diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 3d2e569a7..ed3045c5d 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -8,3 +8,7 @@
 - To run the `./scripts/train/build_image_and_launch.sh` script, you must commit the current changes.
 - Launch tool use experiments by running `./scripts/train/build_image_and_launch.sh scripts/train/debug/tool_grpo_fast.sh`.
 - Launch multi-node non-tool experiments by running `./scripts/train/build_image_and_launch.sh scripts/train/debug/large_test_script.sh`.
+
+# Code Style
+- Always add type annotations to function signatures.
+- Always add docstrings to functions, using Google-style docstring format.
diff --git a/open_instruct/grpo_fast.py b/open_instruct/grpo_fast.py
index d8db97f16..65c91cf05 100644
--- a/open_instruct/grpo_fast.py
+++ b/open_instruct/grpo_fast.py
@@ -2921,6 +2921,44 @@ def cleanup_training_resources(
         logger.info("✅ Process group destroyed")
 
 
+@Timer("[Main Thread] 🗡️ Saving checkpoint state")
+def maybe_save_checkpoint(
+    args: Args,
+    policy_group: ModelGroup,
+    training_step: int,
+    episode: int,
+    num_total_tokens: int,
+    iter_dataloader: ShufflingIterator | None,
+) -> None:
+    """Save checkpoint state if checkpoint frequency conditions are met.
+
+    Args:
+        args: Training configuration arguments.
+        policy_group: Group of policy models to checkpoint.
+        training_step: Current training step number.
+        episode: Current episode count.
+        num_total_tokens: Total number of tokens processed.
+        iter_dataloader: Data iterator to save state from, or None.
+    """
+    if not (
+        args.checkpoint_state_freq > 0
+        and training_step % args.checkpoint_state_freq == 0
+        and args.checkpoint_state_dir is not None
+    ):
+        return
+
+    client_state = {"training_step": training_step, "episode": episode, "num_total_tokens": num_total_tokens}
+
+    if iter_dataloader is not None:
+        client_state["shuffling_iterator_state"] = iter_dataloader.get_state()
+
+    ray_get_with_progress(
+        [model.save_checkpoint_state.remote(args.checkpoint_state_dir, client_state) for model in policy_group.models],
+        desc=f"Saving checkpoint state at step {training_step}",
+    )
+    logger.info(f"Saved checkpoint state at step {training_step} to {args.checkpoint_state_dir}")
+
+
 def run_training(
     args,
     tokenizer,
@@ -3098,52 +3136,37 @@ def health_check_fn():
             iter_dataloader,
         )
 
-        logger.debug(f"[Main Thread] Triggered weight sync for step {training_step}")
-        weight_sync_trigger_event.set()
+        async_futures = []
 
-        # Checkpoint after one_training_step (or even if it was skipped)
-        # This ensures we checkpoint progress even if the exact checkpoint step has no data
-        if (
-            args.checkpoint_state_freq > 0
-            and training_step % args.checkpoint_state_freq == 0
-            and args.checkpoint_state_dir is not None
-        ):
-            with Timer("[Main Thread] 🗡️ Saving checkpoint state"):
-                # Save comprehensive client state including ShufflingIterator state
-                client_state = {
-                    "training_step": training_step,
-                    "episode": episode,
-                    "num_total_tokens": num_total_tokens,
-                }
-
-                # Save ShufflingIterator state
-                if iter_dataloader is not None:
-                    client_state["shuffling_iterator_state"] = iter_dataloader.get_state()
-
-                ray_get_with_progress(
-                    [
-                        policy_group.models[i].save_checkpoint_state.remote(args.checkpoint_state_dir, client_state)
-                        for i in range(args.world_size)
-                    ],
-                    desc=f"Saving checkpoint state at step {training_step}",
-                )
-                logger.info(f"Saved checkpoint state at step {training_step} to {args.checkpoint_state_dir}")
+        async_futures.append(
+            executor.submit(
+                maybe_save_checkpoint, args, policy_group, training_step, episode, num_total_tokens, iter_dataloader
+            )
+        )
 
-        maybe_evaluate(
-            args,
-            training_step,
-            evaluation_inference_results_Q,
-            tokenizer,
-            reward_fn,
-            episode,
-            eval_pending_queries_map,
-            generation_configs["eval"],
-            generate_metrics_Q,
-            len(eval_dataset) if eval_dataset else 0,
-            model_dims,
-            actor_manager,
+        async_futures.append(
+            executor.submit(
+                maybe_evaluate,
+                args,
+                training_step,
+                evaluation_inference_results_Q,
+                tokenizer,
+                reward_fn,
+                episode,
+                eval_pending_queries_map,
+                generation_configs["eval"],
+                generate_metrics_Q,
+                len(eval_dataset) if eval_dataset else 0,
+                model_dims,
+                actor_manager,
+            )
         )
 
+        futures.wait(async_futures)
+
+        logger.debug(f"[Main Thread] Triggered weight sync for step {training_step}")
+        weight_sync_trigger_event.set()
+
     if resume_training_step > args.num_training_steps:
         raise ValueError(f"Training didn't run since {resume_training_step=} > {args.num_training_steps=}")