
@@ -131,27 +145,27 @@ def test_consistency(
                         .clone()
                     )
                     if ".bias" in i and "attn_layer_norm" not in i:
-                        dd3_state_dict[i] = dd3_state_dict[i].unsqueeze(0)
-                dd3.se_atten.load_state_dict(dd3_state_dict)
+                        dd4_state_dict[i] = dd4_state_dict[i].unsqueeze(0)
+                dd4.se_atten.load_state_dict(dd4_state_dict)
 
                 dd0_state_dict_tebd = dd0.type_embedding.state_dict()
-                dd3_state_dict_tebd = dd3.type_embedding_old.state_dict()
-                for i in dd3_state_dict_tebd:
-                    dd3_state_dict_tebd[i] = (
+                dd4_state_dict_tebd = dd4.type_embedding_old.state_dict()
+                for i in dd4_state_dict_tebd:
+                    dd4_state_dict_tebd[i] = (
                         dd0_state_dict_tebd[i.replace("embedding.weight", "matrix")]
                         .detach()
                         .clone()
                     )
-                dd3.type_embedding_old.load_state_dict(dd3_state_dict_tebd)
+                dd4.type_embedding_old.load_state_dict(dd4_state_dict_tebd)
 
-                rd3, _, _, _, _ = dd3(
+                rd4, _, _, _, _ = dd4(
                     torch.tensor(self.coord_ext, dtype=dtype, device=env.DEVICE),
                     torch.tensor(self.atype_ext, dtype=int, device=env.DEVICE),
                     torch.tensor(self.nlist, dtype=int, device=env.DEVICE),
                 )
                 np.testing.assert_allclose(
                     rd0.detach().cpu().numpy(),
-                    rd3.detach().cpu().numpy(),
+                    rd4.detach().cpu().numpy(),
                     rtol=rtol,
                     atol=atol,
                     err_msg=err_msg,