diff --git a/torch/nested/_internal/ops.py b/torch/nested/_internal/ops.py
index 9525508d750706..e6f0d988157df4 100644
--- a/torch/nested/_internal/ops.py
+++ b/torch/nested/_internal/ops.py
@@ -1793,10 +1793,43 @@ def select_int(func, *args, **kwargs):
         inp.dim(), new_kwargs["dim"], inp._ragged_idx, "select", allow_batch_dim=True
     )
 
-    # handle batch dim slicing via unbind() for now
-    # TODO: make this more efficient
     if operating_on_batch:
-        return inp.unbind()[new_kwargs["index"]]
+        index = new_kwargs["index"]
+        size = inp._values.size(inp._ragged_idx - 1)
+        if inp.size(new_kwargs["dim"]) == 1:
+            # i think this shortcut is necessary:
+            # when adding the guards below, test_compile_backward_select will
+            # try to guard (or rather test?) on the following
+            # Eq(s1, u8) which equals to Eq(size, length)
+            # which in turn is only true if inp.numel == 1
+            return inp._values
+
+        if inp._lengths is not None:
+            begin = inp._offsets.select(0, index)
+            begin = begin.item()
+            length = inp._lengths.select(0, index)
+            length = length.item()
+        else:
+            begin, end = inp._offsets.narrow(0, index, 2)
+            length = (end - begin).item()
+            begin = begin.item()
+
+        # as stated above, (inp.numel() == 1) implies length == size
+        # but in any other case, length < size
+        # or do we support 0 length elements in NJTs?
+
+        # Eq(u8, u0) equals Eq(length, begin)
+        torch._check(begin >= 0)
+        torch._check(length >= 1)
+        torch._check(length > 0)
+        torch._check(length < size)
+        torch._check(begin + length <= size)
+        torch._check(begin < size)
+        torch._check_is_size(begin + length)
+        torch._check_is_size(begin)
+        torch._check_is_size(length)
+
+        return inp._values.narrow(inp._ragged_idx - 1, begin, length)
 
     if inp._lengths is not None:
         raise ValueError(
@@ -2474,9 +2507,12 @@ def _nested_select_backward_default(func, *args, **kwargs):
 
     inp = new_kwargs.pop("input")
     grad_output = new_kwargs.pop("grad_output")
+    ragged_dim = inp._ragged_idx - 1
 
     grad_input = torch.zeros_like(inp, dtype=grad_output.dtype)
-    grad_input.select(new_kwargs["dim"], new_kwargs["index"]).copy_(grad_output)
+    grad_input_view = grad_input.select(new_kwargs["dim"], new_kwargs["index"])
+    torch._check(grad_input_view.size(ragged_dim) == grad_output.size(ragged_dim))
+    grad_input_view.copy_(grad_output)
 
     return grad_input