diff --git a/thinc/backends/ops.py b/thinc/backends/ops.py
index a7015d44d..0a865e7b5 100644
--- a/thinc/backends/ops.py
+++ b/thinc/backends/ops.py
@@ -722,15 +722,15 @@ def as_contig(self, data: ArrayT, dtype: Optional[DTypes] = None) -> ArrayT:
         return self.xp.ascontiguousarray(data, **kwargs)
 
     def sigmoid(self, X: FloatsType, *, inplace: bool = False) -> FloatsType:
-        # To prevent overflows and help with regularization/numerical stability
-        X = self.xp.clip(X, -20.0, 20.0)
-
         if inplace:
+            # To prevent overflows and help with regularization/numerical stability
+            X = self.xp.clip(X, -20.0, 20.0, out=X)
             self.xp.exp(-X, out=X)
             X += 1.0  # type: ignore[assignment]
             X **= -1.0  # type: ignore[assignment]
             return cast(FloatsType, X)
         else:
+            X = self.xp.clip(X, -20.0, 20.0)
             return cast(FloatsType, 1.0 / (1.0 + self.xp.exp(-X)))
 
     def backprop_sigmoid(
@@ -909,7 +909,7 @@ def backprop_relu_k(
         return self.backprop_clipped_linear(dY, X, max_val=n, inplace=inplace)
 
     def hard_sigmoid(self, X: FloatsType, inplace: bool = False) -> FloatsType:
-        return self.clipped_linear(X, slope=0.2, offset=0.5)
+        return self.clipped_linear(X, slope=0.2, offset=0.5, inplace=inplace)
 
     def backprop_hard_sigmoid(
         self, dY: FloatsType, X: FloatsType, inplace: bool = False
@@ -917,7 +917,7 @@ def backprop_hard_sigmoid(
         return self.backprop_clipped_linear(dY, X, slope=0.2, offset=0.5)
 
     def hard_tanh(self, X: FloatsType, inplace: bool = False) -> FloatsType:
-        return self.clipped_linear(X, min_val=-1.0, max_val=1.0)
+        return self.clipped_linear(X, min_val=-1.0, max_val=1.0, inplace=inplace)
 
     def backprop_hard_tanh(
         self, dY: FloatsType, X: FloatsType, inplace: bool = False
diff --git a/thinc/tests/backends/test_ops.py b/thinc/tests/backends/test_ops.py
index c8cb6a9df..451f6aeec 100644
--- a/thinc/tests/backends/test_ops.py
+++ b/thinc/tests/backends/test_ops.py
@@ -1270,7 +1270,10 @@ def test_compare_activations_to_torch(ops, dtype, x, torch_func):
     y_thinc = forward(x_thinc)
     y.backward()
     assert x_thinc.dtype == y_thinc.dtype
-    assert ops.xp.isclose(y_thinc, forward(x_thinc, inplace=True), atol=1e-06)
+    assert y_thinc is not x_thinc
+    y_think_inplace = forward(x_thinc, inplace=True)
+    assert y_think_inplace is x_thinc
+    assert ops.xp.isclose(y_thinc, y_think_inplace, atol=1e-06)
     assert ops.xp.isclose(y_thinc, y.detach(), atol=1e-06)
     x_thinc = ops.asarray([x], dtype=dtype)
     dY_thinc = ops.asarray([1.0], dtype=dtype)
@@ -1282,10 +1285,12 @@ def test_compare_activations_to_torch(ops, dtype, x, torch_func):
     if params == {"dY", "X", "Y"}:
         dx_thinc = backward(dY_thinc, Y=y_thinc, X=x_thinc)
         assert dx_thinc.dtype == x_thinc.dtype
-        assert ops.xp.isclose(
-            dx_thinc,
-            backward(dY=dY_thinc_inplace, Y=y_thinc, X=x_thinc, inplace=True),
+        assert dx_thinc is not dY_thinc
+        dx_thinc_inplace = backward(
+            dY=dY_thinc_inplace, Y=y_thinc, X=x_thinc, inplace=True
         )
+        assert dx_thinc_inplace is dY_thinc_inplace
+        assert ops.xp.isclose(dx_thinc, dx_thinc_inplace)
         assert ops.xp.isclose(x_torch.grad.item(), float(dx_thinc), atol=1e-06)
     elif params == {"Y", "dY"}:
         dx_thinc = backward(dY_thinc, Y=y_thinc)