diff --git a/mmengine/utils/manager.py b/mmengine/utils/manager.py
index 68f3409a6a..70b45f2d8e 100644
--- a/mmengine/utils/manager.py
+++ b/mmengine/utils/manager.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # Copyright (c) OpenMMLab. All rights reserved.
 import inspect
 import threading
+import warnings
 from collections import OrderedDict
 from typing import Type, TypeVar
 
@@ -108,10 +109,11 @@ def get_instance(cls: Type[T], name: str, **kwargs) -> T:
         if name not in instance_dict:
             instance = cls(name=name, **kwargs)  # type: ignore
             instance_dict[name] = instance  # type: ignore
-        else:
-            assert not kwargs, (
-                f'{cls} instance named of {name} has been created, the method '
-                '`get_instance` should not access any other arguments')
+        elif kwargs:
+            warnings.warn(
+                f'{cls} instance named of {name} has been created, '
+                'the method `get_instance` should not accept any other '
+                'arguments')
         # Get latest instantiated instance or root instance.
         _release_lock()
         return instance_dict[name]
diff --git a/tests/test_utils/test_manager.py b/tests/test_utils/test_manager.py
index be9348e2d5..913affb649 100644
--- a/tests/test_utils/test_manager.py
+++ b/tests/test_utils/test_manager.py
@@ -72,5 +72,5 @@ def test_get_instance(self):
             SubClassA.get_instance(name=1)
         # `get_instance` should not accept other arguments if corresponding
         # instance has been created.
-        with pytest.raises(AssertionError):
+        with pytest.warns(UserWarning):
             SubClassA.get_instance('name2', a=1, b=2)