diff --git a/t5x/examples/scalable_t5/layers.py b/t5x/examples/scalable_t5/layers.py
index 969f158b0..91d9c98b4 100644
--- a/t5x/examples/scalable_t5/layers.py
+++ b/t5x/examples/scalable_t5/layers.py
@@ -52,64 +52,7 @@
     1.0, 'fan_in', 'normal', out_axis=0
 )
 
-
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-# Temporary inlined JAX N-d initializer code
-# TODO(levskaya): remove once new JAX release is out.
-# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-def _compute_fans(shape: jax.core.NamedShape, in_axis=-2, out_axis=-1):
-  """Inlined JAX `nn.initializer._compute_fans`."""
-  if isinstance(in_axis, int):
-    in_size = shape[in_axis]
-  else:
-    in_size = int(np.prod([shape[i] for i in in_axis]))
-  if isinstance(out_axis, int):
-    out_size = shape[out_axis]
-  else:
-    out_size = int(np.prod([shape[i] for i in out_axis]))
-  receptive_field_size = shape.total / in_size / out_size
-  fan_in = in_size * receptive_field_size
-  fan_out = out_size * receptive_field_size
-  return fan_in, fan_out
-
-
-def variance_scaling(
-    scale, mode, distribution, in_axis=-2, out_axis=-1, dtype=jnp.float_
-):
-  """Inlined JAX `nn.initializer.variance_scaling`."""
-
-  def init(key, shape, dtype=dtype):
-    dtype = jax.dtypes.canonicalize_dtype(dtype)
-    shape = jax.core.as_named_shape(shape)
-    fan_in, fan_out = _compute_fans(shape, in_axis, out_axis)
-    if mode == 'fan_in':
-      denominator = fan_in
-    elif mode == 'fan_out':
-      denominator = fan_out
-    elif mode == 'fan_avg':
-      denominator = (fan_in + fan_out) / 2
-    else:
-      raise ValueError(
-          'invalid mode for variance scaling initializer: {}'.format(mode)
-      )
-    variance = jnp.array(scale / denominator, dtype=dtype)
-
-    if distribution == 'truncated_normal':
-      # constant is stddev of standard normal truncated to (-2, 2)
-      stddev = jnp.sqrt(variance) / jnp.array(0.87962566103423978, dtype)
-      return random.truncated_normal(key, -2, 2, shape, dtype) * stddev
-    elif distribution == 'normal':
-      return random.normal(key, shape, dtype) * jnp.sqrt(variance)
-    elif distribution == 'uniform':
-      return random.uniform(key, shape, dtype, -1) * jnp.sqrt(3 * variance)
-    else:
-      raise ValueError(
-          'invalid distribution for variance scaling initializer: {}'.format(
-              distribution
-          )
-      )
-
-  return init
+variance_scaling = nn.initializers.variance_scaling
 
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -420,7 +363,7 @@ def __call__(
     return out
 
 
-def _normalize_axes(axes: Iterable[int], ndim: int) -> Tuple[int]:
+def _normalize_axes(axes: Iterable[int], ndim: int) -> Tuple[int, ...]:
   # A tuple by convention. len(axes_tuple) then also gives the rank efficiently.
   return tuple([ax if ax >= 0 else ndim + ax for ax in axes])