diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_setitem.py b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_setitem.py
index de0826d61e9..967c1d27fc1 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_setitem.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/tests/test_setitem.py
@@ -118,34 +118,23 @@ def test_series_setitem_singleton_range():
     assert_eq(sr, psr, check_dtype=True)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="Copy-on-Write should make a copy")
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "df",
+    "index",
     [
-        pd.DataFrame(
-            {"a": [1, 2, 3]},
-            index=pd.MultiIndex.from_frame(
-                pd.DataFrame({"b": [3, 2, 1], "c": ["a", "b", "c"]})
-            ),
+        pd.MultiIndex.from_frame(
+            pd.DataFrame({"b": [3, 2, 1], "c": ["a", "b", "c"]})
         ),
-        pd.DataFrame({"a": [1, 2, 3]}, index=["a", "b", "c"]),
+        ["a", "b", "c"],
     ],
 )
-def test_setitem_dataframe_series_inplace(df):
-    pdf = df.copy(deep=True)
-    gdf = cudf.from_pandas(pdf)
-
-    pdf["a"].replace(1, 500, inplace=True)
-    gdf["a"].replace(1, 500, inplace=True)
-
-    assert_eq(pdf, gdf)
-
-    psr_a = pdf["a"]
-    gsr_a = gdf["a"]
-
-    psr_a.replace(500, 501, inplace=True)
-    gsr_a.replace(500, 501, inplace=True)
+def test_setitem_dataframe_series_inplace(index):
+    gdf = cudf.DataFrame({"a": [1, 2, 3]}, index=index)
+    expected = gdf.copy()
+    with cudf.option_context("copy_on_write", True):
+        gdf["a"].replace(1, 500, inplace=True)
 
-    assert_eq(pdf, gdf)
+    assert_eq(expected, gdf)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(