diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf/core/dataframe.py b/python/cudf/cudf/core/dataframe.py
index f21979771b7..3e5ff9c18b5 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf/core/dataframe.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf/core/dataframe.py
@@ -462,7 +462,8 @@ def _setitem_tuple_arg(self, key, value):
                             self._frame[col].loc[key[0]] = value[i]
 
 
-_DataFrameAtIndexer = _DataFrameLocIndexer
+class _DataFrameAtIndexer(_DataFrameLocIndexer):
+    pass
 
 
 class _DataFrameIlocIndexer(_DataFrameIndexer):
@@ -587,7 +588,8 @@ def _setitem_tuple_arg(self, key, value):
                         self._frame[col].iloc[key[0]] = value[i]
 
 
-_DataFrameiAtIndexer = _DataFrameIlocIndexer
+class _DataFrameiAtIndexer(_DataFrameIlocIndexer):
+    pass
 
 
 class DataFrame(IndexedFrame, Serializable, GetAttrGetItemMixin):
diff --git a/python/cudf/cudf_pandas_tests/test_cudf_pandas.py b/python/cudf/cudf_pandas_tests/test_cudf_pandas.py
index 7ca00f9f004..b0aeaba3916 100644
--- a/python/cudf/cudf_pandas_tests/test_cudf_pandas.py
+++ b/python/cudf/cudf_pandas_tests/test_cudf_pandas.py
@@ -1580,7 +1580,7 @@ def test_at_iat(indexer):
 
 
 def test_at_setitem_empty():
-    df = xpd.DataFrame({"name": []})
+    df = xpd.DataFrame({"name": []}, dtype="float64")
     df.at[0, "name"] = 1.0
     df.at[0, "new"] = 2.0
     expected = pd.DataFrame({"name": [1.0], "new": [2.0]})