diff --git a/tensordict/nn/params.py b/tensordict/nn/params.py
index 833c6405f..9d91ca0ba 100644
--- a/tensordict/nn/params.py
+++ b/tensordict/nn/params.py
@@ -988,18 +988,17 @@ def _load_from_state_dict(
         unexpected_keys,
         error_msgs,
     ):
-        data = (
-            TensorDict(
-                {
-                    key: val
-                    for key, val in state_dict.items()
-                    if key.startswith(prefix) and val is not None
-                },
-                [],
-            )
-            .unflatten_keys(".")
-            .get(prefix[:-1])
-        )
+        data = TensorDict(
+            {
+                key: val
+                for key, val in state_dict.items()
+                if key.startswith(prefix) and val is not None
+            },
+            [],
+        ).unflatten_keys(".")
+        prefix = tuple(key for key in prefix.split(".") if key)
+        if prefix:
+            data = data.get(prefix)
         self.data.load_state_dict(data)
 
     def items(
diff --git a/test/test_nn.py b/test/test_nn.py
index 69c7b2fcf..37d5975b0 100644
--- a/test/test_nn.py
+++ b/test/test_nn.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 import pickle
 import unittest
 import warnings
+import weakref
 
 import pytest
 import torch
@@ -3018,6 +3019,41 @@ class MyModule(nn.Module):
             assert (params_m == 0).all()
         assert not (params_m == 0).all()
 
+    def test_load_state_dict(self):
+        net = nn.Sequential(
+            nn.Linear(2, 2),
+            nn.Sequential(
+                nn.Linear(2, 2),
+                nn.Dropout(),
+                nn.BatchNorm1d(2),
+                nn.Sequential(
+                    nn.Tanh(),
+                    nn.Linear(2, 2),
+                ),
+            ),
+        )
+
+        params = TensorDict.from_module(net, as_module=True)
+        assert any(isinstance(p, nn.Parameter) for p in params.values(True, True))
+        weakrefs = {weakref.ref(t) for t in params.values(True, True)}
+
+        # Now with a module around it
+        class MyModule(nn.Module):
+            pass
+
+        module = MyModule()
+        module.model = MyModule()
+        module.model.params = params
+        sd = module.state_dict()
+        sd = {
+            key: val * 0 if isinstance(val, torch.Tensor) else val
+            for key, val in sd.items()
+        }
+        module.load_state_dict(sd)
+        assert (params == 0).all()
+        assert any(isinstance(p, nn.Parameter) for p in params.values(True, True))
+        assert weakrefs == {weakref.ref(t) for t in params.values(True, True)}
+
     def test_inplace_ops(self):
         td = TensorDict(
             {