diff --git a/kernel_tuner/runners/sequential.py b/kernel_tuner/runners/sequential.py
index b4fc18c5..3ee43be0 100644
--- a/kernel_tuner/runners/sequential.py
+++ b/kernel_tuner/runners/sequential.py
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ def run(self, parameter_space, tuning_options):
         return results
 
     def config_in_cache(self, x_int, tuning_options):
-        if self.cache_manager:
+        if self.cache_manager and tuning_options.strategy_options['check_and_retrieve']:
             return ray.get(self.cache_manager.check_and_retrieve.remote(x_int))
         elif tuning_options.cache and x_int in tuning_options.cache:
             return tuning_options.cache[x_int]
diff --git a/kernel_tuner/strategies/brute_force.py b/kernel_tuner/strategies/brute_force.py
index b08efea0..ac5ae985 100644
--- a/kernel_tuner/strategies/brute_force.py
+++ b/kernel_tuner/strategies/brute_force.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 def tune(searchspace: Searchspace, runner, tuning_options):
 
     if isinstance(runner, ParallelRunner):
+        tuning_options.strategy_options['check_and_retrieve'] = False
         cache_manager = CacheManager.remote(tuning_options.cache, tuning_options.cachefile)
         return runner.run(parameter_space=searchspace.sorted_list(), tuning_options=tuning_options, cache_manager=cache_manager)
     else:
diff --git a/kernel_tuner/strategies/ensemble.py b/kernel_tuner/strategies/ensemble.py
index 4c16b4f8..2a19f9f7 100644
--- a/kernel_tuner/strategies/ensemble.py
+++ b/kernel_tuner/strategies/ensemble.py
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ def tune(searchspace: Searchspace, runner, tuning_options, cache_manager=None, a
     if 'bayes_opt' in ensemble: # All strategies start from a random sample except for BO
         tuning_options.strategy_options["samplingmethod"] = 'random'
     tuning_options.strategy_options["max_fevals"] = options.get("max_fevals", 100 * ensemble_size)
+    tuning_options.strategy_options['check_and_retrieve'] = True
 
     if num_devices < ensemble_size:
         warnings.warn("Number of devices is less than the number of strategies in the ensemble. Some strategies will wait until devices are available.", UserWarning)