@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from cuda.core import ManagedMemoryResource, PinnedMemoryResource
+from cuda.core import Device, ManagedMemoryResource, PinnedMemoryResource
 from cuda.core._utils.cuda_utils import CUDAError
 
 
@@ -33,6 +33,13 @@ def skip_if_managed_memory_unsupported(device):
 
 def create_managed_memory_resource_or_skip(*args, xfail_device=None, **kwargs):
     # Keep the established "skip" helper name for call-site readability.
+    if not args and kwargs.get("options") is None and not Device().properties.concurrent_managed_access:
+        # Without options this looks up the device's default managed pool, which
+        # supports managed allocations only with concurrent managed access. Check
+        # the property instead of the lookup's error: the driver returns
+        # CUDA_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED on some machines and CUDA_ERROR_OUT_OF_MEMORY
+        # on others. Dedicated pools (options given) work without it.
+        pytest.skip("Device does not support concurrent managed memory access")
     try:
         return ManagedMemoryResource(*args, **kwargs)
     except CUDAError as e:
 
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 from helpers.buffers import PatternGen, compare_equal_buffers, make_scratch_buffer, thread_unsafe_on_windows
 from helpers.latch import LatchKernel
 from helpers.logging import TimestampedLogger
+from helpers.memory import create_managed_memory_resource_or_skip
 from helpers.oom_diagnostics import (
     DEFAULT_FILENAME,
     OOM_MARKER,
@@ -467,3 +468,40 @@ def test_gl_context_not_on_nvidia_gpu_reason_rejects_other_vendors(monkeypatch,
     reason = gl_context_not_on_nvidia_gpu_reason()
     assert reason is not None
     assert "not on an NVIDIA GPU" in reason
+
+
+def _patch_managed_mr_factory(monkeypatch, concurrent_managed_access):
+    # Stand in for the helper's Device and ManagedMemoryResource so the skip
+    # decision does not depend on the local device.
+    device = types.SimpleNamespace(
+        properties=types.SimpleNamespace(concurrent_managed_access=concurrent_managed_access)
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr("helpers.memory.Device", lambda: device)
+    factory = Mock(name="ManagedMemoryResource")
+    monkeypatch.setattr("helpers.memory.ManagedMemoryResource", factory)
+    return factory
+
+
+@pytest.mark.thread_unsafe(reason="patches module globals of helpers.memory")
+@pytest.mark.agent_authored(model="claude-opus-5.5")
+def test_managed_mr_helper_skips_default_pool_without_concurrent_access(monkeypatch):
+    factory = _patch_managed_mr_factory(monkeypatch, concurrent_managed_access=False)
+    with pytest.raises(pytest.skip.Exception, match="concurrent managed memory access"):
+        create_managed_memory_resource_or_skip()
+    factory.assert_not_called()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.thread_unsafe(reason="patches module globals of helpers.memory")
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("concurrent_managed_access", "args", "kwargs"),
+    [
+        pytest.param(False, ("options",), {}, id="positional-options"),
+        pytest.param(False, (), {"options": "options"}, id="keyword-options"),
+        pytest.param(True, (), {}, id="default-pool-with-concurrent-access"),
+    ],
+)
+@pytest.mark.agent_authored(model="claude-opus-5.5")
+def test_managed_mr_helper_constructs_when_pool_is_usable(monkeypatch, concurrent_managed_access, args, kwargs):
+    factory = _patch_managed_mr_factory(monkeypatch, concurrent_managed_access)
+    assert create_managed_memory_resource_or_skip(*args, **kwargs) is factory.return_value
+    factory.assert_called_once_with(*args, **kwargs)
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 These tests only run on affected platforms (concurrent_managed_access is False).
 """
 
+import sys
 import warnings
 
 import pytest
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@
 import cuda.bindings
 from cuda.core import Device, ManagedMemoryResource, ManagedMemoryResourceOptions
 from cuda.core._memory._managed_memory_resource import reset_concurrent_access_warning
+from cuda.core._utils.cuda_utils import CUDAError
 
 _cuda_major = int(cuda.bindings.__version__.split(".")[0])
 
@@ -51,8 +53,16 @@ def device_without_concurrent_managed_access(init_cuda):
 @requires_cuda_13
 def test_default_pool_error_without_concurrent_access(device_without_concurrent_managed_access):
     """ManagedMemoryResource() raises RuntimeError when the default pool doesn't support managed."""
-    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="does not support managed allocations"):
-        ManagedMemoryResource()
+    try:
+        with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="does not support managed allocations"):
+            ManagedMemoryResource()
+    except CUDAError as e:
+        # nvbugs5815123: on some Windows machines the driver fails to reserve VA
+        # for the default managed pool lookup and returns CUDA_ERROR_OUT_OF_MEMORY
+        # instead of CUDA_ERROR_NOT_SUPPORTED, so the RuntimeError is never raised.
+        if sys.platform == "win32" and "CUDA_ERROR_OUT_OF_MEMORY" in str(e):
+            pytest.xfail("default managed pool lookup ran out of VA on Windows (nvbugs5815123)")
+        raise
 
 
 @requires_cuda_13