diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index da888dea..3bdfb27c 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@
     "xmmutablemap>=0.1",
     "zeroth>=1.0.0",
 ]
-  # NOTE: zeroth is only required for matplotlib
 
   [project.optional-dependencies]
     # jax extras
@@ -230,6 +229,7 @@ UNXT_ENABLE_RUNTIME_TYPECHECKING = "beartype.beartype"
         "optional_dependencies",
         "quaxed",
         "xmmutablemap",
+        "zeroth",
       ]
       known-local-folder = ["unxt"]
 
diff --git a/src/unxt/_interop/unxt_interop_mpl/__init__.py b/src/unxt/_interop/unxt_interop_mpl/__init__.py
index fa3117a5..a0f1b913 100644
--- a/src/unxt/_interop/unxt_interop_mpl/__init__.py
+++ b/src/unxt/_interop/unxt_interop_mpl/__init__.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import matplotlib.units
 from jaxtyping import Array
 from matplotlib.axes import Axes
+
 from zeroth import zeroth
 
 from unxt.quantity import AbstractQuantity, UncheckedQuantity, ustrip
diff --git a/src/unxt/_src/unitsystems/utils.py b/src/unxt/_src/unitsystems/utils.py
index c9780c68..e82226da 100644
--- a/src/unxt/_src/unitsystems/utils.py
+++ b/src/unxt/_src/unitsystems/utils.py
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 
 from plum import dispatch
 
+from zeroth import zeroth
+
 from . import builtin_dimensions as bdims
 from unxt._src.dimensions import AbstractDimension, dimension_of
 from unxt._src.typing_ext import Unit
@@ -73,7 +75,7 @@ def get_dimension_name(pt: AbstractDimension, /) -> str:
         case bdims.speed:
             out = "speed"
         case _:
-            out = get_dimension_name(next(iter(pt._physical_type)))  # noqa: SLF001
+            out = get_dimension_name(zeroth(pt._physical_type))  # noqa: SLF001
     return out
 
 
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index 51bfd976..e75af93d 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -2627,7 +2627,7 @@ wheels = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "unxt"
-version = "1.0.1.dev31+gb3530a3.d20250122"
+version = "1.0.1.dev33+g5aba0b7.d20250125"
 source = { editable = "." }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "astropy" },