diff --git a/src/pyhf/constraints.py b/src/pyhf/constraints.py
index 882a221041..59d6b56469 100644
--- a/src/pyhf/constraints.py
+++ b/src/pyhf/constraints.py
@@ -195,10 +195,13 @@ def __init__(self, pdfconfig, batch_size=None):
             self._batched_factors = default_backend.tile(
                 factors, (self.batch_size or 1, 1)
             )
-
-            access_field = default_backend.concatenate(
-                self.param_viewer.index_selection, axis=1
-            )
+            print('ok')
+            try:
+                selection = [x.cpu().numpy() for x in self.param_viewer.index_selection]
+            except AttributeError:
+                selection = [x for x in self.param_viewer.index_selection]
+            print('selectioin', selection)
+            access_field = default_backend.concatenate(selection, axis=1)
             self._access_field = access_field
 
         self._precompute()
diff --git a/src/pyhf/modifiers/shapesys.py b/src/pyhf/modifiers/shapesys.py
index 34e762e4f7..e89da07f86 100644
--- a/src/pyhf/modifiers/shapesys.py
+++ b/src/pyhf/modifiers/shapesys.py
@@ -101,6 +101,11 @@ def _reindex_access_field(self, pdfconfig):
                 )
 
                 sample_mask = self._shapesys_mask[syst_index][singular_sample_index][0]
+                try:
+                    selection = selection.cpu().numpy()
+                except AttributeError:
+                    pass
+                print(sample_mask, access_field_for_syst_and_batch, selection)
                 access_field_for_syst_and_batch[sample_mask] = selection
                 self._access_field[
                     syst_index, batch_index
diff --git a/src/pyhf/tensor/pytorch_backend.py b/src/pyhf/tensor/pytorch_backend.py
index cded58bd87..7ab4dd5842 100644
--- a/src/pyhf/tensor/pytorch_backend.py
+++ b/src/pyhf/tensor/pytorch_backend.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 from torch.distributions.utils import broadcast_all
 import logging
 import math
+import torch_xla.core.xla_model as xm
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -177,7 +178,7 @@ def astensor(self, tensor_in, dtype='float'):
             )
             raise
 
-        return torch.as_tensor(tensor_in, dtype=dtype)
+        return torch.as_tensor(tensor_in, dtype=dtype, device=xm.xla_device())
 
     def gather(self, tensor, indices):
         return tensor[indices.type(torch.LongTensor)]
@@ -225,10 +226,10 @@ def abs(self, tensor):
         return torch.abs(tensor)
 
     def ones(self, shape):
-        return torch.ones(shape, dtype=self.dtypemap['float'])
+        return torch.ones(shape, dtype=self.dtypemap['float'], device=xm.xla_device())
 
     def zeros(self, shape):
-        return torch.zeros(shape, dtype=self.dtypemap['float'])
+        return torch.zeros(shape, dtype=self.dtypemap['float'], device=xm.xla_device())
 
     def power(self, tensor_in_1, tensor_in_2):
         return torch.pow(tensor_in_1, tensor_in_2)