diff --git a/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-device.cpp b/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-device.cpp
index 432f780679..f11b62d326 100644
--- a/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-device.cpp
+++ b/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-device.cpp
@@ -994,19 +994,23 @@ ggml_metal_pipeline_t ggml_metal_library_get_pipeline_flash_attn_ext(
     const int32_t ns10 = op->src[1]->nb[1]/op->src[1]->nb[0];
     const int32_t ns20 = op->src[2]->nb[1]/op->src[2]->nb[0];
 
+    // do bounds checks for the mask?
+    const bool bc_mask = op->src[3] && (op->src[3]->ne[1] % 8 != 0);
+
     snprintf(base, 256, "kernel_%s_%s_dk%d_dv%d",
             "flash_attn_ext",
             ggml_type_name(op->src[1]->type),
             dk,
             dv);
 
-    snprintf(name, 256, "%s_mask=%d_sinks=%d_bias=%d_scap=%d_kvpad=%d_ns10=%d_ns20=%d_nsg=%d",
+    snprintf(name, 256, "%s_mask=%d_sinks=%d_bias=%d_scap=%d_kvpad=%d_bcm=%d_ns10=%d_ns20=%d_nsg=%d",
             base,
             has_mask,
             has_sinks,
             has_bias,
             has_scap,
             has_kvpad,
+            bc_mask,
             ns10,
             ns20,
             nsg);
@@ -1024,6 +1028,8 @@ ggml_metal_pipeline_t ggml_metal_library_get_pipeline_flash_attn_ext(
     ggml_metal_cv_set_bool(cv, has_scap,  FC_FLASH_ATTN_EXT + 3);
     ggml_metal_cv_set_bool(cv, has_kvpad, FC_FLASH_ATTN_EXT + 4);
 
+    ggml_metal_cv_set_bool(cv, bc_mask, FC_FLASH_ATTN_EXT + 10);
+
     ggml_metal_cv_set_int32(cv, ns10, FC_FLASH_ATTN_EXT + 20);
     ggml_metal_cv_set_int32(cv, ns20, FC_FLASH_ATTN_EXT + 21);
     ggml_metal_cv_set_int32(cv, nsg,  FC_FLASH_ATTN_EXT + 22);
diff --git a/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-ops.cpp b/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-ops.cpp
index b6ccc8b9da..9557bb94b3 100644
--- a/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-ops.cpp
+++ b/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal-ops.cpp
@@ -1979,8 +1979,8 @@ int ggml_metal_op_flash_attn_ext(ggml_metal_op_t ctx, int idx) {
     GGML_ASSERT(ne12 == ne22);
 
     GGML_ASSERT(!op->src[3] || op->src[3]->type == GGML_TYPE_F16);
-    GGML_ASSERT(!op->src[3] || op->src[3]->ne[1] >= GGML_PAD(op->src[0]->ne[1], 8) &&
-            "the Flash-Attention Metal kernel requires the mask to be padded to 8 and at least n_queries big");
+    GGML_ASSERT(!op->src[3] || op->src[3]->ne[1] >= op->src[0]->ne[1] &&
+            "the Flash-Attention Metal kernel requires the mask to be at least n_queries big");
 
     float scale;
     float max_bias;
diff --git a/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal.metal b/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal.metal
index 7acc5c29cf..a61c69ffd1 100644
--- a/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal.metal
+++ b/ggml/src/ggml-metal/ggml-metal.metal
@@ -4492,6 +4492,8 @@ constant bool FC_flash_attn_ext_has_bias  [[function_constant(FC_FLASH_ATTN_EXT
 constant bool FC_flash_attn_ext_has_scap  [[function_constant(FC_FLASH_ATTN_EXT + 3)]];
 constant bool FC_flash_attn_ext_has_kvpad [[function_constant(FC_FLASH_ATTN_EXT + 4)]];
 
+constant bool FC_flash_attn_ext_bc_mask [[function_constant(FC_FLASH_ATTN_EXT + 10)]];
+
 //constant float FC_flash_attn_ext_scale         [[function_constant(FC_FLASH_ATTN_EXT + 10)]];
 //constant float FC_flash_attn_ext_max_bias      [[function_constant(FC_FLASH_ATTN_EXT + 11)]];
 //constant float FC_flash_attn_ext_logit_softcap [[function_constant(FC_FLASH_ATTN_EXT + 12)]];
@@ -4678,7 +4680,7 @@ void kernel_flash_attn_ext_impl(
                 v += (ikv2 + ikv3*args.ne_12_2)*args.nb21*C;
 
                 if (!FC_flash_attn_ext_has_mask) {
-                    threadgroup half * sm = (threadgroup half  *) (sm2);
+                    threadgroup half * sm = (threadgroup half *) (sm2);
 
                     FOR_UNROLL (short jj = 0; jj < NQ; ++jj) {
                         const short j = jj*NSG + sgitg;
@@ -4708,7 +4710,12 @@ void kernel_flash_attn_ext_impl(
                 FOR_UNROLL (short jj = 0; jj < NQ; ++jj) {
                     const short j = jj*NSG + sgitg;
 
-                    sm2[j*SH + tiisg] = pm2[jj][tiisg];
+                    if (FC_flash_attn_ext_bc_mask) {
+                        sm2[j*SH + tiisg] = (iq1 + j) < args.ne31 ? pm2[jj][tiisg] : half2(-MAXHALF, -MAXHALF);
+                    } else {
+                        sm2[j*SH + tiisg] = pm2[jj][tiisg];
+                    }
+
                     pm2[jj] += NW;
                 }