diff --git a/distributed/comm/ucx.py b/distributed/comm/ucx.py
index 6979cdd9342..8d30287cbf5 100644
--- a/distributed/comm/ucx.py
+++ b/distributed/comm/ucx.py
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 ucp = None
 host_array = None
 device_array = None
+as_numba_device_array = None
 
 
 def synchronize_stream(stream=0):
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ def synchronize_stream(stream=0):
 
 
 def init_once():
-    global ucp, host_array, device_array
+    global ucp, host_array, device_array, as_numba_device_array
     if ucp is not None:
         return
 
@@ -100,6 +101,16 @@ def device_array(n):
                     "In order to send/recv CUDA arrays, Numba or RMM is required"
                 )
 
+    # Find the function, `as_numba_device_array()`
+    try:
+        import numba.cuda
+
+        as_numba_device_array = lambda a: numba.cuda.as_cuda_array(a)
+    except ImportError:
+
+        def as_numba_device_array(n):
+            raise RuntimeError("In order to send/recv CUDA arrays, Numba is required")
+
     pool_size_str = dask.config.get("rmm.pool-size")
     if pool_size_str is not None:
         pool_size = parse_bytes(pool_size_str)