diff --git a/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/gemm/gemm.h b/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/gemm/gemm.h
index 3a8f0280c..be70bcacb 100644
--- a/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/gemm/gemm.h
+++ b/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/gemm/gemm.h
@@ -89,20 +89,9 @@ struct GEMMKernel {
     // Appease the compiler
     (void)l;
 
-    thread bool mask_A[loader_a_t::n_rows][loader_a_t::vec_size];
-    thread bool mask_B[loader_b_t::n_rows][loader_b_t::vec_size];
+    short2 tile_dims_A = transpose_a ? short2(tgp_bm, BK) : short2(BK, tgp_bm);
 
-    if (!M_aligned) {
-      short2 tile_dims_A =
-          transpose_a ? short2(tgp_bm, BK) : short2(BK, tgp_bm);
-      loader_a.set_mask(tile_dims_A, mask_A);
-    }
-
-    if (!N_aligned) {
-      short2 tile_dims_B =
-          transpose_b ? short2(BK, tgp_bn) : short2(tgp_bn, BK);
-      loader_b.set_mask(tile_dims_B, mask_B);
-    }
+    short2 tile_dims_B = transpose_b ? short2(BK, tgp_bn) : short2(tgp_bn, BK);
 
     for (int k = 0; k < gemm_k_iterations; k++) {
       threadgroup_barrier(mem_flags::mem_threadgroup);
@@ -110,13 +99,13 @@ struct GEMMKernel {
       if (M_aligned) {
         loader_a.load_unsafe();
       } else {
-        loader_a.load_safe(mask_A);
+        loader_a.load_safe(tile_dims_A);
       }
 
       if (N_aligned) {
         loader_b.load_unsafe();
       } else {
-        loader_b.load_safe(mask_B);
+        loader_b.load_safe(tile_dims_B);
       }
 
       threadgroup_barrier(mem_flags::mem_threadgroup);
@@ -137,11 +126,8 @@ struct GEMMKernel {
       short2 tile_dims_B_last =
           transpose_b ? short2(lbk, tgp_bn) : short2(tgp_bn, lbk);
 
-      loader_a.set_mask(tile_dims_A_last, mask_A);
-      loader_b.set_mask(tile_dims_B_last, mask_B);
-
-      loader_a.load_safe(mask_A);
-      loader_b.load_safe(mask_B);
+      loader_a.load_safe(tile_dims_A_last);
+      loader_b.load_safe(tile_dims_B_last);
 
       threadgroup_barrier(mem_flags::mem_threadgroup);
 
@@ -218,14 +204,8 @@ struct GEMMKernel {
         short2 tile_dims_A = transpose_a ? short2(BM, lbk) : short2(lbk, BM);
         short2 tile_dims_B = transpose_b ? short2(lbk, BN) : short2(BN, lbk);
 
-        thread bool mask_A[loader_a_t::n_rows][loader_a_t::vec_size];
-        thread bool mask_B[loader_b_t::n_rows][loader_b_t::vec_size];
-
-        loader_a.set_mask(tile_dims_A, mask_A);
-        loader_b.set_mask(tile_dims_B, mask_B);
-
-        loader_a.load_safe(mask_A);
-        loader_b.load_safe(mask_B);
+        loader_a.load_safe(tile_dims_A);
+        loader_b.load_safe(tile_dims_B);
 
         threadgroup_barrier(mem_flags::mem_threadgroup);
 
diff --git a/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/gemm/kernels/steel_gemm_addmm.metal b/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/gemm/kernels/steel_gemm_addmm.metal
index a6889e3c8..b8e131f0e 100644
--- a/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/gemm/kernels/steel_gemm_addmm.metal
+++ b/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/gemm/kernels/steel_gemm_addmm.metal
@@ -112,14 +112,8 @@ template <typename T,
         short2 tile_dims_A = transpose_a ? short2(BM, lbk) : short2(lbk, BM);
         short2 tile_dims_B = transpose_b ? short2(lbk, BN) : short2(BN, lbk);
 
-        thread bool mask_A[loader_a_t::n_rows][loader_a_t::vec_size];
-        thread bool mask_B[loader_b_t::n_rows][loader_b_t::vec_size];
-
-        loader_a.set_mask(tile_dims_A, mask_A);
-        loader_b.set_mask(tile_dims_B, mask_B);
-
-        loader_a.load_safe(mask_A);
-        loader_b.load_safe(mask_B);
+        loader_a.load_safe(tile_dims_A);
+        loader_b.load_safe(tile_dims_B);
 
         threadgroup_barrier(mem_flags::mem_threadgroup);
 
diff --git a/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/gemm/loader.h b/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/gemm/loader.h
index 5e52bbb33..743dc7a55 100644
--- a/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/gemm/loader.h
+++ b/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/gemm/loader.h
@@ -67,24 +67,22 @@ struct BlockLoader {
     }
   }
 
-  /* Load from device memory into threadgroup memory - without bound checking */
-  METAL_FUNC void set_mask(
-      thread const short2& src_tile_dims,
-      thread bool mask[n_rows][vec_size]) {
-    STEEL_PRAGMA_UNROLL
-    for (short i = 0; i < n_rows; i++) {
-      STEEL_PRAGMA_UNROLL
-      for (short j = 0; j < vec_size; j++) {
-        mask[i][j] =
-            ((bi + i) < src_tile_dims.y) && ((bj + j) < src_tile_dims.x);
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
   /* Load from device memory into threadgroup memory - with bound checking */
   METAL_FUNC void load_safe(short2 src_tile_dim) const {
     src_tile_dim = src_tile_dim - short2(bj, bi);
 
+    // Skip loading if thread has no valid reads
+    if (src_tile_dim.x <= 0 || src_tile_dim.y <= 0) {
+      STEEL_PRAGMA_UNROLL
+      for (short i = 0; i < BROWS; i += TROWS) {
+        STEEL_PRAGMA_UNROLL
+        for (short j = 0; j < vec_size; j++) {
+          dst[i * dst_ld + j] = T(0);
+        }
+      }
+      return;
+    }
+
     // Use fast thread memory for bound checks
     bool tmp_idx[vec_size];
     T tmp_val[vec_size];
@@ -117,39 +115,6 @@ struct BlockLoader {
     }
   }
 
-  /* Load from device memory into threadgroup memory - with bound checking */
-  METAL_FUNC void load_safe(const thread bool mask[n_rows][vec_size]) const {
-    T tmp_val[vec_size];
-
-    STEEL_PRAGMA_UNROLL
-    for (short i = 0, ii = 0; i < BROWS; i += TROWS, ii++) {
-      simdgroup_barrier(mem_flags::mem_none);
-      // Use fast thread memory for bound checks
-
-      // Read valid indices into tmp_val
-      STEEL_PRAGMA_UNROLL
-      for (short j = 0; j < vec_size; j++) {
-        tmp_val[j] = src[(mask[ii][j] ? i * src_ld + j : 0)];
-      }
-
-      simdgroup_barrier(mem_flags::mem_none);
-
-      // Zero out uneeded values
-      STEEL_PRAGMA_UNROLL
-      for (short j = 0; j < vec_size; j++) {
-        tmp_val[j] = mask[ii][j] ? tmp_val[j] : T(0);
-      }
-
-      simdgroup_barrier(mem_flags::mem_none);
-
-      // Copy values to threadgroup memory
-      STEEL_PRAGMA_UNROLL
-      for (short j = 0; j < vec_size; j++) {
-        dst[i * dst_ld + j] = tmp_val[j];
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
   /* Iteration helper */
   METAL_FUNC void next() {
     src += tile_stride;