diff --git a/src/lerobot/policies/smolvla/modeling_smolvla.py b/src/lerobot/policies/smolvla/modeling_smolvla.py
index dd49a45f7..2153f806a 100644
--- a/src/lerobot/policies/smolvla/modeling_smolvla.py
+++ b/src/lerobot/policies/smolvla/modeling_smolvla.py
@@ -257,8 +257,9 @@ class SmolVLAPolicy(PreTrainedPolicy):
         """
         self.rtc_processor = None
 
-        if self.config.rtc_config is not None and self.config.rtc_config.enabled:
-            self.rtc_processor = RTCProcessor(self.config.rtc_config)
+        rtc_config = getattr(self.config, "rtc_config", None)
+        if rtc_config is not None and rtc_config.enabled:
+            self.rtc_processor = RTCProcessor(rtc_config)
 
             # In case of calling init_rtc_processor after the model is created
             # We need to set the rtc_processor to the model
@@ -343,7 +344,8 @@ class SmolVLAPolicy(PreTrainedPolicy):
         return len(self._queues[ACTION]) == 0
 
     def _rtc_enabled(self) -> bool:
-        return self.config.rtc_config is not None and self.config.rtc_config.enabled
+        rtc_config = getattr(self.config, "rtc_config", None)
+        return rtc_config is not None and rtc_config.enabled
 
     def forward(self, batch: dict[str, Tensor], noise=None, time=None) -> dict[str, Tensor]:
         """Do a full training forward pass to compute the loss"""
@@ -806,10 +808,11 @@ class VLAFlowMatching(nn.Module):
                     timestep=current_timestep,
                 )
 
-            if self.config.rtc_config is not None and self.config.rtc_config.enabled:
+            rtc_config = getattr(self.config, "rtc_config", None)
+            if rtc_config is not None and rtc_config.enabled:
                 inference_delay = kwargs.get("inference_delay")
                 prev_chunk_left_over = kwargs.get("prev_chunk_left_over")
-                execution_horizon = kwargs.get("execution_horizon", self.config.rtc_config.execution_horizon)
+                execution_horizon = kwargs.get("execution_horizon", rtc_config.execution_horizon)
 
                 v_t = self.rtc_processor.denoise_step(
                     x_t=x_t,
@@ -827,11 +830,8 @@ class VLAFlowMatching(nn.Module):
             time += dt
 
             # Record x_t after Euler step (other params are recorded in rtc_processor.denoise_step)
-            if (
-                self.config.rtc_config is not None
-                and self.config.rtc_config.enabled
-                and correction is not None
-            ):
+            rtc_config = getattr(self.config, "rtc_config", None)
+            if rtc_config is not None and rtc_config.enabled and correction is not None:
                 self.rtc_processor.track_debug(time=time, x_t=x_t)
 
             # Visualize x_t using plot_waypoints - accumulate all denoise steps
@@ -902,7 +902,8 @@ class VLAFlowMatching(nn.Module):
             xt_name = "smolvla_x_t_denoise_steps.png"
             v_name = "smolvla_v_denoise_steps.png"
 
-            if self.config.rtc_config is not None and self.config.rtc_config.enabled:
+            rtc_config = getattr(self.config, "rtc_config", None)
+            if rtc_config is not None and rtc_config.enabled:
                 xt_name = "smolvla_x_t_with_rtc_denoise_steps.png"
                 v_name = "smolvla_v_with_rtc_denoise_steps.png"
 
@@ -931,11 +932,8 @@ class VLAFlowMatching(nn.Module):
         # Plot ground truth on provided axes if available
         if use_provided_axes:
             prev_chunk_left_over = kwargs.get("prev_chunk_left_over")
-            if (
-                prev_chunk_left_over is not None
-                and self.config.rtc_config is not None
-                and self.config.rtc_config.enabled
-            ):
+            rtc_config = getattr(self.config, "rtc_config", None)
+            if prev_chunk_left_over is not None and rtc_config is not None and rtc_config.enabled:
                 plot_waypoints(
                     viz_xt_axs, prev_chunk_left_over, start_from=0, color="red", label="Ground truth"
                 )