diff --git a/tools/metadata/dependencies.py b/tools/metadata/dependencies.py
index 0b1be2acf01ea..5696acfde992a 100644
--- a/tools/metadata/dependencies.py
+++ b/tools/metadata/dependencies.py
@@ -61,14 +61,16 @@ def dynamic_metadata(
     extra = os.environ.get("PYTORCH_EXTRA_INSTALL_REQUIREMENTS")
     if extra:
         deps.extend(r.strip() for r in extra.split("|") if r.strip())
-    elif _is_truthy(os.environ.get("USE_ROCM")) and not _is_truthy(
-        os.environ.get("PYTORCH_ROCM_EXTERNAL_SDK")
-    ):
-        try:
-            rocm_version = version("rocm")
-        except PackageNotFoundError:
-            pass
-        else:
+    elif _is_truthy(os.environ.get("USE_ROCM")):
+        # Pin the ROCm SDK wheels the build used: PYTORCH_ROCM_SDK_VERSION when
+        # building against an unpacked SDK, else the installed rocm package.
+        rocm_version = os.environ.get("PYTORCH_ROCM_SDK_VERSION")
+        if not rocm_version:
+            try:
+                rocm_version = version("rocm")
+            except PackageNotFoundError:
+                rocm_version = None
+        if rocm_version:
             deps.append(f"rocm[libraries]=={rocm_version}")
 
     # cupti-python has no free-threaded wheels; PEP 508 cannot express this ABI constraint.
diff --git a/torch/CMakeLists.txt b/torch/CMakeLists.txt
index e2479ab4f98e0..953d7ce7e3ccd 100644
--- a/torch/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/torch/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -466,6 +466,24 @@ endif()
 
 # _rocm_init.py is gitignored (injected by ROCm build scripts to bootstrap
 # torch/__init__.py). See https://github.com/ROCm/TheRock/blob/main/docs/packaging/python_packaging.md
+# When building against the ROCm SDK wheels, PYTORCH_ROCM_SDK_VERSION names
+# their version: generate the file so `import torch` preloads the SDK's
+# libraries from those wheels and checks that the installed SDK matches.
+if(USE_ROCM AND NOT "$ENV{PYTORCH_ROCM_SDK_VERSION}" STREQUAL "")
+  set(_rocm_preloads
+      amd_comgr amd_smi amdhip64 hiprtc hipblas hipfft hiprand hipsparse
+      hipsparselt hipsolver hipblaslt miopen rocm_sysdeps_liblzma rocm-openblas
+      rocprofiler-sdk rocprofiler-sdk-roctx roctracer64 roctx64 rccl hipfile)
+  list(TRANSFORM _rocm_preloads PREPEND "'")
+  list(TRANSFORM _rocm_preloads APPEND "'")
+  list(JOIN _rocm_preloads ", " _rocm_preloads)
+  file(WRITE "${TORCH_SRC_DIR}/_rocm_init.py"
+       "def initialize():\n"
+       "    import rocm_sdk\n"
+       "    rocm_sdk.initialize_process(\n"
+       "        preload_shortnames=[${_rocm_preloads}],\n"
+       "        check_version='$ENV{PYTORCH_ROCM_SDK_VERSION}')\n")
+endif()
 # scikit-build-core won't include it via Python package collection. Install it
 # explicitly via cmake instead.
 if(SKBUILD AND USE_ROCM AND EXISTS "${TORCH_SRC_DIR}/_rocm_init.py")