diff --git a/src/axolotl/prompt_strategies/base.py b/src/axolotl/prompt_strategies/base.py
index 12b436a0c..e142b5ba2 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/prompt_strategies/base.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/prompt_strategies/base.py
@@ -23,36 +23,44 @@ def import_from_path(module_name, file_path):
 
 
 def load(strategy, cfg, module_base=None, **kwargs):
-    try:
-        if len(strategy.split(".")) == 1:
-            strategy = strategy + ".default"
-        load_fn = strategy.split(".")[-1]
-        if len(strategy.split(".")) > 1:
-            try:
-                importlib.import_module(
-                    strategy.split(".")[-2],
-                    ".".join(strategy.split(".")[:-2]),
-                )
-                module_base = ".".join(strategy.split(".")[:-2])
-                strategy = strategy.split(".")[-2]
-            except ModuleNotFoundError:
-                try:
-                    file_path = "/".join(strategy.split(".")[:-1]) + ".py"
-                    module_name = strategy.split(".")[-2]
-                    mod = import_from_path(module_name, file_path)
-                    func = getattr(mod, load_fn)
-                    if func is None:
-                        strategy = "." + ".".join(strategy.split(".")[:-1])
-                    else:
-                        return func(cfg, **kwargs)
-                except FileNotFoundError:
-                    strategy = "." + ".".join(strategy.split(".")[:-1])
+    if len(strategy.split(".")) == 1:
+        strategy = strategy + ".default"
+    load_fn = strategy.split(".")[-1]
+    func = None
+    if len(strategy.split(".")) > 1:
+        try:
+            mod = importlib.import_module(
+                strategy.split(".")[-2],
+                ".".join(strategy.split(".")[:-2]),
+            )
+            func = getattr(mod, load_fn)
+            return func(cfg, **kwargs)
+        except ModuleNotFoundError:
+            pass
 
-        else:
-            strategy = "." + ".".join(strategy.split(".")[:-1])
+        try:
+            mod = importlib.import_module(
+                "." + ".".join(strategy.split(".")[:-1]), module_base
+            )
+            func = getattr(mod, load_fn)
+            return func(cfg, **kwargs)
+        except ModuleNotFoundError:
+            pass
+
+        try:
+            file_path = "/".join(strategy.split(".")[:-1]) + ".py"
+            module_name = strategy.split(".")[-2]
+            mod = import_from_path(module_name, file_path)
+            func = getattr(mod, load_fn)
+            if func is not None:
+                return func(cfg, **kwargs)
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            pass
+    else:
+        strategy = "." + ".".join(strategy.split(".")[:-1])
         mod = importlib.import_module(strategy, module_base)
         func = getattr(mod, load_fn)
         return func(cfg, **kwargs)
-    except Exception:  # pylint: disable=broad-exception-caught
-        LOG.warning(f"unable to load strategy {strategy}")
-        return None
+
+    LOG.warning(f"unable to load strategy {strategy}")
+    return func