diff --git a/axonn/communication.py b/axonn/communication.py
index e37902b..cf0ecc4 100644
--- a/axonn/communication.py
+++ b/axonn/communication.py
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ def __init__(
                             ranks_in_ith_jth_intra_layer_group[i, j, :]
                         )
                         group = torch.distributed.new_group(
-                            ranks=group_members, backend="gloo"
+                            ranks=group_members, backend="self.backend"
                         )
                         if self.world_rank in group_members:
                             self.inner_intra_layer_parallel_group = group
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ def __init__(
                             ranks_in_ith_jth_intra_layer_group[i, :, j]
                         )
                         group = torch.distributed.new_group(
-                            ranks=group_members, backend="gloo"
+                            ranks=group_members, backend="self.backend"
                         )
                         if self.world_rank in group_members:
                             self.outer_intra_layer_parallel_group = group
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ def __init__(
                             ranks_in_ith_jth_intra_layer_group[:, i, j]
                         )
                         group = torch.distributed.new_group(
-                            ranks=group_members, backend="gloo"
+                            ranks=group_members, backend="self.backend"
                         )
                         if self.world_rank in group_members:
                             self.depth_intra_layer_parallel_group = group