diff --git a/tutorials/torch_example.py b/tutorials/torch_example.py
index 49a27b60..e671a52a 100755
--- a/tutorials/torch_example.py
+++ b/tutorials/torch_example.py
@@ -221,35 +221,17 @@ def get_data_loaders(batch_size: int) -> Tuple[DataLoader, DataLoader]:
     num_workers = NUM_WORKERS
     log.info(f"Use {num_workers} workers in dataloader.")
 
-    if MPI.COMM_WORLD.rank == 0:  # Only root downloads data.
-        train_loader = DataLoader(
-            dataset=MNIST(
-                download=True, root=".", transform=data_transform, train=True
-            ),  # Use MNIST training dataset.
-            batch_size=batch_size,  # Batch size
-            num_workers=num_workers,
-            pin_memory=True,
-            persistent_workers=True,
-            shuffle=True,  # Shuffle data.
-        )
-
-    # NOTE barrier only called, when dataset has not been downloaded yet
-    if not hasattr(get_data_loaders, "barrier_called"):
-        MPI.COMM_WORLD.Barrier()
-
-        setattr(get_data_loaders, "barrier_called", True)
-
-    if MPI.COMM_WORLD.rank != 0:
-        train_loader = DataLoader(
-            dataset=MNIST(
-                download=False, root=".", transform=data_transform, train=True
-            ),  # Use MNIST training dataset.
-            batch_size=batch_size,  # Batch size
-            num_workers=num_workers,
-            pin_memory=True,
-            persistent_workers=True,
-            shuffle=True,  # Shuffle data.
-        )
+    # Note that the MNIST dataset has already been downloaded before globally by rank 0 in the main part.
+    train_loader = DataLoader(
+        dataset=MNIST(
+            download=False, root=".", transform=data_transform, train=True
+        ),  # Use MNIST training dataset.
+        batch_size=batch_size,  # Batch size
+        num_workers=num_workers,
+        pin_memory=True,
+        persistent_workers=True,
+        shuffle=True,  # Shuffle data.
+    )
     val_loader = DataLoader(
         dataset=MNIST(
             download=False, root=".", transform=data_transform, train=False
@@ -327,6 +309,11 @@ def ind_loss(params: Dict[str, Union[int, float, str]]) -> float:
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     comm = MPI.COMM_WORLD
+    if comm.rank == 0:  # Download data at the top, then we don't need to later.
+        dataset = MNIST(download=True, root=".", transform=None, train=True)
+        dataset = MNIST(download=True, root=".", transform=None, train=False)
+        del dataset
+    comm.Barrier()
     num_generations = 10  # Number of generations
     pop_size = 2 * comm.size  # Breeding population size
     limits = {