diff --git a/scripts/finetune.py b/scripts/finetune.py
index bb96d9789..944876a33 100644
--- a/scripts/finetune.py
+++ b/scripts/finetune.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ from axolotl.logging_config import configure_logging
 from axolotl.utils.config import normalize_config, validate_config
 from axolotl.utils.data import load_prepare_datasets, load_pretraining_dataset
 from axolotl.utils.dict import DictDefault
-from axolotl.utils.distributed import barrier, is_main_process
+from axolotl.utils.distributed import is_main_process, zero_first
 from axolotl.utils.models import load_model, load_tokenizer
 from axolotl.utils.tokenization import check_dataset_labels
 from axolotl.utils.trainer import (
@@ -198,17 +198,10 @@ def train(
             train_dataset = train_dataset.with_format("torch")
             eval_dataset = None
 
-        if is_main_process():
-            # process on rank 0 first so it gets cached so other ranks load from cache
+        with zero_first(is_main_process()):
             train_dataset, eval_dataset = process_datasets_for_packing(
                 cfg, train_dataset, eval_dataset
             )
-        barrier()
-        if not is_main_process():
-            train_dataset, eval_dataset = process_datasets_for_packing(
-                cfg, train_dataset, eval_dataset
-            )
-        barrier()
         if cfg.max_steps:
             total_num_steps = min(
                 calculate_total_num_steps(cfg, train_dataset, tokenizer), cfg.max_steps
diff --git a/src/axolotl/utils/data.py b/src/axolotl/utils/data.py
index fc30c4ce3..6ebfb9d17 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/utils/data.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/utils/data.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ from axolotl.prompters import (
     ShareGPTPrompter,
     SummarizeTLDRPrompter,
 )
-from axolotl.utils.distributed import barrier, is_main_process
+from axolotl.utils.distributed import is_main_process, zero_first
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger("axolotl")
 
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ def load_prepare_datasets(
             to_hash_test.encode(), usedforsecurity=False
         ).hexdigest()
 
-        if is_main_process():
+        with zero_first(is_main_process()):
             dataset = dataset.train_test_split(
                 test_size=cfg.val_set_size,
                 shuffle=False,
@@ -448,16 +448,6 @@ def load_prepare_datasets(
                 train_new_fingerprint=train_fingerprint,
                 test_new_fingerprint=test_fingerprint,
             )
-        barrier()
-        if not is_main_process():
-            dataset = dataset.train_test_split(
-                test_size=cfg.val_set_size,
-                shuffle=False,
-                seed=cfg.seed or 42,
-                train_new_fingerprint=train_fingerprint,
-                test_new_fingerprint=test_fingerprint,
-            )
-        barrier()
 
         train_dataset = dataset["train"]
         eval_dataset = dataset["test"]
diff --git a/src/axolotl/utils/distributed.py b/src/axolotl/utils/distributed.py
index 345b9640c..b3ea07c05 100644
--- a/src/axolotl/utils/distributed.py
+++ b/src/axolotl/utils/distributed.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 """
 utility helpers for distributed checks
 """
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+
 import torch.distributed as dist
 from accelerate import Accelerator
 
@@ -39,3 +41,15 @@ def is_main_process():
     if not is_distributed():
         return True
     return dist.get_rank() == 0
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def zero_first(is_main):
+    """
+    runs the wrapped context so that rank 0 runs first before other ranks
+    """
+    if not is_main:  # other ranks wait first
+        barrier()
+    yield
+    if is_main:  # then rank 0 waits after it has run the context
+        barrier()