diff --git a/cpp/include/cudf/io/memory_resource.hpp b/cpp/include/cudf/io/memory_resource.hpp
index e31ebce4b1f..a36e220ae7b 100644
--- a/cpp/include/cudf/io/memory_resource.hpp
+++ b/cpp/include/cudf/io/memory_resource.hpp
@@ -57,7 +57,9 @@ struct host_mr_options {
  * @throws cudf::logic_error if called after the default host memory resource has been created
  *
  * @param opts Options to configure the default host memory resource
+ * @return True if this call successfully configured the host memory resource, false if a
+ * a resource was already configured.
  */
-void config_default_host_memory_resource(host_mr_options const& opts);
+bool config_default_host_memory_resource(host_mr_options const& opts);
 
 }  // namespace cudf::io
diff --git a/cpp/src/io/utilities/config_utils.cpp b/cpp/src/io/utilities/config_utils.cpp
index 7720c073a97..dad1135e766 100644
--- a/cpp/src/io/utilities/config_utils.cpp
+++ b/cpp/src/io/utilities/config_utils.cpp
@@ -244,16 +244,20 @@ CUDF_EXPORT std::mutex& host_mr_mutex()
 }
 
 // Must be called with the host_mr_mutex mutex held
-CUDF_EXPORT rmm::host_async_resource_ref& make_host_mr(std::optional<host_mr_options> const& opts)
+CUDF_EXPORT rmm::host_async_resource_ref& make_host_mr(std::optional<host_mr_options> const& opts,
+                                                       bool* did_configure = nullptr)
 {
   static rmm::host_async_resource_ref* mr_ref = nullptr;
+  bool configured                             = false;
   if (mr_ref == nullptr) {
-    mr_ref = &make_default_pinned_mr(opts ? opts->pool_size : std::nullopt);
-  } else {
-    // Throw an error if the user tries to reconfigure the default host resource
-    CUDF_EXPECTS(opts == std::nullopt, "The default host memory resource has already been created");
+    configured = true;
+    mr_ref     = &make_default_pinned_mr(opts ? opts->pool_size : std::nullopt);
   }
 
+  // If the user passed an out param to detect whether this call configured a resource
+  // set the result
+  if (did_configure != nullptr) { *did_configure = configured; }
+
   return *mr_ref;
 }
 
@@ -278,10 +282,12 @@ rmm::host_async_resource_ref get_host_memory_resource()
   return host_mr();
 }
 
-void config_default_host_memory_resource(host_mr_options const& opts)
+bool config_default_host_memory_resource(host_mr_options const& opts)
 {
   std::scoped_lock lock{host_mr_mutex()};
-  make_host_mr(opts);
+  auto did_configure = false;
+  make_host_mr(opts, &did_configure);
+  return did_configure;
 }
 
 }  // namespace cudf::io
diff --git a/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/PinnedMemoryPool.java b/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/PinnedMemoryPool.java
index 9038700cb30..83b801db7fb 100644
--- a/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/PinnedMemoryPool.java
+++ b/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/PinnedMemoryPool.java
@@ -260,9 +260,12 @@ private synchronized void free(long address, long size) {
    *
    * @param size initial and maximum size for the cuDF default pinned pool.
    *        Pass size=0 to disable the default pool.
+   *
+   * @return true if we were able to setup the default resource, false if there was
+   *         a resource already set.
    */
-  public static synchronized void configureDefaultCudfPinnedPoolSize(long size) {
-    Rmm.configureDefaultCudfPinnedPoolSize(size);
+  public static synchronized boolean configureDefaultCudfPinnedPoolSize(long size) {
+    return Rmm.configureDefaultCudfPinnedPoolSize(size);
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/Rmm.java b/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/Rmm.java
index fdbdfdfff6f..4dee1b7aa24 100755
--- a/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/Rmm.java
+++ b/java/src/main/java/ai/rapids/cudf/Rmm.java
@@ -273,8 +273,11 @@ public static synchronized void initialize(int allocationMode, LogConf logConf,
    *
    * @param size initial and maximum size for the cuDF default pinned pool.
    *        Pass size=0 to disable the default pool.
+   *
+   * @return true if we were able to setup the default resource, false if there was
+   *         a resource already set.
    */
-  public static synchronized native void configureDefaultCudfPinnedPoolSize(long size);
+  public static synchronized native boolean configureDefaultCudfPinnedPoolSize(long size);
 
   /**
    * Get the most recently set pool size or -1 if RMM has not been initialized or pooling is
diff --git a/java/src/main/native/src/RmmJni.cpp b/java/src/main/native/src/RmmJni.cpp
index 9c015fee409..fa78f6ca4e2 100644
--- a/java/src/main/native/src/RmmJni.cpp
+++ b/java/src/main/native/src/RmmJni.cpp
@@ -1035,7 +1035,6 @@ JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_ai_rapids_cudf_Rmm_setCuioPinnedPoolMemoryResource(J
     // create a pinned fallback pool that will allocate pinned memory
     // if the regular pinned pool is exhausted
     pinned_fallback_mr.reset(new pinned_fallback_host_memory_resource(pool));
-    // set the cuio host mr and store the prior resource in our static variable
     prior_cuio_host_mr() = cudf::io::set_host_memory_resource(*pinned_fallback_mr);
   }
   CATCH_STD(env, )
@@ -1107,14 +1106,14 @@ JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_ai_rapids_cudf_Rmm_freeFromFallbackPinnedPool(JNIEnv
   CATCH_STD(env, )
 }
 
-JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_ai_rapids_cudf_Rmm_configureDefaultCudfPinnedPoolSize(JNIEnv* env,
-                                                                                  jclass clazz,
-                                                                                  jlong size)
+JNIEXPORT jboolean JNICALL Java_ai_rapids_cudf_Rmm_configureDefaultCudfPinnedPoolSize(JNIEnv* env,
+                                                                                      jclass clazz,
+                                                                                      jlong size)
 {
   try {
     cudf::jni::auto_set_device(env);
-    cudf::io::config_default_host_memory_resource(cudf::io::host_mr_options{size});
+    return cudf::io::config_default_host_memory_resource(cudf::io::host_mr_options{size});
   }
-  CATCH_STD(env, )
+  CATCH_STD(env, false)
 }
 }