diff --git a/python/pylibraft/pylibraft/common/device_ndarray.py b/python/pylibraft/pylibraft/common/device_ndarray.py
index f267e0c644..ae7bb2cabf 100644
--- a/python/pylibraft/pylibraft/common/device_ndarray.py
+++ b/python/pylibraft/pylibraft/common/device_ndarray.py
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ def __init__(self, np_ndarray):
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        ndarray : A numpy.ndarray which will be copied and moved to the device
+        ndarray : Can be numpy.ndarray, array like or even directly
+            an __array_interface__. Only case it is a numpy.ndarray its
+            contents will be copied to the device.
 
         Examples
         --------
@@ -58,11 +60,38 @@ def __init__(self, np_ndarray):
             raft_array = device_ndarray.empty((100, 50))
             torch_tensor = torch.as_tensor(raft_array, device='cuda')
         """
-        self.ndarray_ = np_ndarray
+
+        if type(np_ndarray) is np.ndarray:
+            # np_ndarray IS an actual numpy.ndarray
+            self.__array_interface__ = np_ndarray.__array_interface__.copy()
+            self.ndarray_ = np_ndarray
+            copy = True
+        elif hasattr(np_ndarray, "__array_interface__"):
+            # np_ndarray HAS an __array_interface__
+            self.__array_interface__ = np_ndarray.__array_interface__.copy()
+            self.ndarray_ = np_ndarray
+            copy = False
+        elif all(
+            name in np_ndarray for name in {"typestr", "shape", "version"}
+        ):
+            # np_ndarray IS an __array_interface__
+            self.__array_interface__ = np_ndarray.copy()
+            self.ndarray_ = None
+            copy = False
+        else:
+            raise ValueError(
+                "np_ndarray should be or contain __array_interface__"
+            )
+
         order = "C" if self.c_contiguous else "F"
-        self.device_buffer_ = rmm.DeviceBuffer.to_device(
-            self.ndarray_.tobytes(order=order)
-        )
+        if copy:
+            self.device_buffer_ = rmm.DeviceBuffer.to_device(
+                self.ndarray_.tobytes(order=order)
+            )
+        else:
+            self.device_buffer_ = rmm.DeviceBuffer(
+                size=np.prod(self.shape) * self.dtype.itemsize
+            )
 
     @classmethod
     def empty(cls, shape, dtype=np.float32, order="C"):
@@ -82,7 +111,7 @@ def empty(cls, shape, dtype=np.float32, order="C"):
                 or column-major (Fortran-style) order in memory
         """
         arr = np.empty(shape, dtype=dtype, order=order)
-        return cls(arr)
+        return cls(arr.__array_interface__.copy())
 
     @property
     def c_contiguous(self):
@@ -104,7 +133,7 @@ def dtype(self):
         """
         Datatype of the current device_ndarray instance
         """
-        array_interface = self.ndarray_.__array_interface__
+        array_interface = self.__array_interface__
         return np.dtype(array_interface["typestr"])
 
     @property
@@ -112,7 +141,7 @@ def shape(self):
         """
         Shape of the current device_ndarray instance
         """
-        array_interface = self.ndarray_.__array_interface__
+        array_interface = self.__array_interface__
         return array_interface["shape"]
 
     @property
@@ -120,7 +149,7 @@ def strides(self):
         """
         Strides of the current device_ndarray instance
         """
-        array_interface = self.ndarray_.__array_interface__
+        array_interface = self.__array_interface__
         return array_interface.get("strides")
 
     @property
@@ -131,7 +160,7 @@ def __cuda_array_interface__(self):
         zero-copy semantics.
         """
         device_cai = self.device_buffer_.__cuda_array_interface__
-        host_cai = self.ndarray_.__array_interface__.copy()
+        host_cai = self.__array_interface__.copy()
         host_cai["data"] = (device_cai["data"][0], device_cai["data"][1])
 
         return host_cai