diff --git a/invokeai/app/invocations/z_image_image_to_latents.py b/invokeai/app/invocations/z_image_image_to_latents.py
index d74ce073b69..5a70fdba13d 100644
--- a/invokeai/app/invocations/z_image_image_to_latents.py
+++ b/invokeai/app/invocations/z_image_image_to_latents.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 from invokeai.backend.model_manager.load.load_base import LoadedModel
 from invokeai.backend.stable_diffusion.diffusers_pipeline import image_resized_to_grid_as_tensor
 from invokeai.backend.util.devices import TorchDevice
+from invokeai.backend.util.vae_working_memory import estimate_vae_working_memory_flux
 
 # Z-Image can use either the Diffusers AutoencoderKL or the FLUX AutoEncoder
 ZImageVAE = Union[AutoencoderKL, FluxAutoEncoder]
@@ -47,7 +48,14 @@ def vae_encode(vae_info: LoadedModel, image_tensor: torch.Tensor) -> torch.Tenso
                 "Ensure you are using a compatible VAE model."
             )
 
-        with vae_info.model_on_device() as (_, vae):
+        # Estimate working memory needed for VAE encode
+        estimated_working_memory = estimate_vae_working_memory_flux(
+            operation="encode",
+            image_tensor=image_tensor,
+            vae=vae_info.model,
+        )
+
+        with vae_info.model_on_device(working_mem_bytes=estimated_working_memory) as (_, vae):
             if not isinstance(vae, (AutoencoderKL, FluxAutoEncoder)):
                 raise TypeError(
                     f"Expected AutoencoderKL or FluxAutoEncoder, got {type(vae).__name__}. "
diff --git a/invokeai/app/invocations/z_image_latents_to_image.py b/invokeai/app/invocations/z_image_latents_to_image.py
index d29ec0998a4..a2e6fdcc077 100644
--- a/invokeai/app/invocations/z_image_latents_to_image.py
+++ b/invokeai/app/invocations/z_image_latents_to_image.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 from invokeai.backend.flux.modules.autoencoder import AutoEncoder as FluxAutoEncoder
 from invokeai.backend.stable_diffusion.extensions.seamless import SeamlessExt
 from invokeai.backend.util.devices import TorchDevice
+from invokeai.backend.util.vae_working_memory import estimate_vae_working_memory_flux
 
 # Z-Image can use either the Diffusers AutoencoderKL or the FLUX AutoEncoder
 ZImageVAE = Union[AutoencoderKL, FluxAutoEncoder]
@@ -53,12 +54,19 @@ def invoke(self, context: InvocationContext) -> ImageOutput:
 
         is_flux_vae = isinstance(vae_info.model, FluxAutoEncoder)
 
+        # Estimate working memory needed for VAE decode
+        estimated_working_memory = estimate_vae_working_memory_flux(
+            operation="decode",
+            image_tensor=latents,
+            vae=vae_info.model,
+        )
+
         # FLUX VAE doesn't support seamless, so only apply for AutoencoderKL
         seamless_context = (
             nullcontext() if is_flux_vae else SeamlessExt.static_patch_model(vae_info.model, self.vae.seamless_axes)
         )
 
-        with seamless_context, vae_info.model_on_device() as (_, vae):
+        with seamless_context, vae_info.model_on_device(working_mem_bytes=estimated_working_memory) as (_, vae):
             context.util.signal_progress("Running VAE")
             if not isinstance(vae, (AutoencoderKL, FluxAutoEncoder)):
                 raise TypeError(
diff --git a/tests/app/invocations/test_z_image_working_memory.py b/tests/app/invocations/test_z_image_working_memory.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c3f953ae527
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/app/invocations/test_z_image_working_memory.py
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+"""Test that Z-Image VAE invocations properly estimate and request working memory."""
+
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
+import pytest
+import torch
+from diffusers.models.autoencoders.autoencoder_kl import AutoencoderKL
+
+from invokeai.app.invocations.z_image_image_to_latents import ZImageImageToLatentsInvocation
+from invokeai.backend.flux.modules.autoencoder import AutoEncoder as FluxAutoEncoder
+
+
+class TestZImageWorkingMemory:
+    """Test that Z-Image VAE invocations request working memory."""
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("vae_type", [AutoencoderKL, FluxAutoEncoder])
+    def test_z_image_latents_to_image_requests_working_memory(self, vae_type):
+        """Test that ZImageLatentsToImageInvocation estimates and requests working memory."""
+        # Create mock VAE
+        mock_vae = MagicMock(spec=vae_type)
+
+        # Only set config for AutoencoderKL (FluxAutoEncoder doesn't use config)
+        if vae_type == AutoencoderKL:
+            mock_vae.config.scaling_factor = 1.0
+            mock_vae.config.shift_factor = None
+
+        # Create mock parameter for dtype detection
+        mock_param = torch.zeros(1)
+        mock_vae.parameters.return_value = iter([mock_param])
+
+        # Create mock vae_info
+        mock_vae_info = MagicMock()
+        mock_vae_info.model = mock_vae
+
+        # Create mock context manager return value
+        mock_cm = MagicMock()
+        mock_cm.__enter__ = MagicMock(return_value=(None, mock_vae))
+        mock_cm.__exit__ = MagicMock(return_value=None)
+        mock_vae_info.model_on_device = MagicMock(return_value=mock_cm)
+
+        # Mock the context
+        mock_context = MagicMock()
+        mock_context.models.load.return_value = mock_vae_info
+
+        # Mock latents
+        mock_latents = torch.zeros(1, 16, 64, 64)
+        mock_context.tensors.load.return_value = mock_latents
+
+        estimation_path = "invokeai.app.invocations.z_image_latents_to_image.estimate_vae_working_memory_flux"
+
+        with patch(estimation_path) as mock_estimate:
+            expected_memory = 1024 * 1024 * 500  # 500MB
+            mock_estimate.return_value = expected_memory
+
+            # Mock VAE decode to avoid actual computation
+            if vae_type == FluxAutoEncoder:
+                mock_vae.decode.return_value = torch.zeros(1, 3, 512, 512)
+            else:
+                mock_vae.decode.return_value = (torch.zeros(1, 3, 512, 512),)
+
+            # Mock image save
+            mock_image_dto = MagicMock()
+            mock_context.images.save.return_value = mock_image_dto
+
+            # Import and create invocation using model_construct to bypass validation
+            from invokeai.app.invocations.z_image_latents_to_image import ZImageLatentsToImageInvocation
+
+            invocation = ZImageLatentsToImageInvocation.model_construct(
+                latents=MagicMock(latents_name="test_latents"),
+                vae=MagicMock(vae=MagicMock(), seamless_axes=["x", "y"]),
+            )
+
+            try:
+                invocation.invoke(mock_context)
+            except Exception:
+                # We expect some errors due to mocking, but we just want to verify the working memory was requested
+                pass
+
+            # Verify that working memory estimation was called
+            mock_estimate.assert_called_once()
+            # Verify that model_on_device was called with the estimated working memory
+            mock_vae_info.model_on_device.assert_called_once_with(working_mem_bytes=expected_memory)
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("vae_type", [AutoencoderKL, FluxAutoEncoder])
+    def test_z_image_image_to_latents_requests_working_memory(self, vae_type):
+        """Test that ZImageImageToLatentsInvocation estimates and requests working memory."""
+        # Create mock VAE
+        mock_vae = MagicMock(spec=vae_type)
+
+        # Only set config for AutoencoderKL (FluxAutoEncoder doesn't use config)
+        if vae_type == AutoencoderKL:
+            mock_vae.config.scaling_factor = 1.0
+            mock_vae.config.shift_factor = None
+
+        # Create mock parameter for dtype detection
+        mock_param = torch.zeros(1)
+        mock_vae.parameters.return_value = iter([mock_param])
+
+        # Create mock vae_info
+        mock_vae_info = MagicMock()
+        mock_vae_info.model = mock_vae
+
+        # Create mock context manager return value
+        mock_cm = MagicMock()
+        mock_cm.__enter__ = MagicMock(return_value=(None, mock_vae))
+        mock_cm.__exit__ = MagicMock(return_value=None)
+        mock_vae_info.model_on_device = MagicMock(return_value=mock_cm)
+
+        # Mock image tensor
+        mock_image_tensor = torch.zeros(1, 3, 512, 512)
+
+        # Mock the estimation function
+        estimation_path = "invokeai.app.invocations.z_image_image_to_latents.estimate_vae_working_memory_flux"
+
+        with patch(estimation_path) as mock_estimate:
+            expected_memory = 1024 * 1024 * 250  # 250MB
+            mock_estimate.return_value = expected_memory
+
+            # Mock VAE encode to avoid actual computation
+            if vae_type == FluxAutoEncoder:
+                mock_vae.encode.return_value = torch.zeros(1, 16, 64, 64)
+            else:
+                mock_latent_dist = MagicMock()
+                mock_latent_dist.sample.return_value = torch.zeros(1, 16, 64, 64)
+                mock_encode_result = MagicMock()
+                mock_encode_result.latent_dist = mock_latent_dist
+                mock_vae.encode.return_value = mock_encode_result
+
+            # Call the static method directly
+            try:
+                ZImageImageToLatentsInvocation.vae_encode(mock_vae_info, mock_image_tensor)
+            except Exception:
+                # We expect some errors due to mocking, but we just want to verify the working memory was requested
+                pass
+
+            # Verify that working memory estimation was called
+            mock_estimate.assert_called_once()
+            # Verify that model_on_device was called with the estimated working memory
+            mock_vae_info.model_on_device.assert_called_once_with(working_mem_bytes=expected_memory)