diff --git a/python/dask_cudf/dask_cudf/expr/__init__.py b/python/dask_cudf/dask_cudf/expr/__init__.py
index 826f514a674..a76b655ef42 100644
--- a/python/dask_cudf/dask_cudf/expr/__init__.py
+++ b/python/dask_cudf/dask_cudf/expr/__init__.py
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 
 # Register custom expressions and collections
 if QUERY_PLANNING_ON:
+    # Broadly avoid "p2p" and "disk" defaults for now
+    config.set({"dataframe.shuffle.method": "tasks"})
+
     try:
         import dask_cudf.expr._collection
         import dask_cudf.expr._expr
diff --git a/python/dask_cudf/dask_cudf/tests/test_distributed.py b/python/dask_cudf/dask_cudf/tests/test_distributed.py
index 39eadb45c91..07fdb25dff9 100644
--- a/python/dask_cudf/dask_cudf/tests/test_distributed.py
+++ b/python/dask_cudf/dask_cudf/tests/test_distributed.py
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@
 dask_cuda = pytest.importorskip("dask_cuda")
 
 
-def more_than_two_gpus():
+def at_least_n_gpus(n):
     ngpus = len(numba.cuda.gpus)
-    return ngpus >= 2
+    return ngpus >= n
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("delayed", [True, False])
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def test_merge():
 
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
-    not more_than_two_gpus(), reason="Machine does not have more than two GPUs"
+    not at_least_n_gpus(2), reason="Machine does not have two GPUs"
 )
 def test_ucx_seriesgroupby():
     pytest.importorskip("ucp")
@@ -97,3 +97,22 @@ def test_p2p_shuffle():
                 ddf.compute().sort_values("x"),
                 check_index=False,
             )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    not at_least_n_gpus(3),
+    reason="Machine does not have three GPUs",
+)
+def test_unique():
+    # Using `"p2p"` can produce dispatching problems
+    # TODO: Test "p2p" after dask > 2024.4.1 is required
+    # See: https://github.com/dask/dask/pull/11040
+    with dask_cuda.LocalCUDACluster(n_workers=3) as cluster:
+        with Client(cluster):
+            df = cudf.DataFrame({"x": ["a", "b", "c", "a", "a"]})
+            ddf = dask_cudf.from_cudf(df, npartitions=2)
+            dd.assert_eq(
+                df.x.unique(),
+                ddf.x.unique().compute(),
+                check_index=False,
+            )