diff --git a/src/learn/learn.cpp b/src/learn/learn.cpp
index b5df2276..0459dd90 100644
--- a/src/learn/learn.cpp
+++ b/src/learn/learn.cpp
@@ -1981,6 +1981,8 @@ namespace Learner
         // Read evaluation function parameters
         Eval::init_NNUE();
 
+        Threads.main()->ponder = false;
+
         cout << "init_training.." << endl;
         Eval::NNUE::InitializeTraining(eta1, eta1_epoch, eta2, eta2_epoch, eta3);
         Eval::NNUE::SetBatchSize(nn_batch_size);
diff --git a/tests/instrumented_learn.sh b/tests/instrumented_learn.sh
index 147c0c97..71f9421c 100755
--- a/tests/instrumented_learn.sh
+++ b/tests/instrumented_learn.sh
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ EOF
   ;;
 esac
 
-mkdir -p training_data_01
-mkdir -p training_data_02
+mkdir -p training_data
+mkdir -p validation_data
 
 # gensfen testing 01
 cat << EOF > gensfen01.exp
@@ -78,9 +78,9 @@ cat << EOF > gensfen01.exp
  send "setoption name Threads value $threads\n"
  send "setoption name Use NNUE value false\n"
  send "isready\n"
- send "gensfen depth 3 loop 100 use_draw_in_training_data_generation 1 eval_limit 32000 output_file_name training_data_01/training_data.bin use_raw_nnue_eval 0 sfen_format bin\n"
+ send "gensfen depth 3 loop 100 use_draw_in_training_data_generation 1 eval_limit 32000 output_file_name training_data/training_data.bin use_raw_nnue_eval 0 sfen_format bin\n"
  expect "gensfen finished."
- send "gensfen depth 3 loop 100 use_draw_in_training_data_generation 1 eval_limit 32000 output_file_name training_data_01/training_data.binpack use_raw_nnue_eval 0 sfen_format binpack\n"
+ send "gensfen depth 3 loop 100 use_draw_in_training_data_generation 1 eval_limit 32000 output_file_name training_data/training_data.binpack use_raw_nnue_eval 0 sfen_format binpack\n"
  expect "gensfen finished."
 
  send "quit\n"
@@ -102,9 +102,9 @@ cat << EOF > gensfen02.exp
  send "setoption name Threads value $threads\n"
  send "setoption name Use NNUE value true\n"
  send "isready\n"
- send "gensfen depth 3 loop 100 use_draw_in_training_data_generation 1 eval_limit 32000 output_file_name training_data_01/training_data.bin use_raw_nnue_eval 0 sfen_format bin\n"
+ send "gensfen depth 4 loop 50 use_draw_in_training_data_generation 1 eval_limit 32000 output_file_name validation_data/valdidation_data.bin use_raw_nnue_eval 0 sfen_format bin\n"
  expect "gensfen finished."
- send "gensfen depth 3 loop 100 use_draw_in_training_data_generation 1 eval_limit 32000 output_file_name training_data_01/training_data.binpack use_raw_nnue_eval 0 sfen_format binpack\n"
+ send "gensfen depth 4 loop 50 use_draw_in_training_data_generation 1 eval_limit 32000 output_file_name validation_data/validation_data.binpack use_raw_nnue_eval 0 sfen_format binpack\n"
  expect "gensfen finished."
 
  send "quit\n"
@@ -115,7 +115,30 @@ cat << EOF > gensfen02.exp
  exit \$value
 EOF
 
-for exp in gensfen01.exp gensfen02.exp
+# simple learning
+cat << EOF > learn01.exp
+ set timeout 240
+ spawn $exeprefix ./stockfish
+
+ send "uci\n"
+ send "setoption name SkipLoadingEval value true\n"
+ send "setoption name Use NNUE value true\n"
+ send "setoption name Threads value $threads\n"
+ send "isready\n"
+ send "learn targetdir training_data loop 2 batchsize 100 use_draw_in_training 1 use_draw_in_validation 1 eta 1 lambda 1 eval_limit 32000 nn_batch_size 30 newbob_decay 0.5 eval_save_interval 30 loss_output_interval 10 mirror_percentage 50 validation_set_file_name validation_data/validation_data.bin\n"
+
+ expect "save_eval() finished."
+
+ send "quit\n"
+ expect eof
+
+ # return error code of the spawned program, useful for valgrind
+ lassign [wait] pid spawnid os_error_flag value
+ exit \$value
+
+EOF
+
+for exp in gensfen01.exp gensfen02.exp learn01.exp
 do
 
   echo "$prefix expect $exp $postfix"