diff --git a/timm/data/parsers/parser_wds.py b/timm/data/parsers/parser_wds.py
index 0bf3fb7a..7011d967 100644
--- a/timm/data/parsers/parser_wds.py
+++ b/timm/data/parsers/parser_wds.py
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ import math
 import os
 import io
 import json
-import yaml
+import logging
 import random
+import yaml
+
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from itertools import islice
 from functools import partial
@@ -25,6 +27,8 @@ except ImportError:
 from .parser import Parser
 from timm.bits import get_global_device, is_global_device
 
+_logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 SHUFFLE_SIZE = 8192
 
 
@@ -110,6 +114,12 @@ def _parse_split_info(split: str, info: Dict):
     return split_info
 
 
+def log_and_continue(exn):
+    """Call in an exception handler to ignore any exception, isssue a warning, and continue."""
+    _logger.warning(f'Handling webdataset error ({repr(exn)}). Ignoring.')
+    return True
+
+
 def _decode(sample, image_key='jpg', image_format='RGB', target_key='cls', alt_label=''):
     """ Custom sample decode
     * decode and convert PIL Image
@@ -135,7 +145,8 @@ def _decode(sample, image_key='jpg', image_format='RGB', target_key='cls', alt_l
         img = img.convert(image_format)
 
     # json passed through in undecoded state
-    return dict(jpg=img, cls=class_label, json=sample.get('json', None))
+    decoded = dict(jpg=img, cls=class_label, json=sample.get('json', None))
+    return decoded
 
 
 def _decode_samples(
@@ -144,7 +155,7 @@ def _decode_samples(
         image_format='RGB',
         target_key='cls',
         alt_label='',
-        handler=wds.reraise_exception):
+        handler=log_and_continue):
     """Decode samples with skip."""
     for sample in data:
         try:
@@ -251,7 +262,7 @@ class ParserWebdataset(Parser):
                 wds.detshuffle(self.shard_shuffle_size, seed=self.common_seed),
                 self._split_by_node_and_worker,
                 # at this point, we have an iterator over the shards assigned to each worker
-                wds.tarfile_to_samples(),
+                wds.tarfile_to_samples(handler=log_and_continue),
                 wds.shuffle(
                     self.sample_shuffle_size,
                     rng=random.Random(self.worker_seed)),  # this is why we lazy-init whole DataPipeline
@@ -260,7 +271,7 @@ class ParserWebdataset(Parser):
             pipeline.extend([
                 self._split_by_node_and_worker,
                 # at this point, we have an iterator over the shards assigned to each worker
-                wds.tarfile_to_samples(),
+                wds.tarfile_to_samples(handler=log_and_continue),
             ])
         pipeline.extend([
             partial(
diff --git a/validate.py b/validate.py
index d2eca03e..aa2555fc 100755
--- a/validate.py
+++ b/validate.py
@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ def main():
                 batch_size = start_batch_size
                 args.model = m
                 args.checkpoint = c
+                args.num_gpu = 1  # FIXME support data-parallel?
                 result = OrderedDict(model=args.model)
                 r = {}
                 while not r and batch_size >= 1: