diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 060bbf05..bb6e3321 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 ## v1.13.0-rc.3
 
 * Prefer /run over /var/run when locating nvidia-persistenced and nvidia-fabricmanager sockets.
+* Only initialize NVML for modes that require it when runing `nvidia-ctk cdi generate`
 
 ## v1.13.0-rc.2
 
diff --git a/cmd/nvidia-ctk/cdi/generate/generate.go b/cmd/nvidia-ctk/cdi/generate/generate.go
index 535a6641..12caca6a 100644
--- a/cmd/nvidia-ctk/cdi/generate/generate.go
+++ b/cmd/nvidia-ctk/cdi/generate/generate.go
@@ -30,8 +30,6 @@ import (
 	specs "github.com/container-orchestrated-devices/container-device-interface/specs-go"
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	"github.com/urfave/cli/v2"
-	"gitlab.com/nvidia/cloud-native/go-nvlib/pkg/nvlib/device"
-	"gitlab.com/nvidia/cloud-native/go-nvlib/pkg/nvml"
 )
 
 const (
@@ -190,21 +188,11 @@ func (m command) generateSpec(cfg *config) (spec.Interface, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create device namer: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	nvmllib := nvml.New()
-	if r := nvmllib.Init(); r != nvml.SUCCESS {
-		return nil, r
-	}
-	defer nvmllib.Shutdown()
-
-	devicelib := device.New(device.WithNvml(nvmllib))
-
 	cdilib := nvcdi.New(
 		nvcdi.WithLogger(m.logger),
 		nvcdi.WithDriverRoot(cfg.driverRoot),
 		nvcdi.WithNVIDIACTKPath(cfg.nvidiaCTKPath),
 		nvcdi.WithDeviceNamer(deviceNamer),
-		nvcdi.WithDeviceLib(devicelib),
-		nvcdi.WithNvmlLib(nvmllib),
 		nvcdi.WithMode(string(cfg.mode)),
 	)
 
diff --git a/pkg/nvcdi/driver-nvml.go b/pkg/nvcdi/driver-nvml.go
index eee3ffd8..a9901590 100644
--- a/pkg/nvcdi/driver-nvml.go
+++ b/pkg/nvcdi/driver-nvml.go
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@ import (
 // NewDriverDiscoverer creates a discoverer for the libraries and binaries associated with a driver installation.
 // The supplied NVML Library is used to query the expected driver version.
 func NewDriverDiscoverer(logger *logrus.Logger, driverRoot string, nvidiaCTKPath string, nvmllib nvml.Interface) (discover.Discover, error) {
+	if r := nvmllib.Init(); r != nvml.SUCCESS {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to initalize NVML: %v", r)
+	}
+	defer nvmllib.Shutdown()
+
 	version, r := nvmllib.SystemGetDriverVersion()
 	if r != nvml.SUCCESS {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to determine driver version: %v", r)
diff --git a/pkg/nvcdi/lib-nvml.go b/pkg/nvcdi/lib-nvml.go
index 8fa29c11..95ccf66b 100644
--- a/pkg/nvcdi/lib-nvml.go
+++ b/pkg/nvcdi/lib-nvml.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/container-orchestrated-devices/container-device-interface/pkg/cdi"
 	"github.com/container-orchestrated-devices/container-device-interface/specs-go"
 	"gitlab.com/nvidia/cloud-native/go-nvlib/pkg/nvlib/device"
+	"gitlab.com/nvidia/cloud-native/go-nvlib/pkg/nvml"
 )
 
 type nvmllib nvcdilib
@@ -39,6 +40,11 @@ func (l *nvmllib) GetSpec() (spec.Interface, error) {
 func (l *nvmllib) GetAllDeviceSpecs() ([]specs.Device, error) {
 	var deviceSpecs []specs.Device
 
+	if r := l.nvmllib.Init(); r != nvml.SUCCESS {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to initalize NVML: %v", r)
+	}
+	defer l.nvmllib.Shutdown()
+
 	gpuDeviceSpecs, err := l.getGPUDeviceSpecs()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err