diff --git a/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/constants.py b/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/constants.py
index d6067ddc899..59c64987d75 100644
--- a/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/constants.py
+++ b/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/constants.py
@@ -305,6 +305,9 @@
 
 # strategies
 DDP = "ddp"
+DDP_FIND_UNUSED_PARAMETERS_FALSE = "ddp_find_unused_parameters_false"
+DDP_FIND_UNUSED_PARAMETERS_TRUE = "ddp_find_unused_parameters_true"
+DDP_STRATEGIES = [DDP, DDP_FIND_UNUSED_PARAMETERS_FALSE, DDP_FIND_UNUSED_PARAMETERS_TRUE]
 
 # torch constants
 TORCH_COMPILE_MIN_VERSION = "2.2.0.dev20230908"
diff --git a/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/matcher.py b/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/matcher.py
index eb35156fd6b..f35e6d814d2 100644
--- a/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/matcher.py
+++ b/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/matcher.py
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@
     init_df_preprocessor,
     load_text_tokenizers,
     predict,
+    run_ddp_only_once,
     save_pretrained_model_configs,
     save_text_tokenizers,
     select_model,
@@ -944,6 +945,8 @@ def _fit(
         # save artifacts for the current running, except for model checkpoint, which will be saved in trainer
         self.save(save_path)
 
+        num_gpus = run_ddp_only_once(num_gpus, strategy)
+
         blacklist_msgs = ["already configured with model summary"]
         log_filter = LogFilter(blacklist_msgs)
         with apply_log_filter(log_filter):
@@ -1278,6 +1281,8 @@ def _default_predict(
             match_label=match_label,
         )
 
+        num_gpus = run_ddp_only_once(num_gpus, strategy)
+
         blacklist_msgs = []
         if self._verbosity <= 3:  # turn off logging in prediction
             blacklist_msgs.append("Automatic Mixed Precision")
diff --git a/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/predictor.py b/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/predictor.py
index ecc83d9f64a..c5810b2c2d8 100644
--- a/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/predictor.py
+++ b/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/predictor.py
@@ -160,6 +160,7 @@
     modify_duplicate_model_names,
     object_detection_data_to_df,
     predict,
+    run_ddp_only_once,
     save_ovd_result_df,
     save_pretrained_model_configs,
     save_result_df,
@@ -1505,6 +1506,8 @@ def _fit(
         # save artifacts for the current running, except for model checkpoint, which will be saved in trainer
         self.save(save_path, standalone=standalone)
 
+        num_gpus = run_ddp_only_once(num_gpus, strategy)
+
         blacklist_msgs = ["already configured with model summary"]
         log_filter = LogFilter(blacklist_msgs)
         with apply_log_filter(log_filter):
@@ -1801,6 +1804,8 @@ def _default_predict(
                 **optimization_kwargs,
             )
 
+        num_gpus = run_ddp_only_once(num_gpus, strategy)
+
         blacklist_msgs = []
         if self._verbosity <= 3:  # turn off logging in prediction
             blacklist_msgs.append("Automatic Mixed Precision")
diff --git a/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/utils/environment.py b/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/utils/environment.py
index 5a710a7d997..88f727b13da 100644
--- a/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/utils/environment.py
+++ b/multimodal/src/autogluon/multimodal/utils/environment.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
 from autogluon.common.utils.resource_utils import ResourceManager
 
-from ..constants import DDP, OBJECT_DETECTION, OCR
+from ..constants import DDP_STRATEGIES, OBJECT_DETECTION, OCR
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -347,3 +347,15 @@ def _get_mmlab_installation_guide(package_name):
         raise ValueError("Available package_name are: mmdet, mmcv, mmengine.")
 
     return err_msg
+
+
+def run_ddp_only_once(num_gpus, strategy):
+    if strategy in DDP_STRATEGIES:
+        global FIRST_TIME_DDP
+        if "FIRST_TIME_DDP" in globals():
+            # not the first time running DDP, set number of devices to 1 (use single GPU)
+            return 1
+        else:
+            if num_gpus > 1:
+                FIRST_TIME_DDP = False  # now we run DDP for the first time
+    return num_gpus