diff --git a/vllm/model_executor/models/transformers.py b/vllm/model_executor/models/transformers.py
index ad7c07dc8cd2..7b946ad6aac7 100644
--- a/vllm/model_executor/models/transformers.py
+++ b/vllm/model_executor/models/transformers.py
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 """Wrapper around `transformers` models"""
 import re
-from itertools import chain
 from typing import Iterable, Literal, Optional, Union
 
 import torch
@@ -166,12 +165,9 @@ class TransformersModel(nn.Module):
         # Initialize buffers (e.g. rotary embedding inverse frequency)
         self.init_buffers(self.model)
 
-        # Initialize parameters
+        # Initialize any parameters that have not had their modules replaced
         self.init_parameters(self.model)
 
-        # Move remaining meta tensors to device (should happen last)
-        self.meta_to_empty(self.model)
-
         self.make_empty_intermediate_tensors = (
             make_empty_intermediate_tensors_factory(["hidden_states"],
                                                     config.hidden_size))
@@ -296,6 +292,14 @@ class TransformersModel(nn.Module):
         """
         for name, buffer in module.named_buffers(recurse=False):
             if buffer.device == torch.device("meta"):
+                if module == self.model:
+                    logger.warning(
+                        "To initialize buffers correctly, we instantiate the "
+                        "parent module and and extract the value of the "
+                        "buffer from it. In this case, the parent module is "
+                        "the base model. Instantiating the entire model here "
+                        "risks GPU OOM. Could this buffer be moved to a child "
+                        "module?")
                 new_buffer = getattr(type(module)(self.config), name)
                 setattr(module, name, new_buffer)
         for child in module.children():
@@ -320,14 +324,6 @@ class TransformersModel(nn.Module):
         for child in module.children():
             self.init_parameters(child)
 
-    def meta_to_empty(self, module: nn.Module):
-        tensors = list(chain(module.buffers(), module.parameters()))
-        if tensors and all(t.device == torch.device("meta") for t in tensors):
-            module.to_empty(device=self.device_config.device)
-            return  # We can stop recursing because to_empty is recursive
-        for child in module.children():
-            self.meta_to_empty(child)
-
     def get_input_embeddings(self) -> nn.Module:
         return self.model.get_input_embeddings()