diff --git a/src/axolotl/utils/dataloader.py b/src/axolotl/utils/dataloader.py
index 3b281eb2c..f2804b1a5 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/utils/dataloader.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/utils/dataloader.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import logging
 import math
 import queue
 import threading
-from typing import Any, Callable, List, Union
+from typing import Any, Callable, List, Optional, Union
 
 import numba
 import numpy as np
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ class MultipackDistributedDataloader:
         packing_efficiency_estimate: float = 1.0,
         sample_packing_seq_len_multiplier: int = 1,
         device_count: int = 1,
+        total_num_tokens: Optional[int] = None,
     ):
         # Dataset
         self.dataset = dataset
@@ -168,6 +169,7 @@ class MultipackDistributedDataloader:
         self.rank = 0
 
         # statistics
+        self.total_num_tokens = total_num_tokens
         self.eff_total_used = 0
         self.eff_total_slots = 0
         self.packing_efficiency_estimate = packing_efficiency_estimate or 1.0
@@ -261,8 +263,9 @@ class MultipackDistributedDataloader:
         batch_gen_thread.join()
 
     def _len_est(self):
-        lengths_sum = np.sum(self.lengths)
-        lengths_sum_per_device = lengths_sum // self.device_count
+        if not self.total_num_tokens:
+            self.total_num_tokens = np.sum(self.lengths)
+        lengths_sum_per_device = self.total_num_tokens // self.device_count
         LOG.info(
             f"packing_efficiency_estimate: {self.packing_efficiency_estimate} "
             f"total_num_tokens per device: {lengths_sum_per_device}"