diff --git a/src/learn/learn.cpp b/src/learn/learn.cpp
index 8326ab24185..29a2b788ecc 100644
--- a/src/learn/learn.cpp
+++ b/src/learn/learn.cpp
@@ -598,9 +598,9 @@ namespace Learner
 
         void learn_worker(Thread& th, std::atomic<uint64_t>& counter, uint64_t limit);
 
-        void update_weights(const PSVector& psv, uint64_t epoch);
+        void update_weights(uint64_t epoch);
 
-        void calc_loss(const PSVector& psv, uint64_t epoch);
+        void calc_loss(uint64_t epoch);
 
         void calc_loss_worker(
             Thread& th,
@@ -701,6 +701,16 @@ namespace Learner
         });
         mainThread->wait_for_worker_finished();
 
+        if (validation_data.size() != params.validation_count)
+        {
+            auto out = sync_region_cout.new_region();
+            out
+                << "WARNING (learn): Error reading validation data. Read " << validation_data.size()
+                << " out of " << params.validation_count << '\n'
+                << "WARNING (learn): This either means that less than 1% of the validation data passed the filter"
+                << " or the file is empty\n";
+        }
+
         return validation_data;
     }
 
@@ -714,23 +724,11 @@ namespace Learner
 
         Eval::NNUE::verify_any_net_loaded();
 
-        const PSVector validation_data = fetch_next_validation_set();
-
-        if (validation_data.size() != params.validation_count)
-        {
-            auto out = sync_region_cout.new_region();
-            out
-                << "INFO (learn): Error reading validation data. Read " << validation_data.size()
-                << " out of " << params.validation_count << '\n'
-                << "INFO (learn): This either means that less than 1% of the validation data passed the filter"
-                << " or the file is empty\n";
-
-            return;
-        }
+        uint64_t epoch = 0;
 
         if (params.newbob_decay != 1.0) {
 
-            calc_loss(validation_data, 0);
+            calc_loss(epoch++);
 
             best_loss = latest_loss_sum / latest_loss_count;
             latest_loss_sum = 0.0;
@@ -742,7 +740,7 @@ namespace Learner
 
         stop_flag = false;
 
-        for(uint64_t epoch = 1; epoch <= epochs; ++epoch)
+        for(; epoch <= epochs; ++epoch)
         {
             std::atomic<uint64_t> counter{0};
 
@@ -757,7 +755,7 @@ namespace Learner
             if (stop_flag)
                 break;
 
-            update_weights(validation_data, epoch);
+            update_weights(epoch);
 
             if (stop_flag)
                 break;
@@ -860,7 +858,7 @@ namespace Learner
         }
     }
 
-    void LearnerThink::update_weights(const PSVector& psv, uint64_t epoch)
+    void LearnerThink::update_weights(uint64_t epoch)
     {
         // I'm not sure this fencing is correct. But either way there
         // should be no real issues happening since
@@ -887,17 +885,19 @@ namespace Learner
             loss_output_count = 0;
 
             // loss calculation
-            calc_loss(psv, epoch);
+            calc_loss(epoch);
 
             Eval::NNUE::check_health();
         }
     }
 
-    void LearnerThink::calc_loss(const PSVector& psv, uint64_t epoch)
+    void LearnerThink::calc_loss(uint64_t epoch)
     {
         TT.new_search();
         TimePoint elapsed = now() - Search::Limits.startTime + 1;
 
+        const auto psv = fetch_next_validation_set();
+
         auto out = sync_region_cout.new_region();
 
         out << "\n";