diff --git a/pi_zero_pytorch/pi_zero.py b/pi_zero_pytorch/pi_zero.py
index b89687c..16ee241 100644
--- a/pi_zero_pytorch/pi_zero.py
+++ b/pi_zero_pytorch/pi_zero.py
@@ -53,16 +53,17 @@
     from torch.nn.attention.flex_attention import flex_attention, create_block_mask
     flex_attention = torch.compile(flex_attention)
 
-def create_pizero_attn_mask(prefix_causal_length):
+def create_pizero_attn_mask(prefix_causal_length, mask: Bool['b n']):
     # the pi-zero attention is a triangular causal mask, but bidirectional attention for the actions at the very right hand side
 
-    def inner(batch_index, head_index, query_index, key_index):
+    def mask_fn(batch_index, head_index, query_index, key_index):
         return (
+            mask[batch_index, key_index] and    # variable length states
             query_index >= key_index and        # causal
             key_index >= prefix_causal_length   # bidirectional
         )
 
-    return inner
+    return mask_fn
 
 def softclamp_score_mod(value):
     def identity(score, b, h, q, k):
@@ -84,12 +85,17 @@ def exists(v):
 def default(v, d):
     return v if exists(v) else d
 
+# tensor helpers
+
 def softclamp(t, value):
     if value <= 0.:
         return t
 
     return (t / value).tanh() * value
 
+def max_neg_value(t):
+    return -torch.finfo(t.dtype).max
+
 def pack_with_inverse(t, pattern):
     packed, packed_shape = pack(t, pattern)
 
@@ -142,6 +148,7 @@ def forward_actions_with_cached_state(
         actions,
         cached_state_keys_values: tuple[Tensor, Tensor],
         rotary_emb = None,
+        mask: Bool['b n'] | None = None,
         actions_value_residual: Tensor | None = None,
         return_keys_values = False,
         flex_attn_fn: Callable | None = None
@@ -159,7 +166,7 @@ def forward_actions_with_cached_state(
         k, v = tuple(torch.cat(tensors, dim = -2) for tensors in zip((mk, mv), (ak, av)))
 
         if exists(rotary_emb):
-            q = apply_rotary_emb(rotary_emb, q)
+            q = apply_rotary_emb(rotary_emb, q, freqs_seq_dim = -2)
             k = apply_rotary_emb(rotary_emb, k)
 
         elif exists(self.rotary_emb):
@@ -176,6 +183,9 @@ def forward_actions_with_cached_state(
 
             sim = softclamp(sim, self.softclamp_value)
 
+            if exists(mask):
+                sim = einx.where('b j, b h i j, -> b h i j', mask, sim, max_neg_value(sim))
+
             attn = sim.softmax(dim = -1)
 
             out = einsum(attn, v, 'b h i j, b h j d -> b h i d')
@@ -196,6 +206,7 @@ def forward(
         multimodal_seq,
         actions,
         rotary_emb = None,
+        mask: Bool['b n'] | None = None,
         actions_value_residual: Tensor | None = None,
         return_keys_values = False,
         flex_attn_fn: Callable | None = None
@@ -238,9 +249,12 @@ def forward(
 
             causal_mask = torch.ones(sim.shape[-2:], dtype = torch.bool, device = device).triu(1)
 
+            if exists(mask):
+                causal_mask = einx.logical_or('b j, i j -> b 1 i j', ~mask, causal_mask)
+
             causal_mask[..., seq_len:] = False  # actions have bidirectional attention, lining up with Transfusion paper
 
-            sim = sim.masked_fill(causal_mask, -torch.finfo(sim.dtype).max)
+            sim = sim.masked_fill(causal_mask, max_neg_value(sim))
 
             attn = sim.softmax(dim = -1)
 
@@ -320,6 +334,10 @@ def __init__(
         self.to_beta = LinearNoBias(dim_cond, dim)
 
     def forward(self, actions, cond):
+
+        if cond.ndim == 2:
+            cond = rearrange(cond, 'b d -> b 1 d')
+
         normed = self.norm(actions)
         gamma = self.to_gamma(cond)
         beta = self.to_beta(cond)
@@ -340,6 +358,10 @@ def __init__(
         self.to_adaln_zero_gamma = adaln_zero_gamma_linear
 
     def forward(self, actions, cond):
+
+        if cond.ndim == 2:
+            cond = rearrange(cond, 'b d -> b 1 d')
+
         gamma = self.to_adaln_zero_gamma(cond)
         return actions * gamma.sigmoid()
 
@@ -366,6 +388,7 @@ def __init__(
         num_action_register_tokens = 4,
         attn_kwargs: dict = dict(),
         ff_kwargs: dict = dict(),
+        lm_pad_id = -1,
         lm_loss_weight = 1.,
         flow_loss_weight = 1.,
         direction_loss_weight = 0.,
@@ -447,6 +470,10 @@ def __init__(
         self.state_to_logits = LinearNoBias(dim, num_tokens)
         self.actions_to_pred_flow = LinearNoBias(dim, dim_action_input)
 
+        # the language token id padding id, for fine-tuning as well as taking care of the masking on top of causal mask
+
+        self.lm_pad_id = lm_pad_id
+
         # loss related
 
         self.lm_loss_weight = lm_loss_weight
@@ -465,6 +492,13 @@ def __init__(
     def device(self):
         return next(self.parameters()).device
 
+    @beartype
+    def pretrained_vlm_weights(
+        self,
+        weights: dict[str, Tensor]
+    ):
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
     @torch.inference_mode()
     def sample(
         self,
@@ -474,9 +508,10 @@ def sample(
         trajectory_length: int,
         reward_tokens = None,
         steps = 18,
-        batch_size = 1,
         show_pbar = True
     ):
+        batch_size = token_ids.shape[0]
+
         was_training = self.training
         self.eval()
 
@@ -562,7 +597,7 @@ def forward(
             flow = actions - noise
             padded_times = rearrange(times, 'b -> b 1 1')
 
-            actions = noise * (1. - padded_times) + padded_times * actions
+            actions = noise.lerp(actions, padded_times)
 
         # actions
 
@@ -617,34 +652,13 @@ def forward(
 
             state_tokens, inverse_packed_states = pack_with_inverse([visual_tokens, language_tokens, joint_state_tokens, reward_tokens], 'b * d')
 
-        # prepare maybe flex attention
-
-        flex_attn_fn = None
-
-        if self.use_flex_attn and state_tokens.is_cuda:
-
-            block_mask = None
-
-            if not inferencing:
-                prefix_length = state_tokens.shape[-2]
-                seq_len = prefix_length + action_tokens.shape[-2]
-
-                block_mask = create_block_mask(
-                    create_pizero_attn_mask(prefix_length),
-                    Q_LEN = seq_len,
-                    KV_LEN = seq_len,
-                    device = state_tokens.device
-                )
+        # take care of masking for variable lengthed states, starting with the language tokens
 
-            score_mod_fn = softclamp_score_mod(self.attn_softclamp_value)
+        # which then leads to proper rotary embeddings
 
-            flex_attn_fn = partial(
-                flex_attention,
-                block_mask = block_mask,
-                score_mod = score_mod
-            )
+        command_length = token_ids.shape[-1]
 
-        # prepare rotary embeddings
+        language_mask = token_ids != self.lm_pad_id
 
         action_with_registers_length = action_tokens.shape[-2]
 
@@ -654,12 +668,39 @@ def forward(
             state_length = state_tokens.shape[-2]
 
         total_seq_length = action_with_registers_length + state_length
+        mask = F.pad(language_mask, (state_length - command_length - 1, 1 + action_with_registers_length), value = True) # assume fixed number of images for now, but address variable length modality states later
 
         # rotary embeddings
 
-        seq = torch.arange(total_seq_length, device = self.device)
+        seq = torch.cumsum(mask.float(), dim = -1)
         rotary_emb = self.rotary_emb(seq)
 
+        rotary_emb = rearrange(rotary_emb, 'b n d -> b 1 n d')
+
+        # prepare maybe flex attention
+
+        flex_attn_fn = None
+
+        if not inferencing and self.use_flex_attn and state_tokens.is_cuda:
+
+            prefix_length = state_tokens.shape[-2]
+            seq_len = prefix_length + action_tokens.shape[-2]
+
+            block_mask = create_block_mask(
+                create_pizero_attn_mask(prefix_length, mask = mask),
+                Q_LEN = seq_len,
+                KV_LEN = seq_len,
+                device = state_tokens.device
+            )
+
+            score_mod_fn = softclamp_score_mod(self.attn_softclamp_value)
+
+            flex_attn_fn = partial(
+                flex_attention,
+                block_mask = block_mask,
+                score_mod = score_mod
+            )
+
         # state keys and values for caching during inference
 
         cached_state_key_values_iter = iter(default(cached_state_keys_values, []))
@@ -680,7 +721,7 @@ def forward(
 
                 action_tokens = attn_ada_rmsnorm(action_tokens, time_cond)
 
-                (state_attn_out, actions_attn_out), (state_keys, state_values, action_keys, action_values) = attn(state_tokens, action_tokens, rotary_emb = rotary_emb, flex_attn_fn = flex_attn_fn, actions_value_residual = actions_value_residual, return_keys_values = True)
+                (state_attn_out, actions_attn_out), (state_keys, state_values, action_keys, action_values) = attn(state_tokens, action_tokens, rotary_emb = rotary_emb, flex_attn_fn = flex_attn_fn, actions_value_residual = actions_value_residual, mask = mask, return_keys_values = True)
 
                 state_cached_keys_values.append((state_keys, state_values))
 
@@ -708,7 +749,7 @@ def forward(
 
                 action_tokens = attn_ada_rmsnorm(action_tokens, time_cond)
 
-                actions_attn_out, (state_keys, state_values, action_keys, action_values) = attn.forward_actions_with_cached_state(action_tokens, cached_state_keys_values = next(cached_state_key_values_iter), rotary_emb = rotary_emb, return_keys_values = True)
+                actions_attn_out, (state_keys, state_values, action_keys, action_values) = attn.forward_actions_with_cached_state(action_tokens, cached_state_keys_values = next(cached_state_key_values_iter), rotary_emb = rotary_emb, mask = mask, return_keys_values = True)
 
                 state_cached_keys_values.append((state_keys, state_values))
 
@@ -768,7 +809,8 @@ def forward(
 
         language_loss = F.cross_entropy(
             rearrange(language_logits[:, :-1], 'b n l -> b l n'),
-            labels
+            labels,
+            ignore_index = self.lm_pad_id
         )
 
         # loss breakdown
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index d6ca494..86fb6b4 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "pi-zero-pytorch"
-version = "0.0.12"
+version = "0.0.14"
 description = "π0 in Pytorch"
 authors = [
     { name = "Phil Wang", email = "lucidrains@gmail.com" }