diff --git a/cpp/src/io/parquet/parquet_gpu.hpp b/cpp/src/io/parquet/parquet_gpu.hpp
index 4e7b4cd68d8..572fe5c2820 100644
--- a/cpp/src/io/parquet/parquet_gpu.hpp
+++ b/cpp/src/io/parquet/parquet_gpu.hpp
@@ -369,8 +369,8 @@ struct pass_intermediate_data {
   std::vector<gpu::chunk_read_info> output_chunk_read_info;
   std::size_t current_output_chunk{0};
 
-  rmm::device_buffer level_decode_data;
-  int level_type_size;
+  rmm::device_buffer level_decode_data{};
+  int level_type_size{0};
 
   // skip_rows and num_rows values for this particular pass. these may be adjusted values from the
   // global values stored in file_intermediate_data.
diff --git a/cpp/src/io/parquet/reader_impl_preprocess.cu b/cpp/src/io/parquet/reader_impl_preprocess.cu
index 59a5785e80d..c731c467f2c 100644
--- a/cpp/src/io/parquet/reader_impl_preprocess.cu
+++ b/cpp/src/io/parquet/reader_impl_preprocess.cu
@@ -866,9 +866,9 @@ void reader::impl::compute_input_pass_row_group_info()
   //
   std::size_t const read_limit =
     _input_pass_read_limit > 0 ? _input_pass_read_limit : std::numeric_limits<std::size_t>::max();
-  std::size_t cur_read      = 0;
-  std::size_t cur_rg_start  = 0;
-  std::size_t cur_row_count = 0;
+  std::size_t cur_pass_byte_size = 0;
+  std::size_t cur_rg_start       = 0;
+  std::size_t cur_row_count      = 0;
   _input_pass_row_group_offsets.push_back(0);
   _input_pass_row_count.push_back(0);
 
@@ -877,23 +877,25 @@ void reader::impl::compute_input_pass_row_group_info()
     auto const& row_group = _metadata->get_row_group(rgi.index, rgi.source_index);
 
     // can we add this row group
-    if (cur_read + row_group.total_byte_size >= read_limit) {
-      // always need to add at least 1 row group, so add ourselves
+    if (cur_pass_byte_size + row_group.total_byte_size >= read_limit) {
+      // A single row group (the current one) is larger than the read limit:
+      // We always need to include at least one row group, so end the pass at the end of the current
+      // row group
       if (cur_rg_start == cur_rg_index) {
         _input_pass_row_group_offsets.push_back(cur_rg_index + 1);
         _input_pass_row_count.push_back(cur_row_count + row_group.num_rows);
-        cur_rg_start = cur_rg_index + 1;
-        cur_read     = 0;
+        cur_rg_start       = cur_rg_index + 1;
+        cur_pass_byte_size = 0;
       }
-      // add the previous group
+      // End the pass at the end of the previous row group
       else {
         _input_pass_row_group_offsets.push_back(cur_rg_index);
         _input_pass_row_count.push_back(cur_row_count);
-        cur_rg_start = cur_rg_index;
-        cur_read     = row_group.total_byte_size;
+        cur_rg_start       = cur_rg_index;
+        cur_pass_byte_size = row_group.total_byte_size;
       }
     } else {
-      cur_read += row_group.total_byte_size;
+      cur_pass_byte_size += row_group.total_byte_size;
     }
     cur_row_count += row_group.num_rows;
   }
diff --git a/cpp/tests/io/parquet_chunked_reader_test.cpp b/cpp/tests/io/parquet_chunked_reader_test.cpp
index 744c1d94527..05fb9a3ec48 100644
--- a/cpp/tests/io/parquet_chunked_reader_test.cpp
+++ b/cpp/tests/io/parquet_chunked_reader_test.cpp
@@ -961,13 +961,16 @@ TEST_F(ParquetChunkedReaderTest, InputLimitSimple)
   constexpr int num_rows = 25'000'000;
   auto value_iter = cudf::detail::make_counting_transform_iterator(0, [](int i) { return i; });
   cudf::test::fixed_width_column_wrapper<int> expected(value_iter, value_iter + num_rows);
-  cudf::io::parquet_writer_options opts = cudf::io::parquet_writer_options::builder(
-    cudf::io::sink_info{filepath}, cudf::table_view{{expected}});
-  cudf::io::write_parquet(opts);
+  cudf::io::parquet_writer_options opts =
+    cudf::io::parquet_writer_options::builder(cudf::io::sink_info{filepath},
+                                              cudf::table_view{{expected}})
+      // note: it is unnecessary to force compression to NONE here because the size we are using in
+      // the row group is the uncompressed data size. But forcing the dictionary policy to
+      // dictionary_policy::NEVER is necessary to prevent changes in the
+      // decompressed-but-not-yet-decoded data.
+      .dictionary_policy(cudf::io::dictionary_policy::NEVER);
 
-  // Note: some of these tests make explicit assumptions that the compressed size of the data in
-  // each row group will be 4001150. Changes to compression or other defaults may cause them to
-  // break (just requiring some tweaks).
+  cudf::io::write_parquet(opts);
 
   {
     // no chunking