diff --git a/backend/python/qwen-asr/backend.py b/backend/python/qwen-asr/backend.py
index ea5e877f2d4f..a559ff5e678b 100644
--- a/backend/python/qwen-asr/backend.py
+++ b/backend/python/qwen-asr/backend.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'common'))
 from grpc_auth import get_auth_interceptors
 from model_utils import resolve_model_reference
+from device_utils import device_map_for, select_device
 
 
 
@@ -95,13 +96,7 @@ def Health(self, request, context):
         return backend_pb2.Reply(message=bytes("OK", 'utf-8'))
 
     def LoadModel(self, request, context):
-        if torch.cuda.is_available():
-            device = "cuda"
-        else:
-            device = "cpu"
-        mps_available = hasattr(torch.backends, "mps") and torch.backends.mps.is_available()
-        if mps_available:
-            device = "mps"
+        device = select_device(torch)
         if not torch.cuda.is_available() and request.CUDA:
             return backend_pb2.Result(success=False, message="CUDA is not available")
 
@@ -123,7 +118,7 @@ def LoadModel(self, request, context):
         model_path, local_only = resolve_model_reference(
             request, "Qwen/Qwen3-ASR-1.7B"
         )
-        default_dtype = torch.bfloat16 if self.device == "cuda" else torch.float32
+        default_dtype = torch.bfloat16 if self.device in ("cuda", "xpu") else torch.float32
         load_dtype = default_dtype
         if "torch_dtype" in self.options:
             d = str(self.options["torch_dtype"]).lower()
@@ -145,12 +140,7 @@ def LoadModel(self, request, context):
         if attn_implementation is not None and isinstance(attn_implementation, str):
             attn_implementation = attn_implementation.strip() or None
 
-        if self.device == "mps":
-            device_map = None
-        elif self.device == "cuda":
-            device_map = "cuda:0"
-        else:
-            device_map = "cpu"
+        device_map = device_map_for(self.device)
 
         load_kwargs = dict(
             dtype=load_dtype,
@@ -423,4 +413,4 @@ def signal_handler(sig, frame):
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Run the gRPC server.")
     parser.add_argument("--addr", default="localhost:50051", help="The address to bind the server to.")
     args = parser.parse_args()
-    serve(args.addr)
\ No newline at end of file
+    serve(args.addr)
diff --git a/backend/python/qwen-asr/device_utils.py b/backend/python/qwen-asr/device_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0e1cb8005f11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/python/qwen-asr/device_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+def select_device(torch_module):
+    mps = getattr(getattr(torch_module, "backends", None), "mps", None)
+    if mps is not None and mps.is_available():
+        return "mps"
+    if torch_module.cuda.is_available():
+        return "cuda"
+    xpu = getattr(torch_module, "xpu", None)
+    if xpu is not None and xpu.is_available():
+        return "xpu"
+    return "cpu"
+
+
+def device_map_for(device):
+    if device == "mps":
+        return None
+    if device in ("cuda", "xpu"):
+        return f"{device}:0"
+    return "cpu"
diff --git a/backend/python/qwen-asr/device_utils_test.py b/backend/python/qwen-asr/device_utils_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..fde07f32b6e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/python/qwen-asr/device_utils_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import unittest
+
+from device_utils import device_map_for, select_device
+
+
+class Availability:
+    def __init__(self, available):
+        self._available = available
+
+    def is_available(self):
+        return self._available
+
+
+class TorchStub:
+    def __init__(self, *, cuda=False, mps=False, xpu=False):
+        self.cuda = Availability(cuda)
+        self.backends = type("Backends", (), {"mps": Availability(mps)})()
+        self.xpu = Availability(xpu)
+
+
+class SelectDeviceTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_preserves_cuda_selection(self):
+        torch_module = TorchStub(cuda=True)
+
+        self.assertEqual(select_device(torch_module), "cuda")
+
+    def test_preserves_mps_selection(self):
+        torch_module = TorchStub(mps=True)
+
+        self.assertEqual(select_device(torch_module), "mps")
+
+    def test_selects_xpu_when_intel_gpu_is_available(self):
+        torch_module = TorchStub(xpu=True)
+
+        self.assertEqual(select_device(torch_module), "xpu")
+
+    def test_falls_back_to_cpu(self):
+        torch_module = TorchStub()
+
+        self.assertEqual(select_device(torch_module), "cpu")
+
+
+class DeviceMapTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_preserves_cuda_model_placement(self):
+        self.assertEqual(device_map_for("cuda"), "cuda:0")
+
+    def test_preserves_mps_model_placement(self):
+        self.assertIsNone(device_map_for("mps"))
+
+    def test_places_the_model_on_the_first_xpu(self):
+        self.assertEqual(device_map_for("xpu"), "xpu:0")
+
+    def test_preserves_cpu_model_placement(self):
+        self.assertEqual(device_map_for("cpu"), "cpu")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()