diff --git a/xla/service/gpu/gpu_norm_runner.cc b/xla/service/gpu/gpu_norm_runner.cc
index 5abb58af4e019..9170de6016e60 100644
--- a/xla/service/gpu/gpu_norm_runner.cc
+++ b/xla/service/gpu/gpu_norm_runner.cc
@@ -44,22 +44,8 @@ absl::Status RunGpuNorm(const gpu::GpuNormConfig& config,
                         se::Stream* stream, RunNormOptions options) {
   se::dnn::LazyOpRunner<se::dnn::NormOp>* lazy_runner =
       options.norm_runner->AsNormRunner();
-  std::optional<se::dnn::LazyOpRunner<se::dnn::NormOp>> local_runner;
-
-  TF_ASSIGN_OR_RETURN(se::dnn::NormKind kind,
-                      GetDNNNormKindFromCudnnNormKind(config.kind));
-
-  se::dnn::NormOp::Config ln_config{kind,
-                                    config.epsilon,
-                                    config.x_descriptor,
-                                    config.scale_descriptor,
-                                    config.y_or_dx_descriptor,
-                                    config.bias_descriptor,
-                                    config.dy_descriptor,
-                                    config.expectation_descriptor,
-                                    config.norm_factor_descriptor,
-                                    config.dscale_descriptor,
-                                    config.dbias_descriptor};
+  TF_ASSIGN_OR_RETURN(se::dnn::NormOp::Config ln_config,
+                      config.AsDnnNormOpConfig());
   TF_ASSIGN_OR_RETURN(auto* runner,
                       lazy_runner->GetOrCreateRunner(ln_config, stream));
 
diff --git a/xla/service/gpu/gpu_norm_runner.h b/xla/service/gpu/gpu_norm_runner.h
index 854e3c0892050..8461671e86d03 100644
--- a/xla/service/gpu/gpu_norm_runner.h
+++ b/xla/service/gpu/gpu_norm_runner.h
@@ -118,6 +118,22 @@ struct GpuNormConfig {
     return config;
   }
 
+  absl::StatusOr<se::dnn::NormOp::Config> AsDnnNormOpConfig() const {
+    TF_ASSIGN_OR_RETURN(se::dnn::NormKind norm_kind,
+                        GetDNNNormKindFromCudnnNormKind(kind));
+    return se::dnn::NormOp::Config{norm_kind,
+                                   epsilon,
+                                   x_descriptor,
+                                   scale_descriptor,
+                                   y_or_dx_descriptor,
+                                   bias_descriptor,
+                                   dy_descriptor,
+                                   expectation_descriptor,
+                                   norm_factor_descriptor,
+                                   dscale_descriptor,
+                                   dbias_descriptor};
+  }
+
   double epsilon;
   CudnnNormKind kind;
   se::dnn::AlgorithmDesc algorithm;
diff --git a/xla/service/gpu/runtime/norm_thunk.cc b/xla/service/gpu/runtime/norm_thunk.cc
index d3862f7bfeac7..71c0744686e40 100644
--- a/xla/service/gpu/runtime/norm_thunk.cc
+++ b/xla/service/gpu/runtime/norm_thunk.cc
@@ -106,5 +106,14 @@ absl::Status NormThunk::ExecuteOnStream(const ExecuteParams& params) {
   return absl::OkStatus();
 }
 
+absl::Status NormThunk::Initialize(const InitializeParams& params) {
+  // Create the runner at initialization time to avoid hangs if we try to build
+  // the execution plan while a NCCL collective is running.
+  se::dnn::LazyOpRunner<se::dnn::NormOp>* lazy_runner =
+      GetOrCreateRunner(params.stream).AsNormRunner();
+  TF_ASSIGN_OR_RETURN(auto ln_config, config_.AsDnnNormOpConfig());
+  return lazy_runner->GetOrCreateRunner(ln_config, params.stream).status();
+}
+
 }  // namespace gpu
 }  // namespace xla
diff --git a/xla/service/gpu/runtime/norm_thunk.h b/xla/service/gpu/runtime/norm_thunk.h
index 602d504175fb3..eca5deca3a68b 100644
--- a/xla/service/gpu/runtime/norm_thunk.h
+++ b/xla/service/gpu/runtime/norm_thunk.h
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ class NormThunk : public Thunk {
   NormThunk& operator=(const NormThunk&) = delete;
 
   absl::Status ExecuteOnStream(const ExecuteParams& params) override;
+  absl::Status Initialize(const InitializeParams& params) override;
 
  private:
   BufferAllocation::Slice x_buffer_;