diff --git a/.github/actions/build-cuda-release/action.yml b/.github/actions/build-cuda-release/action.yml
index 2976fa231..d3fe4c301 100644
--- a/.github/actions/build-cuda-release/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/build-cuda-release/action.yml
@@ -1,18 +1,13 @@
 name: 'Build CUDA wheel'
 description: 'Build CUDA wheel'
 
-inputs:
-  toolkit:
-    description: 'The CUDA toolkit'
-    required: true
-
 runs:
   using: "composite"
   steps:
     - name: Build package
       shell: bash
       env:
-        CMAKE_ARGS: -DMLX_BUILD_CUDA=ON -DCMAKE_CUDA_COMPILER=/usr/local/${{ inputs.toolkit }}/bin/nvcc
+        CMAKE_ARGS: -DMLX_BUILD_CUDA=ON
       run: |
         pip install auditwheel build patchelf setuptools
         python setup.py clean --all
diff --git a/.github/actions/build-linux/action.yml b/.github/actions/build-linux/action.yml
index 5e8033f25..85e20866d 100644
--- a/.github/actions/build-linux/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/build-linux/action.yml
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ runs:
           -DMLX_BUILD_CUDA=OFF
         CMAKE_ARGS_CUDA: >-
           -DCMAKE_COMPILE_WARNING_AS_ERROR=ON
-          -DCMAKE_CUDA_COMPILER=/usr/local/${{ inputs.toolkit }}/bin/nvcc
           -DMLX_BUILD_CUDA=ON
       run: |
         export CMAKE_ARGS="$CMAKE_ARGS_${{ startsWith(inputs.toolkit, 'cuda') && 'CUDA' || 'CPU' }}"
diff --git a/.github/actions/setup-linux/action.yml b/.github/actions/setup-linux/action.yml
index c3b264280..e7ac7ccde 100644
--- a/.github/actions/setup-linux/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/setup-linux/action.yml
@@ -51,8 +51,6 @@ runs:
         # Note: the CI machine does not meet CUDA 13's driver requirement.
         # Compatibility matrix:
         # https://docs.nvidia.com/deeplearning/cudnn/backend/latest/reference/support-matrix.html
-        # The `nvcc` is installed into `/usr/local/cuda-VERSION/bin/nvcc` - but
-        # it's *not* on the default toolkit path.
         PACKAGES: |
           {
             "cuda-12.6": "libcudnn9-dev-cuda-12 cuda-toolkit-12-6",
@@ -67,6 +65,7 @@ runs:
         sudo apt-get install -y \
             libnccl2 libnccl-dev \
             ${{ fromJson(env.PACKAGES)[inputs.toolkit] }}
+        echo "/usr/local/${{ inputs.toolkit }}/bin" >> $GITHUB_PATH
 
     - name: CUDA packages and driver report
       if: ${{ startsWith(inputs.toolkit, 'cuda') }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 27bd7081a..5cc99dac2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -139,8 +139,6 @@ jobs:
           toolkit: 'cuda-12.9'
       - name: Build Python package
         uses: ./.github/actions/build-cuda-release
-        with:
-          toolkit: 'cuda-12.9'
       - name: Upload artifacts
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v5
         with: