diff --git a/tests/distributed/omni_connectors/test_chunk_transfer_adapter.py b/tests/distributed/omni_connectors/test_chunk_transfer_adapter.py
index b8c1761cdef..87430fd7a96 100644
--- a/tests/distributed/omni_connectors/test_chunk_transfer_adapter.py
+++ b/tests/distributed/omni_connectors/test_chunk_transfer_adapter.py
@@ -199,37 +199,53 @@ def test_send_single_request_cleans_up_after_finished_payload(build_adapter, mon
     assert args[1] == "ext-finished"
 
 
-def test_update_request_payload(build_adapter):
-    adapter, _ = build_adapter()
-
-    first: OmniPayload = {
+def test_load_poll_non_ar_merges_into_existing_additional_information(build_adapter):
+    adapter, connector = build_adapter(stage_id=2, model_mode="diffusion")
+    request = _req("req-non-ar", RequestStatus.WAITING, external_req_id="ext-non-ar")
+    request.additional_information = {
         "hidden_states": {"output": torch.tensor([[1.0]])},
-        "codes": {"audio": [1]},
-        "meta": {"finished": torch.tensor(False, dtype=torch.bool)},
+        "ids": {"prompt": [11, 12]},
+        "meta": {"finished": torch.tensor(False, dtype=torch.bool), "step": 1},
     }
-    adapter._update_request_payload("ext", first)
-    second: OmniPayload = {
+    request.num_computed_tokens = 9
+
+    payload: OmniPayload = {
         "hidden_states": {"output": torch.tensor([[2.0]])},
-        "codes": {"audio": [2]},
-        "meta": {"finished": torch.tensor(True, dtype=torch.bool)},
+        "ids": {"all": [21, 22]},
+        "codes": {"audio": torch.tensor([7, 8], dtype=torch.long)},
+        "meta": {"finished": torch.tensor(True, dtype=torch.bool), "phase": "decode"},
+        "kv_metadata": {"foo": "bar"},
     }
-    merged = adapter._update_request_payload("ext", second)
+    connector.get.return_value = (payload, 8)
 
-    assert torch.equal(merged["hidden_states"]["output"], torch.tensor([[1.0], [2.0]]))
-    assert merged["codes"]["audio"] == [1, 2]
-    assert merged["meta"]["finished"].item() is True
+    assert adapter._poll_single_request(request) is True
+
+    assert request.prompt_token_ids == [7, 8]
+    assert request.num_computed_tokens == 0
+    assert torch.equal(
+        request.additional_information["hidden_states"]["output"],
+        torch.tensor([[2.0]]),
+    )
+    assert request.additional_information["ids"]["prompt"] == [11, 12]
+    assert request.additional_information["ids"]["all"] == [21, 22]
+    # non-ar merge path intentionally doesn't overwrite meta.finished.
+    assert request.additional_information["meta"]["finished"].item() is False
+    assert request.additional_information["meta"]["phase"] == "decode"
+    assert request.additional_information["kv_metadata"] == {"foo": "bar"}
+    assert "req-non-ar" in adapter._finished_load_reqs
+    assert "req-non-ar" in adapter.finished_requests
 
 
 def test_load_poll_ar_request_additional_information_concats_tensors(build_adapter):
     adapter, connector = build_adapter(stage_id=2, model_mode="ar")
     request = _req("req-merged", RequestStatus.WAITING, external_req_id="ext-merged")
-
-    adapter.request_ids_mapping["req-merged"] = "ext-merged"
-    adapter.request_payload["ext-merged"] = {
+    request.additional_information = {
         "hidden_states": {"output": torch.tensor([[1.0]])},
         "ids": {"prompt": [11, 12]},
         "meta": {"finished": torch.tensor(False, dtype=torch.bool)},
     }
+
+    adapter.request_ids_mapping["req-merged"] = "ext-merged"
     payload: OmniPayload = {
         "hidden_states": {"output": torch.tensor([[2.0]])},
         "meta": {"finished": torch.tensor(True, dtype=torch.bool)},
@@ -238,12 +254,8 @@ def test_load_poll_ar_request_additional_information_concats_tensors(build_adapt
 
     adapter._poll_single_request(request)
 
-    assert torch.equal(
-        request.additional_information["hidden_states"]["output"],
-        torch.tensor([[1.0], [2.0]]),
-    )
-    # Keys absent from the new chunk are dropped (matches main's behavior).
-    assert "ids" not in request.additional_information
+    # AR mode now forwards the latest payload directly.
+    assert request.additional_information == payload
     assert request.additional_information["meta"]["finished"].item() is True