diff --git a/pkg/tuning/preset-tuning.go b/pkg/tuning/preset-tuning.go
index 90c3a00c1..803a6a83e 100644
--- a/pkg/tuning/preset-tuning.go
+++ b/pkg/tuning/preset-tuning.go
@@ -188,8 +188,11 @@ func PrepareOutputDir(outputDir string) (string, error) {
 	if outputDir == "" {
 		return DefaultOutputVolumePath, nil
 	}
-
-	cleanPath := filepath.Clean(filepath.Join(DefaultBaseDir, outputDir))
+	cleanPath := outputDir
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(cleanPath, DefaultBaseDir) {
+		cleanPath = filepath.Join(DefaultBaseDir, outputDir)
+	}
+	cleanPath = filepath.Clean(cleanPath)
 	if cleanPath == DefaultBaseDir || !strings.HasPrefix(cleanPath, DefaultBaseDir) {
 		klog.InfoS("Invalid output_dir specified: '%s', must be a directory. Using default output_dir: %s", outputDir, DefaultOutputVolumePath)
 		return DefaultOutputVolumePath, fmt.Errorf("invalid output_dir specified: '%s', must be a directory", outputDir)
diff --git a/pkg/tuning/preset-tuning_test.go b/pkg/tuning/preset-tuning_test.go
index fc61fed35..8ca64c334 100644
--- a/pkg/tuning/preset-tuning_test.go
+++ b/pkg/tuning/preset-tuning_test.go
@@ -279,6 +279,18 @@ training_config:
 			},
 			expectedOutputDir: "/mnt/custom/path",
 		},
+		"Output Dir already includes /mnt": {
+			configMap: &corev1.ConfigMap{
+				Data: map[string]string{
+					"training_config.yaml": `
+training_config:
+  TrainingArguments:
+    output_dir: "/mnt/output"
+`,
+				},
+			},
+			expectedOutputDir: DefaultOutputVolumePath,
+		},
 		"Invalid Output Dir": {
 			configMap: &corev1.ConfigMap{
 				Data: map[string]string{