diff --git a/ci/test_python_other.sh b/ci/test_python_other.sh
index e69fbd52107..dcaa81a1e8b 100755
--- a/ci/test_python_other.sh
+++ b/ci/test_python_other.sh
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ rapids-logger "pytest custreamz"
 rapids-logger "pytest cudf-polars"
 ./ci/run_cudf_polars_pytests.sh \
   --junitxml="${RAPIDS_TESTS_DIR}/junit-cudf-polars.xml" \
-  --numprocesses=6 \
+  --numprocesses=8 \
   --dist=worksteal \
   --cov-config=./pyproject.toml \
   --cov=cudf_polars \
diff --git a/ci/test_wheel_cudf_polars.sh b/ci/test_wheel_cudf_polars.sh
index b2683eeadbc..07ed60e6835 100755
--- a/ci/test_wheel_cudf_polars.sh
+++ b/ci/test_wheel_cudf_polars.sh
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ for version in "${VERSIONS[@]}"; do
 
     ./ci/run_cudf_polars_pytests.sh \
         "${COVERAGE_ARGS[@]}" \
+        --numprocesses=8 \
+        --dist=worksteal \
         --junitxml="${RAPIDS_TESTS_DIR}/junit-cudf-polars-${version}.xml"
 
     if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
diff --git a/python/cudf_polars/tests/experimental/conftest.py b/python/cudf_polars/tests/experimental/conftest.py
index 7499199ca99..3d50e65a6c6 100644
--- a/python/cudf_polars/tests/experimental/conftest.py
+++ b/python/cudf_polars/tests/experimental/conftest.py
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 import pytest
 
 
+# scope="session" is important to not cause singificant slowdowns in CI
+# https://github.com/rapidsai/cudf/pull/20137
 @pytest.fixture(autouse=True, scope="session")
 def dask_cluster(pytestconfig, worker_id):
     if (