diff --git a/tools/lib/logreader.py b/tools/lib/logreader.py
index f19c0cd7cc..0a555708b7 100755
--- a/tools/lib/logreader.py
+++ b/tools/lib/logreader.py
@@ -223,7 +223,12 @@ class LogReader:
     mode = self.default_mode if sr.selector is None else ReadMode(sr.selector)
     source = self.default_source if source is None else source
 
-    return source(sr, mode)
+    identifiers = source(sr, mode)
+
+    invalid_count = len(list(get_invalid_files(identifiers)))
+    assert invalid_count == 0, f"{invalid_count}/{len(identifiers)} invalid log(s) found, please ensure all logs \
+are uploaded or auto fallback to qlogs with '/a' selector at the end of the route name."
+    return identifiers
 
   def __init__(self, identifier: str | List[str], default_mode=ReadMode.RLOG, default_source=auto_source, sort_by_time=False, only_union_types=False):
     self.default_mode = default_mode
@@ -258,9 +263,6 @@ class LogReader:
 
   def reset(self):
     self.logreader_identifiers = self._parse_identifiers(self.identifier)
-    invalid_count = len(list(get_invalid_files(self.logreader_identifiers)))
-    assert invalid_count == 0, f"{invalid_count}/{len(self.logreader_identifiers)} invalid log(s) found, please ensure all logs \
-are uploaded or auto fallback to qlogs with '/a' selector at the end of the route name."
 
   @staticmethod
   def from_bytes(dat):
diff --git a/tools/lib/tests/test_logreader.py b/tools/lib/tests/test_logreader.py
index 70c770427a..53b78064ab 100755
--- a/tools/lib/tests/test_logreader.py
+++ b/tools/lib/tests/test_logreader.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from unittest import mock
 
 from openpilot.tools.lib.logreader import LogIterable, LogReader, comma_api_source, parse_indirect, ReadMode
 from openpilot.tools.lib.route import SegmentRange
+from openpilot.tools.lib.url_file import URLFileException
 
 NUM_SEGS = 17  # number of segments in the test route
 ALL_SEGS = list(range(NUM_SEGS))
@@ -65,7 +66,10 @@ class TestLogReader(unittest.TestCase):
     sr = SegmentRange(identifier)
     self.assertEqual(str(sr), expected)
 
-  def test_direct_parsing(self):
+  @parameterized.expand([(True,), (False,)])
+  @mock.patch("openpilot.tools.lib.logreader.file_exists")
+  def test_direct_parsing(self, cache_enabled, file_exists_mock):
+    os.environ["FILEREADER_CACHE"] = "1" if cache_enabled else "0"
     qlog = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(mode='wb', delete=False)
 
     with requests.get(QLOG_FILE, stream=True) as r:
@@ -76,6 +80,12 @@ class TestLogReader(unittest.TestCase):
       l = len(list(LogReader(f)))
       self.assertGreater(l, 100)
 
+    with self.assertRaises(URLFileException) if not cache_enabled else self.assertRaises(AssertionError):
+      l = len(list(LogReader(QLOG_FILE.replace("/3/", "/200/"))))
+
+    # file_exists should not be called for direct files
+    self.assertEqual(file_exists_mock.call_count, 0)
+
   @parameterized.expand([
     (f"{TEST_ROUTE}///",),
     (f"{TEST_ROUTE}---",),