diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-hpc.yml b/.github/workflows/build-hpc.yml
index 740584e4e..41e7b3935 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-hpc.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-hpc.yml
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ jobs:
               - fftw
               - qhull
               - eigen
-            cmake_options: -DMPI_SLOTS=4 -DENABLE_WARNING_AS_ERROR=ON
+            cmake_options: -DMPI_SLOTS=4 -DENABLE_WARNING_AS_ERROR=ON -DENABLE_PMR=OFF
+            # ENABLE_PMR=OFF because the default host-compiler (gcc 8.5) is not std::pmr capable
 
     runs-on: [self-hosted, linux, hpc]
     env:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index e2c9fa7db..62569de89 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ jobs:
         dependency_cmake_options: |
           ecmwf/eckit: "-G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{ matrix.build_type }} -DENABLE_TESTS=OFF -DENABLE_ECKIT_CMD=OFF -DENABLE_ECKIT_SQL=OFF -DENABLE_WARNINGS=OFF"
           ecmwf/fckit: "-G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{ matrix.build_type }} -DENABLE_TESTS=OFF"
-        cmake_options: "-G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{ matrix.build_type }} -DATLAS_BITS_LOCAL=64 -DENABLE_WARNING_AS_ERROR=ON ${{ matrix.cmake_options }}"
+        cmake_options: "-G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=${{ matrix.build_type }} -DATLAS_BITS_LOCAL=64 -DENABLE_WARNING_AS_ERROR=ON -DENABLE_PMR=ON ${{ matrix.cmake_options }}"
         ctest_options: "${{ matrix.ctest_options }}"
 
     - name: Verify tools
diff --git a/pluto/CMakeLists.txt b/pluto/CMakeLists.txt
index 8dad87aca..835e3f315 100644
--- a/pluto/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/pluto/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -19,18 +19,8 @@ project( pluto VERSION ${atlas_VERSION} LANGUAGES CXX )
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 17)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
 
-set(PLUTO_HAVE_PMR 1)
-### Normally we should be auto-detecting std::pmr (c++17) for polymorphic memory resource
-#   However, CUDA or HIP compiler seems to not find the right headers,
-#   so for now we don't rely on it
-#
-#    include(CheckIncludeFileCXX)
-#    check_include_file_cxx(memory_resource PLUTO_HAVE_PMR)
-#    if( PLUTO_HAVE_PMR )
-#      set( PLUTO_HAVE_PMR 1 )
-#    else()
-#      set( PLUTO_HAVE_PMR 0 )
-#    endif()
+ecbuild_add_option( FEATURE PMR DESCRIPTION "Compatibility with std::pmr in C++" DEFAULT OFF )
+set(PLUTO_HAVE_PMR ${HAVE_PMR})
 
 find_package(hic QUIET)
 if( NOT hic_FOUND )