diff --git a/python/sglang/srt/arg_groups/pipeline.py b/python/sglang/srt/arg_groups/pipeline.py
index e2022e179..4fd672912 100644
--- a/python/sglang/srt/arg_groups/pipeline.py
+++ b/python/sglang/srt/arg_groups/pipeline.py
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ def run_resolution_pipeline(server_args: Any) -> None:
         handle_mps_backends,
         handle_nccl_pre_warm,
         handle_npu_backends,
+        handle_symm_mem_device_support,
         handle_xpu_backends,
     )
 
@@ -207,6 +208,9 @@ def run_resolution_pipeline(server_args: Any) -> None:
     handle_npu_backends(server_args)
     handle_mps_backends(server_args)
     handle_xpu_backends(server_args)
+    # Must precede handle_gpu_memory_settings: its symm-mem prealloc default
+    # keys off enable_symm_mem.
+    handle_symm_mem_device_support(server_args)
 
     # OOT platform plugins set fields directly (an interface this tree
     # does not own); the diff records what they applied.
diff --git a/python/sglang/srt/arg_groups/platform_hook.py b/python/sglang/srt/arg_groups/platform_hook.py
index 46725e563..3ad779494 100644
--- a/python/sglang/srt/arg_groups/platform_hook.py
+++ b/python/sglang/srt/arg_groups/platform_hook.py
@@ -76,6 +76,20 @@ def handle_nccl_pre_warm(server_args: Any):
         declare_resolution(server_args, "_handle_nccl_pre_warm", pre_warm_nccl=False)
 
 
+def handle_symm_mem_device_support(server_args: Any):
+    cfg = resolving_view(server_args)
+    # The symm-mem allocator compiles a CUDA plugin and links -lnccl, so off
+    # CUDA/HIP (e.g. Ascend NPU) it fails deep in a build step rather than here.
+    if cfg.enable_symm_mem and not (is_cuda() or is_hip()):
+        logger.warning(
+            "--enable-symm-mem is not supported on non CUDA/HIP devices "
+            "(NCCL symmetric memory is unavailable). Disabling symmetric memory."
+        )
+        declare_resolution(
+            server_args, "_handle_symm_mem_device_support", enable_symm_mem=False
+        )
+
+
 def handle_xpu_backends(server_args: Any):
     cfg = resolving_view(server_args)
     if cfg.device == "xpu":
diff --git a/python/sglang/srt/distributed/device_communicators/pynccl_allocator.py b/python/sglang/srt/distributed/device_communicators/pynccl_allocator.py
index 5ce034f5b..3574968e1 100644
--- a/python/sglang/srt/distributed/device_communicators/pynccl_allocator.py
+++ b/python/sglang/srt/distributed/device_communicators/pynccl_allocator.py
@@ -6,12 +6,10 @@ import traceback
 from contextlib import nullcontext
 
 import torch
-from torch.cuda.memory import (
-    CUDAPluggableAllocator,
-    _cuda_beginAllocateCurrentThreadToPool,
-    _cuda_endAllocateToPool,
-    _cuda_releasePool,
-)
+
+# The private _cuda_* pool APIs are absent before torch 2.8; the call sites below
+# reach them via torch._C.<name> so torch 2.7 (Ascend NPU) can still import this.
+from torch.cuda.memory import CUDAPluggableAllocator
 
 from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import GroupCoordinator
 from sglang.srt.environ import envs
@@ -189,6 +187,11 @@ def get_nccl_mem_pool() -> torch.cuda.MemPool:
     All groups share the same pool to avoid memory fragmentation.
     Comm registration is handled at context exit time.
     """
+    assert after_2_8_0, (
+        "--enable-symm-mem requires torch>=2.8 "
+        "(torch._C._cuda_beginAllocateCurrentThreadToPool was added there)."
+    )
+
     global _allocator, _mem_pool, _cur_device, _register_func
     if _allocator is None:
         import torch.utils.cpp_extension
@@ -279,7 +282,9 @@ class SymmetricMemoryContext:
                     _cur_device, _graph_pool_id
                 )
 
-        _cuda_beginAllocateCurrentThreadToPool(self._device_index, self._pool_id)
+        torch._C._cuda_beginAllocateCurrentThreadToPool(
+            self._device_index, self._pool_id
+        )
 
         global _active_symmetric_memory_context
         _active_symmetric_memory_context = self
@@ -287,8 +292,8 @@ class SymmetricMemoryContext:
         return self
 
     def __exit__(self, exc_type, exc_val, exc_tb):
-        _cuda_endAllocateToPool(self._device_index, self._pool_id)
-        _cuda_releasePool(self._device_index, self._pool_id)
+        torch._C._cuda_endAllocateToPool(self._device_index, self._pool_id)
+        torch._C._cuda_releasePool(self._device_index, self._pool_id)
         # Register all unregistered segments
         # with the current comm
         self._register_segments_for_comm()
diff --git a/test/registered/unit/distributed/test_pynccl_allocator_import.py b/test/registered/unit/distributed/test_pynccl_allocator_import.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2a23f8d6c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/registered/unit/distributed/test_pynccl_allocator_import.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+"""Regression test for https://github.com/sgl-project/sglang/issues/28999.
+
+``pynccl_allocator`` must not import private ``torch.cuda.memory`` symbols at
+module scope: they are absent before torch 2.8 and abort startup on Ascend NPU.
+"""
+
+import ast
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from sglang.test.ci.ci_register import register_cpu_ci
+from sglang.test.test_utils import CustomTestCase
+
+register_cpu_ci(est_time=5, suite="base-a-test-cpu")
+
+# test/registered/unit/distributed/<this file> -> repo root
+REPO_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[4]
+SOURCE_PATH = (
+    REPO_ROOT / "python/sglang/srt/distributed/device_communicators/pynccl_allocator.py"
+)
+
+
+def _import_time_nodes(tree: ast.Module):
+    """Yield nodes that run at import time, including ``try`` / ``if`` bodies."""
+    stack = list(tree.body)
+    while stack:
+        node = stack.pop()
+        if isinstance(node, (ast.FunctionDef, ast.AsyncFunctionDef, ast.ClassDef)):
+            continue
+        yield node
+        stack.extend(ast.iter_child_nodes(node))
+
+
+class TestPyncclAllocatorImportGuard(CustomTestCase):
+    def test_no_import_time_private_cuda_memory_symbols(self):
+        self.assertTrue(
+            SOURCE_PATH.is_file(),
+            f"cannot locate pynccl_allocator.py at {SOURCE_PATH}; "
+            "update REPO_ROOT if the tree layout changed",
+        )
+        tree = ast.parse(SOURCE_PATH.read_text(), filename=str(SOURCE_PATH))
+
+        offenders = [
+            alias.name
+            for node in _import_time_nodes(tree)
+            if isinstance(node, ast.ImportFrom) and node.module == "torch.cuda.memory"
+            for alias in node.names
+            if alias.name.startswith("_cuda_")
+        ]
+
+        self.assertEqual(
+            offenders,
+            [],
+            "pynccl_allocator must not import private torch.cuda.memory symbols "
+            f"at module scope (found {offenders}); these are absent on torch<2.8 "
+            "and break startup on Ascend NPU. Reach them via torch._C.<name> at "
+            "the call site instead.",
+        )
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()