diff --git a/Src/Particle/AMReX_NeighborParticles.H b/Src/Particle/AMReX_NeighborParticles.H
index 5f814805a21..1b7d01d7a95 100644
--- a/Src/Particle/AMReX_NeighborParticles.H
+++ b/Src/Particle/AMReX_NeighborParticles.H
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@ protected:
     ParticleCopyPlan neighbor_copy_plan;
 
     amrex::PODVector<char, PolymorphicArenaAllocator<char> > snd_buffer;
-    amrex::Gpu::DeviceVector<char> rcv_buffer;
+    amrex::PODVector<char, PolymorphicArenaAllocator<char> > rcv_buffer;
 
     Gpu::PinnedVector<char> pinned_snd_buffer;
     Gpu::PinnedVector<char> pinned_rcv_buffer;
diff --git a/Src/Particle/AMReX_NeighborParticlesGPUImpl.H b/Src/Particle/AMReX_NeighborParticlesGPUImpl.H
index 4cc533d901e..b4e50bef7b8 100644
--- a/Src/Particle/AMReX_NeighborParticlesGPUImpl.H
+++ b/Src/Particle/AMReX_NeighborParticlesGPUImpl.H
@@ -255,6 +255,12 @@ updateNeighborsGPU (bool boundary_neighbors_only)
     }
 
     clearNeighbors();
+
+    if (ParallelDescriptor::UseGpuAwareMpi()) {
+        snd_buffer.setArena(The_Comms_Arena());
+        rcv_buffer.setArena(The_Comms_Arena());
+    }
+
     packBuffer(*this, neighbor_copy_op, neighbor_copy_plan, snd_buffer);
     if (ParallelDescriptor::UseGpuAwareMpi())
     {
diff --git a/Src/Particle/AMReX_ParticleContainerI.H b/Src/Particle/AMReX_ParticleContainerI.H
index 718405f1e66..d42d2d5b4b2 100644
--- a/Src/Particle/AMReX_ParticleContainerI.H
+++ b/Src/Particle/AMReX_ParticleContainerI.H
@@ -1388,8 +1388,14 @@ ParticleContainer_impl<ParticleType, NArrayReal, NArrayInt, Allocator, CellAssig
     plan.build(*this, op, h_redistribute_int_comp,
                h_redistribute_real_comp, local);
 
+    // by default, this uses The_Arena();
     amrex::PODVector<char, PolymorphicArenaAllocator<char> > snd_buffer;
-    Gpu::DeviceVector<char> rcv_buffer;
+    amrex::PODVector<char, PolymorphicArenaAllocator<char> > rcv_buffer;
+
+    if (ParallelDescriptor::UseGpuAwareMpi()) {
+        snd_buffer.setArena(The_Comms_Arena());
+        rcv_buffer.setArena(The_Comms_Arena());
+    }
 
     packBuffer(*this, op, plan, snd_buffer);