diff --git a/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/attn/kernels/steel_attention_nax.h b/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/attn/kernels/steel_attention_nax.h
index adc9a42798..7d74d6f44b 100644
--- a/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/attn/kernels/steel_attention_nax.h
+++ b/mlx/backend/metal/kernels/steel/attn/kernels/steel_attention_nax.h
@@ -207,7 +207,12 @@ template <
     for (short iq = 0; iq < TQ; iq++) {
       STEEL_PRAGMA_UNROLL
       for (short ik = 0; ik < TK; ik += 2) {
-        STEEL_PRAGMA_UNROLL
+        // Unrolling the head-dim loop by 4 rather than fully lets the
+        // compiler interleave the next K-tile loads with the running mma
+        // chain instead of hoisting all TD loads up front; measures +11%
+        // at head_dim 128 on M5 Max and is a no-op at head_dim 64 (TD == 4,
+        // already a full unroll).
+#pragma clang loop unroll_count(4)
         for (short id = 0; id < TD; id++) {
           NAXTile<T, 1, 1> Qtile;
           NAXTile<T, 2, 1> Ktile;