diff --git a/nemo_run/core/execution/launcher.py b/nemo_run/core/execution/launcher.py
index cad0ebd3..f24a1d2b 100644
--- a/nemo_run/core/execution/launcher.py
+++ b/nemo_run/core/execution/launcher.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ def transform(self, cmd: list[str]) -> Optional[Script]: ...
 class Torchrun(Launcher):
     rdzv_backend: str = "c10d"
     rdzv_port: int = 29500
+    rdzv_id: Optional[int] = None
 
 
 @dataclass(kw_only=True)
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ class FaultTolerance(Launcher):
     job_results_file: str = ""
     rdzv_backend: str = "c10d"
     rdzv_port: int = 29500
+    rdzv_id: Optional[int] = None
     workload_check_interval: Optional[float] = None
     initial_rank_heartbeat_timeout: Optional[float] = None
     rank_heartbeat_timeout: Optional[float] = None
diff --git a/nemo_run/core/execution/local.py b/nemo_run/core/execution/local.py
index 31f96387..e8954bae 100644
--- a/nemo_run/core/execution/local.py
+++ b/nemo_run/core/execution/local.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ class LocalExecutor(Executor):
 
     #: Used by components like torchrun to deduce the number of tasks to launch.
     ntasks_per_node: int = 1
+    nodes: int = 1
 
     def assign(
         self,
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ def assign(
         self.job_dir = os.path.join(exp_dir, task_dir)
 
     def nnodes(self) -> int:
-        return 1
+        return self.nodes
 
     def nproc_per_node(self) -> int:
         return self.ntasks_per_node
diff --git a/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/components/ft_launcher.py b/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/components/ft_launcher.py
index 8ebd7c07..3920041f 100644
--- a/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/components/ft_launcher.py
+++ b/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/components/ft_launcher.py
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ def ft_launcher(
     max_retries: int = 0,
     rdzv_port: int = 49450,
     rdzv_backend: str = "c10d",
+    rdzv_id: Optional[int] = None,
     mounts: Optional[list[str]] = None,
     debug: bool = False,
     workload_check_interval: Optional[float] = None,
@@ -48,6 +49,8 @@ def ft_launcher(
     rank_termination_signal: Optional[str] = None,
     log_level: Optional[str] = None,
     max_restarts: Optional[int] = None,
+    dgxc: bool = False,
+    use_env: bool = False,
 ) -> specs.AppDef:
     torchrun_component = torchrun.torchrun(
         *script_args,
@@ -63,10 +66,13 @@ def ft_launcher(
         j=j,
         rdzv_backend=rdzv_backend,
         rdzv_port=rdzv_port,
+        rdzv_id=rdzv_id,
         env=env,
         mounts=mounts,
         debug=debug,
         max_retries=max_retries,
+        dgxc=dgxc,
+        use_env=use_env,
     )
 
     ft_args = []
diff --git a/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/components/torchrun.py b/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/components/torchrun.py
index 6a5c4d3d..05ed96e0 100644
--- a/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/components/torchrun.py
+++ b/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/components/torchrun.py
@@ -57,9 +57,11 @@ def torchrun(
     max_retries: int = 0,
     rdzv_port: int = 49450,
     rdzv_backend: str = "c10d",
+    rdzv_id: Optional[int] = None,
     mounts: Optional[list[str]] = None,
     debug: bool = False,
     dgxc: bool = False,
+    use_env: bool = False,
 ) -> specs.AppDef:
     """
     Distributed data parallel style application (one role, multi-replica).
@@ -113,17 +115,21 @@ def torchrun(
         nproc_per_node = str(nproc_per_node)
         node_rank = "0"
     else:
-        # for multi-node, rely on the rank0_env environment variable set by
-        # the schedulers (see scheduler implementation for the actual env var this maps to)
-        # some schedulers (e.g. aws batch) make the rank0's ip-addr available on all BUT on rank0
-        # so default to "localhost" if the env var is not set or is empty
-        # rdzv_endpoint bash resolves to something to the effect of
-        # ${TORCHX_RANK0_HOST:=localhost}:29500
-        # use $$ in the prefix to escape the '$' literal (rather than a string Template substitution argument)
-        rdzv_endpoint = torchx_dist._noquote(f"$${ExecutorMacros.HEAD_NODE_IP_VAR}:{rdzv_port}")
-        num_nodes = torchx_dist._noquote(f"$${ExecutorMacros.NUM_NODES_VAR}")
+        if use_env and os.getenv("MASTER_ADDR") and os.getenv("MASTER_PORT"):
+            master_addr = os.environ["MASTER_ADDR"]
+            master_port = os.environ["MASTER_PORT"]
+            rdzv_endpoint = torchx_dist._noquote(master_addr + ":" + master_port)
+            random.seed(rdzv_id)
+        else:
+            rdzv_endpoint = torchx_dist._noquote(f"$${ExecutorMacros.HEAD_NODE_IP_VAR}:{rdzv_port}")
+
+        num_nodes = nnodes_rep
         nproc_per_node = str(nproc_per_node)
-        node_rank = torchx_dist._noquote(f"$${ExecutorMacros.NODE_RANK_VAR}")
+
+        if use_env and os.getenv("NODE_RANK"):
+            node_rank = os.environ["NODE_RANK"]
+        else:
+            node_rank = torchx_dist._noquote(f"$${ExecutorMacros.NODE_RANK_VAR}")
 
     if env is None:
         env = {}
@@ -141,7 +147,7 @@ def torchrun(
             "--rdzv-endpoint",
             rdzv_endpoint,
             "--rdzv-id",
-            f"{random.randint(1, 10000)}",
+            f"{rdzv_id or random.randint(1, 10000)}",
             "--nnodes",
             num_nodes,
             "--nproc-per-node",
diff --git a/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/packaging.py b/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/packaging.py
index 2c0fdade..49857c90 100644
--- a/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/packaging.py
+++ b/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/packaging.py
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@ def _get_details_from_script(fn_or_script: Script, serialize_configs: bool):
                 transformed_script, serialize_configs=False
             )
 
+    use_env = isinstance(executor, LocalExecutor)
     if launcher and isinstance(launcher, Torchrun):
         app_def = torchrun.torchrun(
             *args,
@@ -160,11 +161,13 @@ def _get_details_from_script(fn_or_script: Script, serialize_configs: bool):
             j=f"{executor.nnodes()}x{executor.nproc_per_node()}",
             rdzv_backend=launcher.rdzv_backend,
             rdzv_port=launcher.rdzv_port,
+            rdzv_id=launcher.rdzv_id,
             env=env,
             mounts=mounts,
             debug=executor.packager.debug,
             max_retries=executor.retries,
             dgxc=isinstance(executor, DGXCloudExecutor),
+            use_env=use_env,
         )
     elif launcher and isinstance(launcher, FaultTolerance):
         app_def = ft_launcher.ft_launcher(
@@ -181,6 +184,7 @@ def _get_details_from_script(fn_or_script: Script, serialize_configs: bool):
             j=f"{executor.nnodes()}x{executor.nproc_per_node()}",
             rdzv_backend=launcher.rdzv_backend,
             rdzv_port=launcher.rdzv_port,
+            rdzv_id=launcher.rdzv_id,
             env=env,
             mounts=mounts,
             debug=executor.packager.debug,
@@ -191,6 +195,7 @@ def _get_details_from_script(fn_or_script: Script, serialize_configs: bool):
             log_level=launcher.log_level,
             max_retries=executor.retries,
             max_restarts=launcher.max_restarts,
+            use_env=use_env,
         )
     else:
         app_def = specs.AppDef(
diff --git a/test/run/torchx_backend/test_packaging.py b/test/run/torchx_backend/test_packaging.py
index 9e2b4f54..9343c637 100644
--- a/test/run/torchx_backend/test_packaging.py
+++ b/test/run/torchx_backend/test_packaging.py
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ def test_package_torchrun(mock_executor):
         "--rdzv-id",
         "1",
         "--nnodes",
-        "$$${num_nodes_var}",
+        "2",
         "--nproc-per-node",
         "1",
         "--node-rank",