diff --git a/climax/main/downscale_infer.py b/climax/main/downscale_infer.py
index a023e00c2b73128ff8d1709fb4e51ce0ecef79af..050fc5d21650403efc14a14d8514a55e0bbd6aaa 100644
--- a/climax/main/downscale_infer.py
+++ b/climax/main/downscale_infer.py
@@ -55,6 +55,11 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         LOGGER.info('{} does not exist.'.format(state_file))
         sys.exit()
 
+    # initialize logging
+    log_file = MODEL_PATH.joinpath(PREDICTAND,
+                                   state_file.name.replace('.pt', '_log.txt'))
+    dictConfig(log_conf(log_file))
+
     # check if target dataset already exists
     target = TARGET_PATH.joinpath(PREDICTAND, net.state_file.name.replace(
         net.state_file.suffix, '.nc'))
@@ -62,11 +67,6 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         LogConfig.init_log('{} already exists.'.format(target))
         sys.exit()
 
-    # initialize logging
-    log_file = MODEL_PATH.joinpath(PREDICTAND,
-                                   state_file.name.replace('.pt', '_log.txt'))
-    dictConfig(log_conf(log_file))
-
     # predict reference period
     LogConfig.init_log('Predicting reference period: {}'.format(
         ' - '.join([str(VALID_PERIOD[0]), str(VALID_PERIOD[-1])])))