diff --git a/tests/v1/kv_connector/unit/test_nixl_connector_hma.py b/tests/v1/kv_connector/unit/test_nixl_connector_hma.py
index 6d4e6565e373..06b16a3e3e8b 100644
--- a/tests/v1/kv_connector/unit/test_nixl_connector_hma.py
+++ b/tests/v1/kv_connector/unit/test_nixl_connector_hma.py
@@ -275,6 +275,83 @@ def test_apply_prefix_caching_mamba_hybrid(
     )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.cpu_test
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "local_physical_per_logical,remote_physical_per_logical,"
+    "local_block_ids,remote_block_ids,"
+    "expected_local,expected_remote",
+    [
+        # SSM prefix caching: remote has 3 placeholder + 1 real block,
+        # local has only the 1 real block. FA blocks are equal (no trim).
+        pytest.param(
+            10,
+            10,
+            [list(range(10)), [42]],
+            [list(range(10)), [40, 41, 42, 43]],
+            [list(range(10)), [42]],
+            [list(range(10)), [43]],
+            id="ssm_prefix_trim_only",
+        ),
+        # FA partial prefix cache hit with homogeneous TP: local has 4 FA
+        # blocks (prefix cached), remote has full 10. SSM equal (no trim).
+        pytest.param(
+            10,
+            10,
+            [list(range(6, 10)), [42]],
+            [list(range(10)), [42]],
+            [list(range(6, 10)), [42]],
+            [list(range(6, 10)), [42]],
+            id="fa_prefix_hit_homo_tp",
+        ),
+        # Both: FA partial prefix hit + SSM placeholder trim.
+        # local FA=[6..9] (4 blocks, prefix cached), remote FA=[0..9]
+        # local SSM=[99], remote SSM=[10, 20, 99] (2 placeholders + real)
+        pytest.param(
+            10,
+            10,
+            [[6, 7, 8, 9], [99]],
+            [list(range(10)), [10, 20, 99]],
+            [[6, 7, 8, 9], [99]],
+            [[6, 7, 8, 9], [99]],
+            id="fa_prefix_hit_and_ssm_trim",
+        ),
+    ],
+)
+def test_apply_prefix_caching_ssm_prefix_cache_hit(
+    local_physical_per_logical,
+    remote_physical_per_logical,
+    local_block_ids,
+    remote_block_ids,
+    expected_local,
+    expected_remote,
+):
+    """_apply_prefix_caching end-trims SSM remote blocks to match the single
+    local block (placeholders dropped) and end-trims FA remote blocks on
+    partial prefix cache hits when physical_per_logical matches.
+    """
+    from vllm.distributed.kv_transfer.kv_connector.v1.nixl.worker import (
+        NixlConnectorWorker,
+    )
+    from vllm.v1.kv_cache_interface import FullAttentionSpec, MambaSpec
+
+    worker = object.__new__(NixlConnectorWorker)
+    worker._has_mamba = True
+    worker._physical_blocks_per_logical_kv_block = local_physical_per_logical
+    worker._group_spec_types = (FullAttentionSpec, MambaSpec)
+    worker.kv_cache_config = make_kv_cache_config(block_size=16, mamba_enabled=True)
+
+    aligned_local, aligned_remote = worker._apply_prefix_caching(
+        local_block_ids, remote_block_ids, remote_physical_per_logical
+    )
+
+    assert aligned_local == expected_local, (
+        f"Expected local {expected_local}, got {aligned_local}"
+    )
+    assert aligned_remote == expected_remote, (
+        f"Expected remote {expected_remote}, got {aligned_remote}"
+    )
+
+
 @pytest.mark.cpu_test
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "local_physical_per_logical,remote_physical_per_logical,"
diff --git a/vllm/distributed/kv_transfer/kv_connector/v1/nixl/worker.py b/vllm/distributed/kv_transfer/kv_connector/v1/nixl/worker.py
index 0d30d4a692ad..a297058c845e 100644
--- a/vllm/distributed/kv_transfer/kv_connector/v1/nixl/worker.py
+++ b/vllm/distributed/kv_transfer/kv_connector/v1/nixl/worker.py
@@ -2333,9 +2333,25 @@ def _apply_prefix_caching(
             for i, remote_group in enumerate(remote_block_ids):
                 num_local_blocks = len(local_block_ids[i])
                 num_remote_blocks = len(remote_group)
-                if _is_ssm_spec(self._group_spec_types[i]):
-                    assert num_local_blocks == num_remote_blocks
+                if (
+                    _is_ssm_spec(self._group_spec_types[i])
+                    and num_local_blocks < num_remote_blocks
+                ):
+                    # NOTE (NickLucche): With prefix caching on SSM, (remote) blocks
+                    # prior to the last one are placeholders (null blocks). Mind that
+                    # this doesn't really impact transfer, as we only still care about
+                    # the last "block", the full in-place state.
+                    assert num_local_blocks == 1, "SSM can only have one local block"
+                    remote_block_ids[i] = remote_group[-num_local_blocks:]
+                elif (
+                    self._physical_blocks_per_logical_kv_block
+                    == remote_physical_per_logical
+                    and num_local_blocks < num_remote_blocks
+                ):
+                    # Partial prefix cache hit for FA group.
+                    remote_block_ids[i] = remote_group[-num_local_blocks:]
                 else:
+                    # TODO Handle prefix caching with different block_sizes
                     max_padding = max(
                         self._physical_blocks_per_logical_kv_block,
                         remote_physical_per_logical,
diff --git a/vllm/v1/core/sched/scheduler.py b/vllm/v1/core/sched/scheduler.py
index f76ad05607e4..25ad4425e36e 100644
--- a/vllm/v1/core/sched/scheduler.py
+++ b/vllm/v1/core/sched/scheduler.py
@@ -292,9 +292,6 @@ def _mamba_block_aligned_split(
         num_new_local_computed_tokens: int = 0,
         num_external_computed_tokens: int = 0,
     ) -> int:
-        assert num_external_computed_tokens == 0, (
-            "External KV connector is not verified yet"
-        )
         num_computed_tokens = (
             request.num_computed_tokens
             + num_new_local_computed_tokens
@@ -715,7 +712,8 @@ def schedule(self) -> SchedulerOutput:
                             # The request cannot be scheduled.
                             break
 
-                if self.need_mamba_block_aligned_split:
+                # Skip block alignment when setting up async receive (no local work).
+                if self.need_mamba_block_aligned_split and not load_kv_async:
                     num_new_tokens = self._mamba_block_aligned_split(
                         request,
                         num_new_tokens,