diff --git a/cpp/include/rmm/device_scalar.hpp b/cpp/include/rmm/device_scalar.hpp
index b6a88a714..0e62505f0 100644
--- a/cpp/include/rmm/device_scalar.hpp
+++ b/cpp/include/rmm/device_scalar.hpp
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2019-2025, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2019-2026, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
 
@@ -156,9 +156,6 @@ class device_scalar {
   /**
    * @brief Sets the value of the `device_scalar` to the value of `v`.
    *
-   * This specialization for fundamental types is optimized to use `cudaMemsetAsync` when
-   * `v` is zero.
-   *
    * @note If the stream specified to this function is different from the stream specified
    * to the constructor, then appropriate dependencies must be inserted between the streams
    * (e.g. using `cudaStreamWaitEvent()` or `cudaStreamSynchronize()`) before and after calling
@@ -168,8 +165,7 @@ class device_scalar {
    * referenced by `v` should not be destroyed or modified until `stream` has been
    * synchronized. Otherwise, behavior is undefined.
    *
-   * @note This function incurs a host to device memcpy or device memset and should be used
-   * carefully.
+   * @note This function incurs a host to device memcpy and should be used carefully.
    *
    * Example:
    * \code{cpp}
diff --git a/cpp/include/rmm/device_uvector.hpp b/cpp/include/rmm/device_uvector.hpp
index b798cb04b..f2d1bfd93 100644
--- a/cpp/include/rmm/device_uvector.hpp
+++ b/cpp/include/rmm/device_uvector.hpp
@@ -175,9 +175,6 @@ class device_uvector {
   /**
    * @brief Performs an asynchronous copy of `v` to the specified element in device memory.
    *
-   * This specialization for fundamental types is optimized to use `cudaMemsetAsync` when
-   * `host_value` is zero.
-   *
    * This function does not synchronize stream `s` before returning. Therefore, the object
    * referenced by `v` should not be destroyed or modified until `stream` has been synchronized.
    * Otherwise, behavior is undefined.
@@ -212,20 +209,6 @@ class device_uvector {
   {
     RMM_EXPECTS(
       element_index < size(), "Attempt to access out of bounds element.", rmm::out_of_range);
-
-    if constexpr (std::is_same_v<value_type, bool>) {
-      RMM_CUDA_TRY(
-        cudaMemsetAsync(element_ptr(element_index), value, sizeof(value), stream.value()));
-      return;
-    }
-
-    if constexpr (std::is_fundamental_v<value_type>) {
-      if (value == value_type{0}) {
-        set_element_to_zero_async(element_index, stream);
-        return;
-      }
-    }
-
     RMM_CUDA_TRY(cudaMemcpyAsync(
       element_ptr(element_index), &value, sizeof(value), cudaMemcpyDefault, stream.value()));
   }
diff --git a/cpp/tests/device_uvector_tests.cpp b/cpp/tests/device_uvector_tests.cpp
index 3b032ed13..552dc7b7c 100644
--- a/cpp/tests/device_uvector_tests.cpp
+++ b/cpp/tests/device_uvector_tests.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2020-2025, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2020-2026, NVIDIA CORPORATION.
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
 
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
 #include <gtest/internal/gtest-type-util.h>
 
+#include <cmath>
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <iterator>
 #include <utility>
@@ -238,6 +239,26 @@ TYPED_TEST(TypedUVectorTest, SetElementZeroAsync)
   }
 }
 
+TEST(NegativeZeroTest, PreservesFloatNegativeZero)
+{
+  rmm::device_uvector<float> vec(1, rmm::cuda_stream_view{});
+  float const neg_zero = -0.0f;
+  vec.set_element_async(0, neg_zero, rmm::cuda_stream_view{});
+  float const result = vec.element(0, rmm::cuda_stream_view{});
+  EXPECT_TRUE(std::signbit(result)) << "sign bit of -0.0f was lost";
+  EXPECT_EQ(result, 0.0f);
+}
+
+TEST(NegativeZeroTest, PreservesDoubleNegativeZero)
+{
+  rmm::device_uvector<double> vec(1, rmm::cuda_stream_view{});
+  double const neg_zero = -0.0;
+  vec.set_element_async(0, neg_zero, rmm::cuda_stream_view{});
+  double const result = vec.element(0, rmm::cuda_stream_view{});
+  EXPECT_TRUE(std::signbit(result)) << "sign bit of -0.0 was lost";
+  EXPECT_EQ(result, 0.0);
+}
+
 TYPED_TEST(TypedUVectorTest, FrontBackElement)
 {
   auto const size{12345};