diff --git a/pkg/device-plugin/nvidiadevice/nvinternal/plugin/register.go b/pkg/device-plugin/nvidiadevice/nvinternal/plugin/register.go
index 9f32accdaa..f0497ad902 100644
--- a/pkg/device-plugin/nvidiadevice/nvinternal/plugin/register.go
+++ b/pkg/device-plugin/nvidiadevice/nvinternal/plugin/register.go
@@ -106,12 +106,12 @@ func (plugin *NvidiaDevicePlugin) getAPIDevices() *[]*device.DeviceInfo {
 		ndev, ret := nvml.DeviceGetHandleByUUID(UUID)
 		if ret != nvml.SUCCESS {
 			klog.Errorln("nvml new device by index error uuid=", UUID, "err=", ret)
-			panic(0)
+			continue
 		}
 		idx, ret := ndev.GetIndex()
 		if ret != nvml.SUCCESS {
 			klog.Errorln("nvml get index error ret=", ret)
-			panic(0)
+			continue
 		}
 		memoryTotal := 0
 		memory, ret := ndev.GetMemoryInfo()
@@ -133,12 +133,13 @@ func (plugin *NvidiaDevicePlugin) getAPIDevices() *[]*device.DeviceInfo {
 			}
 		default:
 			klog.Error("nvml get memory error ret=", ret)
-			panic(0)
+			// continue skips to the next device in the outer loop, not just the switch
+			continue
 		}
 		Model, ret := ndev.GetName()
 		if ret != nvml.SUCCESS {
 			klog.Error("nvml get name error ret=", ret)
-			panic(0)
+			continue
 		}
 
 		registeredmem := int32(memoryTotal / 1024 / 1024)
@@ -185,6 +186,11 @@ func (plugin *NvidiaDevicePlugin) getAPIDevices() *[]*device.DeviceInfo {
 		})
 		klog.V(3).Infof("Registered device id=%v, memory=%vMB, type=%v, numa=%v, health=%v", idx, registeredmem, Model, numa, health)
 	}
+
+	if len(res) == 0 && len(devs) > 0 {
+		klog.Warningf("All %d GPU devices failed NVML queries and were skipped. Returning an empty device list.", len(devs))
+	}
+
 	return &res
 }