diff --git a/tests/python/multidevice/test_overlap.py b/tests/python/multidevice/test_overlap.py
index 795217515a7..3b55a9e7e3b 100644
--- a/tests/python/multidevice/test_overlap.py
+++ b/tests/python/multidevice/test_overlap.py
@@ -3,11 +3,15 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 
 import pytest
-import torch
 import os
 
+import torch
+import torch.distributed as dist
+from torch.distributed.tensor import distribute_tensor, Shard
+
 import nvfuser_direct as nvfuser
 from nvfuser_direct import DataType, FusionDefinition, CommunicatorBackend, TensorView
+from benchmark_utils import get_benchmark_fns
 
 
 @pytest.mark.mpi
@@ -101,6 +105,99 @@ def test_row_parallel_linear_forward(multidevice_test):
         assert event.input_shapes == [[m, k], [k, n], [m, n]]
 
 
+def row_parallel_linear_forward_reference(
+    inp_shard: torch.Tensor, weight_shard: torch.Tensor, num_chunks: int
+) -> torch.Tensor:
+    out = torch.empty(
+        inp_shard.size(0),
+        weight_shard.size(0),
+        device="cuda",
+        dtype=inp_shard.dtype,
+    )
+    inp_chunks = inp_shard.chunk(num_chunks)
+    out_chunks = out.chunk(num_chunks)
+
+    def wait_stream(stream: torch.cuda.Stream) -> None:
+        event = torch.cuda.Event()
+        stream.record_event(event)
+        torch.cuda.current_stream().wait_event(event)
+
+    main_stream = torch.cuda.current_stream()
+    worker_streams = [torch.cuda.Stream() for _ in range(num_chunks)]
+    for inp_chunk, out_chunk, worker_stream in zip(
+        inp_chunks, out_chunks, worker_streams
+    ):
+        with torch.cuda.stream(worker_stream):
+            wait_stream(main_stream)
+            torch.matmul(inp_chunk, weight_shard.T, out=out_chunk)
+            work = dist.all_reduce(out_chunk, op=dist.ReduceOp.SUM, async_op=True)
+            work.wait()
+
+    for worker_stream in worker_streams:
+        wait_stream(worker_stream)
+
+    return out
+
+
+@pytest.mark.mpi
+def test_row_parallel_linear_forward_reference(setup_default_process_group):
+    h, s, t = 2, 3, 6
+    d = dist.get_world_size()
+    if (h * 4) % d != 0:
+        pytest.skip(
+            f"Row-parallel linear requires {h * 4} to be divisible by world size {d}."
+        )
+    assert t % s == 0
+
+    torch.manual_seed(0)
+    inp_ref = torch.testing.make_tensor(t, h * 4, dtype=torch.int32, device="cpu").to(
+        torch.bfloat16
+    )
+    weight_ref = torch.testing.make_tensor(
+        h, h * 4, dtype=torch.int32, device="cpu"
+    ).to(torch.bfloat16)
+    out_ref = torch.nn.functional.linear(inp_ref.cuda(), weight_ref.cuda()).cpu()
+
+    mesh = dist.device_mesh.init_device_mesh("cuda", [d])
+    inp_shard = distribute_tensor(inp_ref, mesh, placements=[Shard(-1)]).to_local()
+    weight_shard = distribute_tensor(
+        weight_ref, mesh, placements=[Shard(-1)]
+    ).to_local()
+    out = row_parallel_linear_forward_reference(inp_shard, weight_shard, s)
+
+    torch.testing.assert_close(out.cpu(), out_ref)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.mpi
+@pytest.mark.benchmark
+def test_row_parallel_linear_forward_reference_benchmark(
+    setup_default_process_group, benchmark
+):
+    h, s, t = 8192, 2, 8192
+    d = dist.get_world_size()
+    if (h * 4) % d != 0:
+        pytest.skip(
+            f"Row-parallel linear requires {h * 4} to be divisible by world size {d}."
+        )
+    assert t % s == 0
+
+    torch.manual_seed(0)
+    inp_ref = torch.randn(t, h * 4, dtype=torch.bfloat16)
+    weight_ref = torch.randn(h, h * 4, dtype=torch.bfloat16)
+
+    mesh = dist.device_mesh.init_device_mesh("cuda", [d])
+    inp_shard = distribute_tensor(inp_ref, mesh, placements=[Shard(-1)]).to_local()
+    weight_shard = distribute_tensor(
+        weight_ref, mesh, placements=[Shard(-1)]
+    ).to_local()
+
+    warmup_fn, benchmark_fn = get_benchmark_fns(
+        lambda: row_parallel_linear_forward_reference(inp_shard, weight_shard, s)
+    )
+    warmup_fn()
+    benchmark.pedantic(benchmark_fn, rounds=5)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.mpi
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("backend_type", [CommunicatorBackend.nccl])
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("s", [1, 8])