diff --git a/httomo/data/dataset_store.py b/httomo/data/dataset_store.py
index 139789373..a7975d7cd 100644
--- a/httomo/data/dataset_store.py
+++ b/httomo/data/dataset_store.py
@@ -34,13 +34,14 @@
     DataSetSource,
     ReadableDataSetSink,
 )
+from httomo.utils import make_pinned_host_array
 from mpi4py import MPI
 from mpi4py.util import dtlib
 import numpy as np
 from numpy.typing import DTypeLike
 import weakref
 
-from httomo.utils import log_once, make_3d_shape_from_shape
+from httomo.utils import log_once, make_3d_shape_from_shape, gpu_enabled
 
 
 class DataSetStoreWriter(ReadableDataSetSink):
@@ -384,7 +385,7 @@ def _read_block_file(
         self, shape: List[int], dim: int, start_idx: List[int]
     ) -> np.ndarray:
         start_idx[dim] += self._global_index[dim] - self._padding[0]
-        block_data = np.empty(shape, dtype=self._data.dtype)
+        block_data = make_pinned_host_array(shape, dtype=self._data.dtype)
         before_cut = 0
         after_cut = 0
         # check before boundary
@@ -547,7 +548,13 @@ def _read_block_ram(
             slice(start_idx[1], start_idx[1] + shape[1]),
             slice(start_idx[2], start_idx[2] + shape[2]),
         ]
-        return self._data[read_slices[0], read_slices[1], read_slices[2]]
+        data_slice = self._data[read_slices[0], read_slices[1], read_slices[2]]
+        if gpu_enabled:
+            block_data = make_pinned_host_array(shape, self._data.dtype)
+            block_data[:] = data_slice
+            return block_data
+        else:
+            return data_slice
 
     def read_block(self, start: int, length: int) -> DataSetBlock:
         shape = list(self._global_shape)
diff --git a/httomo/loaders/standard_tomo_loader.py b/httomo/loaders/standard_tomo_loader.py
index 09b2b508b..8e6d2abfe 100644
--- a/httomo/loaders/standard_tomo_loader.py
+++ b/httomo/loaders/standard_tomo_loader.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 from httomo.runner.dataset_store_interfaces import DataSetSource
 from httomo.runner.loader import LoaderInterface
 from httomo.types import generic_array
-from httomo.utils import log_once, make_3d_shape_from_shape
+from httomo.utils import log_once, make_3d_shape_from_shape, make_pinned_host_array
 
 from httomo_backends.methods_database.query import Pattern
 
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ def read_block(self, start: int, length: int) -> DataSetBlock:
         start_idx[self._slicing_dim] += start + self._chunk_index[self._slicing_dim]
         block_shape = list(self.global_shape)
         block_shape[self._slicing_dim] = length + self._padding[0] + self._padding[1]
-        block_data = np.empty(block_shape, dtype=self._data.dtype)
+        block_data = make_pinned_host_array(block_shape, dtype=self._data.dtype)
 
         # Bools that reflect if an extended read is needed on either the lower or upper
         # boundary of the block, in order to fill in the before/after padded areas
diff --git a/httomo/utils.py b/httomo/utils.py
index 22ec483d5..3c131c41b 100644
--- a/httomo/utils.py
+++ b/httomo/utils.py
@@ -389,3 +389,15 @@ def search_max_slices_iterative(
             slices_low = current_slices
 
     return slices_low
+
+
+def make_pinned_host_array(shape, dtype) -> np.ndarray:
+    if gpu_enabled:
+        pinned_ptr = xp.cuda.alloc_pinned_memory(
+            np.prod(shape) * np.dtype(dtype).itemsize
+        )
+        return np.frombuffer(pinned_ptr, dtype=dtype, count=np.prod(shape)).reshape(
+            shape
+        )
+    else:
+        return np.empty(shape, dtype=dtype)