diff --git a/src/runtime_src/core/common/api/aie/xrt_graph.cpp b/src/runtime_src/core/common/api/aie/xrt_graph.cpp
index 1f1dd1a9f05..a317677d7c9 100644
--- a/src/runtime_src/core/common/api/aie/xrt_graph.cpp
+++ b/src/runtime_src/core/common/api/aie/xrt_graph.cpp
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
 #include "core/include/xrt/xrt_aie.h"
 #include "core/include/xrt/xrt_bo.h"
 #include "core/include/xrt/xrt_device.h"
+#include "core/include/xrt/xrt_hw_context.h"
+#include "core/include/xrt/experimental/xrt_xclbin.h"
 #include "core/include/xcl_graph.h"
 
 #include "core/common/api/device_int.h"
@@ -116,6 +118,16 @@ class graph_impl
   {
     m_graphHandle->read_graph_rtp(port, buffer, size);
   }
+
+  uint32_t
+  gmio_bank_id(const std::string& gmio_name) const
+  {
+    auto xclbin = hw_ctx.get_xclbin();
+    if (!xclbin)
+      throw std::runtime_error("gmio_bank_id: graph has no hw_context with xclbin (create graph from hw_context)");
+    int32_t mem_index = xclbin.get_gmio_mem_index(gmio_name);
+    return static_cast<uint32_t>(mem_index);
+  }
 };
 
 }
@@ -354,6 +366,13 @@ get_timestamp() const
   return xdp::native::profiling_wrapper("xrt::graph::get_timestamp", [this]{return (handle->get_timestamp());});
 }
 
+uint32_t
+graph::
+gmio_bank_id(const std::string& gmio_name) const
+{
+  return handle->gmio_bank_id(gmio_name);
+}
+
 void
 graph::
 run(uint32_t iterations)
diff --git a/src/runtime_src/core/common/api/xrt_kernel.cpp b/src/runtime_src/core/common/api/xrt_kernel.cpp
index 68d5dea8032..4270bee69c8 100644
--- a/src/runtime_src/core/common/api/xrt_kernel.cpp
+++ b/src/runtime_src/core/common/api/xrt_kernel.cpp
@@ -1771,6 +1771,10 @@ class kernel_impl : public std::enable_shared_from_this<kernel_impl>
         xrt_core::hw_context_int::set_exclusive(hwctx);
     }
 
+    // AIE-only xclbins now have IP_LAYOUT; reject early with a clear message
+    if (auto axlf = xclbin.get_axlf(); axlf && xrt_core::xclbin::is_aie_only(axlf))
+      throw xrt_core::error(ENOTSUP, "xrt::kernel cannot be opened for AIE-only xclbins.");
+
     // Compare the matching CUs against the CU sort order to create cumask
     const auto& kernel_cus = xkernel.get_cus(nm);  // xrt::xclbin::ip objects for matching nm
     if (kernel_cus.empty())
diff --git a/src/runtime_src/core/common/api/xrt_xclbin.cpp b/src/runtime_src/core/common/api/xrt_xclbin.cpp
index fc857d6aa84..779d6c4259f 100644
--- a/src/runtime_src/core/common/api/xrt_xclbin.cpp
+++ b/src/runtime_src/core/common/api/xrt_xclbin.cpp
@@ -25,8 +25,10 @@
 #include <boost/algorithm/string.hpp>
 
 #include <array>
+#include <cstring>
 #include <filesystem>
 #include <fstream>
+#include <map>
 #include <numeric>
 #include <regex>
 #include <set>
@@ -389,6 +391,7 @@ class xclbin_impl
     std::vector<xclbin::ip> m_ips;
     std::vector<xclbin::kernel> m_kernels;
     std::vector<xclbin::aie_partition> m_aie_partitions;
+    std::map<std::string, int32_t> m_gmio_name_to_mem_index;
 
     // encoded / compressed memory connection used by
     // xrt core to manage compute unit connectivity.
@@ -412,6 +415,34 @@ class xclbin_impl
       return mems;
     }
 
+    // Build gmio arg_name -> mem_data_index from the ai_engine kernel's connectivity.
+    static constexpr const char* aie_kernel_name = "ai_engine";
+
+    static std::map<std::string, int32_t>
+    init_gmio_connectivity(const xclbin_impl*,
+                           const std::vector<xclbin::kernel>& kernels)
+    {
+      std::map<std::string, int32_t> gmio_name_to_mem_index;
+      for (const auto& kernel : kernels) {
+        if (kernel.get_name() != aie_kernel_name)
+          continue;
+
+        for (const auto& arg : kernel.get_args()) {
+          auto arg_name = arg.get_name();
+          if (arg_name.empty())
+            continue;
+          for (const auto& mem : arg.get_mems()) {
+            auto it = gmio_name_to_mem_index.find(arg_name);
+            if (it == gmio_name_to_mem_index.end())
+              gmio_name_to_mem_index[arg_name] = mem.get_index();
+            else
+              it->second = std::max(it->second, mem.get_index());
+          }
+        }
+      }
+      return gmio_name_to_mem_index;
+    }
+
     // init_ips() - populate m_ips with xclbin::ip objects
     //
     // Iterate the IP_LAYOUT section in the xclbin and create
@@ -578,6 +609,7 @@ class xclbin_impl
       , m_ips(init_ips(m_ximpl, m_mems))
       , m_kernels(init_kernels(m_ximpl, m_ips))
       , m_aie_partitions(init_aie_partitions(m_ximpl))
+      , m_gmio_name_to_mem_index(init_gmio_connectivity(m_ximpl, m_kernels))
       , m_membank_encoding(init_mem_encoding(m_mems))
     {}
   };
@@ -747,6 +779,23 @@ class xclbin_impl
   {
     return get_xclbin_info()->m_aie_partitions;
   }
+
+  int32_t
+  get_gmio_mem_index(const std::string& gmio_name) const
+  {
+    const auto* info = get_xclbin_info();
+    auto it = info->m_gmio_name_to_mem_index.find(gmio_name);
+    if (it != info->m_gmio_name_to_mem_index.end())
+      return it->second;
+
+    std::string msg;
+    if (info->m_gmio_name_to_mem_index.empty())
+      msg = "xclbin has no GMIO connectivity";
+    else
+      msg = "No connectivity for GMIO port '" + gmio_name + "'";
+
+    throw std::runtime_error(msg);
+  }
 };
 
 // class xclbin_full - Implementation of full xclbin
@@ -1094,6 +1143,15 @@ get_aie_partitions() const
   return handle ? handle->get_aie_partitions() : std::vector<xclbin::aie_partition>{};
 }
 
+int32_t
+xclbin::
+get_gmio_mem_index(const std::string& gmio_name) const
+{
+  if (!handle)
+    throw std::runtime_error("get_gmio_mem_index: empty xclbin");
+  return handle->get_gmio_mem_index(gmio_name);
+}
+
 std::string
 xclbin::
 get_xsa_name() const
diff --git a/src/runtime_src/core/include/xrt/experimental/xrt_xclbin.h b/src/runtime_src/core/include/xrt/experimental/xrt_xclbin.h
index 11e8cae8f17..8410ac81d0b 100644
--- a/src/runtime_src/core/include/xrt/experimental/xrt_xclbin.h
+++ b/src/runtime_src/core/include/xrt/experimental/xrt_xclbin.h
@@ -740,6 +740,18 @@ class xclbin : public detail::pimpl<xclbin_impl>
   get_aie_partitions() const;
   /// @endcond
 
+  /**
+   * get_gmio_mem_index() - Get mem_data_index for a GMIO port.
+   *
+   * @param gmio_name
+   *   GMIO port name (e.g. "in", "out", "gmioIn", "gmioOut").
+   * @return
+   *   mem_data_index to use as bank_id in xrt::aie::bo.
+   */
+  XRT_API_EXPORT
+  int32_t
+  get_gmio_mem_index(const std::string& gmio_name) const;
+
   /**
    * get_xsa_name() - Get Xilinx Support Archive (XSA) name of xclbin
    *
diff --git a/src/runtime_src/core/include/xrt/xrt_graph.h b/src/runtime_src/core/include/xrt/xrt_graph.h
index 3e5b9da0918..d56a9d53f4c 100644
--- a/src/runtime_src/core/include/xrt/xrt_graph.h
+++ b/src/runtime_src/core/include/xrt/xrt_graph.h
@@ -98,6 +98,17 @@ class graph
   uint64_t
   get_timestamp() const;
 
+  /**
+   * gmio_bank_id() - Get bank index for a GMIO port.
+   *
+   * @param gmio_name
+   *   GMIO port name (e.g. "in", "out", "gmioIn", "gmioOut").
+   * @return
+   *   Bank index for xrt::aie::bo(hwctx, size, flags, bank_id).
+   */
+  uint32_t
+  gmio_bank_id(const std::string& gmio_name) const;
+
   /**
    * run() - Start graph execution.
    *