diff --git a/axlearn/common/optimizers.py b/axlearn/common/optimizers.py
index cf512524b..85df68a07 100644
--- a/axlearn/common/optimizers.py
+++ b/axlearn/common/optimizers.py
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ def init_fn(params):
             count = None
         else:
             count = jnp.zeros([], jnp.int32)
-        return AddDecayedWeightsState(count=count)
+        return AddDecayedWeightsState(count=jnp.zeros((1,), dtype=jnp.int32))
 
     def update_fn(updates: NestedTensor, state: AddDecayedWeightsState, params: NestedOptParam):
         if params is None:
@@ -705,6 +705,71 @@ def adamw_decoupled_optimizer(
 
     return chain(*tx)
 
+def multisteps_optimizer(
+    *args, k_steps
+) -> PartitionedGradientTransformation:
+    base = chain(*args)
+
+    class MultiStepsState(NamedTuple):
+        mini_step: int
+        gradient_step: int
+        inner_opt_state: Any
+        acc_grads: Any
+
+    def multisteps_init(model_params):
+        def _copy_zero(model_tree):
+            return jax.tree_map(lambda x: jnp.full_like(x, 0), model_tree)
+        return MultiStepsState(
+                    mini_step = jnp.zeros([], dtype=jnp.int32),
+                    gradient_step = jnp.zeros([], dtype=jnp.int32),
+                    inner_opt_state = base.init(model_params),
+                    acc_grads = _copy_zero(model_params))
+
+    def multisteps_partition(optimizer_model_param_specs):
+        return MultiStepsState(
+                    mini_step = None,
+                    gradient_step = None,
+                    inner_opt_state = base.partition(optimizer_model_param_specs),
+                    acc_grads = optimizer_model_param_specs) # TODO: check if this works was model_param_specs
+
+    # Copied from Optax Multistep
+    def multisteps_update(updates, state, params):
+        _acc_update = lambda x, y: x + y
+        # Note: we do not enclose variables to allow JAX to re-use memory buffers.
+        acc_grads = jax.tree_util.tree_map(
+            lambda upd, acc: _acc_update(upd, acc),
+            updates,
+            state.acc_grads,
+        )
+
+        final_updates, new_inner_state = base.update(
+            acc_grads, state.inner_opt_state, params=params
+        )
+
+        emit = state.mini_step == (k_steps - 1)
+        new_state = MultiStepsState(
+            mini_step=optax.safe_int32_increment(state.mini_step) % k_steps,
+            gradient_step=emit
+            * optax.safe_int32_increment(state.gradient_step)
+            + (1 - emit) * state.gradient_step,
+            inner_opt_state=jax.tree_util.tree_map(
+                lambda st, nst: jnp.where(emit, nst, st),
+                state.inner_opt_state,
+                new_inner_state,
+            ),
+            acc_grads=jax.tree_util.tree_map(
+                lambda ga: (1 - emit) * ga, acc_grads
+            ),
+        )
+
+        final_updates = jax.tree_util.tree_map(
+            lambda ga: emit * ga, final_updates
+        )
+        return final_updates, new_state
+
+    return PartitionedGradientTransformation(
+        init=multisteps_init, update=multisteps_update, partition=multisteps_partition
+    )
 
 def adam_optimizer(
     learning_rate: schedule.Schedule,
@@ -1521,7 +1586,7 @@ def _init(param: OptParam):
             )
 
         return _AdastarState(
-            count=jnp.zeros([], dtype=jnp.int32), pps=jax.tree_util.tree_map(_init, params)
+            count=jnp.zeros((1,), dtype=jnp.int32), pps=jax.tree_util.tree_map(_init, params)
         )
 
     def update_fn(grads: NestedTensor, state: _AdastarState, params: NestedOptParam):
diff --git a/axlearn/experiments/text/gpt/common.py b/axlearn/experiments/text/gpt/common.py
index 9810849bb..a2ab4b323 100644
--- a/axlearn/experiments/text/gpt/common.py
+++ b/axlearn/experiments/text/gpt/common.py
@@ -284,7 +284,10 @@ def learner_config(
         # Decay to this fraction of the peak_lr.
         alpha=alpha,
     )
-    optimizer_cfg = config_for_function(optimizers.chain).set(
+    # Change the optimizer requirement to optimizer multisteps instead of chain, 
+    # this can be done through a config file change also by changing key-value pair:
+    # learner.optimizer.fn: 'axlearn.common.optimizers.chain'
+    optimizer_cfg = config_for_function(optimizers.multisteps_optimizer).set(
         args=[
             config_for_function(optimizers.clip_by_global_norm).set(max_norm=1),
             config_for_function(optimizers.adamw_decoupled_optimizer).set(
@@ -298,7 +301,8 @@ def learner_config(
                 adam_update_transformation=None,
                 mu_dtype=jnp.float32
             ),
-        ]
+        ],
+        k_steps=4
     )
     return learner.Learner.default_config().set(optimizer=optimizer_cfg)