diff --git a/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/eigen_memory_tree.cc b/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/eigen_memory_tree.cc
index 37c856644fa..a496d8fc905 100644
--- a/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/eigen_memory_tree.cc
+++ b/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/eigen_memory_tree.cc
@@ -741,13 +741,14 @@ void node_split(emt_tree& b, emt_node& cn)
   cn.examples.clear();
 }
 
-void node_insert(emt_node& cn, std::unique_ptr<emt_example> ex)
+void node_insert(emt_tree& b, emt_node& cn, std::unique_ptr<emt_example> ex)
 {
   for (auto& cn_ex : cn.examples)
   {
     if (cn_ex->full == ex->full) { return; }
   }
   cn.examples.push_back(std::move(ex));
+  tree_bound(b, cn.examples.back().get());
 }
 
 emt_example* node_pick(emt_tree& b, learner& base, emt_node& cn, const emt_example& ex)
@@ -779,16 +780,15 @@ void node_predict(emt_tree& b, learner& base, emt_node& cn, emt_example& ex, VW:
   auto* closest_ex = node_pick(b, base, cn, ex);
   ec.pred.multiclass = (closest_ex != nullptr) ? closest_ex->label : 0;
   ec.loss = (ec.l.multi.label != ec.pred.multiclass) ? ec.weight : 0;
+  if (closest_ex != nullptr) { tree_bound(b, closest_ex); }
 }
 
 void emt_predict(emt_tree& b, learner& base, VW::example& ec)
 {
   b.all->feature_tweaks_config.ignore_some_linear = false;
   emt_example ex(*b.all, &ec);
-
   emt_node& cn = *tree_route(b, ex);
   node_predict(b, base, cn, ex, ec);
-  tree_bound(b, &ex);
 }
 
 void emt_learn(emt_tree& b, learner& base, VW::example& ec)
@@ -797,10 +797,9 @@ void emt_learn(emt_tree& b, learner& base, VW::example& ec)
   auto ex = VW::make_unique<emt_example>(*b.all, &ec);
 
   emt_node& cn = *tree_route(b, *ex);
-  scorer_learn(b, base, cn, *ex, ec.weight);
   node_predict(b, base, cn, *ex, ec);  // vw learners predict and emt_learn
-  tree_bound(b, ex.get());
-  node_insert(cn, std::move(ex));
+  scorer_learn(b, base, cn, *ex, ec.weight);
+  node_insert(b, cn, std::move(ex));
   node_split(b, cn);
 }
 
diff --git a/vowpalwabbit/core/tests/eigen_memory_tree_test.cc b/vowpalwabbit/core/tests/eigen_memory_tree_test.cc
index 82624c846df..da9aeafc0cc 100644
--- a/vowpalwabbit/core/tests/eigen_memory_tree_test.cc
+++ b/vowpalwabbit/core/tests/eigen_memory_tree_test.cc
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ TEST(EigenMemoryTree, ExactMatchWithRouterTest)
   }
 }
 
-TEST(EigenMemoryTree, Bounding)
+TEST(EigenMemoryTree, BoundingDrop)
 {
   auto vw = VW::initialize(vwtest::make_args("--quiet", "--emt", "--emt_tree", "5"));
   auto* tree = get_emt_tree(*vw);
@@ -148,6 +148,45 @@ TEST(EigenMemoryTree, Bounding)
   EXPECT_EQ(tree->root->router_weights.size(), 0);
 }
 
+TEST(EigenMemoryTree, BoundingPredict)
+{
+  auto vw = VW::initialize(vwtest::make_args("--quiet", "--emt", "--emt_tree", "3"));
+  auto* tree = get_emt_tree(*vw);
+
+  auto* ex = VW::read_example(*vw, "1 | 1");
+  vw->predict(*ex);
+  vw->finish_example(*ex);
+
+  EXPECT_EQ(tree->bounder->list.size(), 0);
+}
+
+TEST(EigenMemoryTree, BoundingRecency)
+{
+  auto vw = VW::initialize(vwtest::make_args("--quiet", "--emt", "--emt_tree", "3"));
+  auto* tree = get_emt_tree(*vw);
+
+  for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++)
+  {
+    auto* ex = VW::read_example(*vw, std::to_string(i) + " | " + std::to_string(i));
+    vw->learn(*ex);
+    vw->finish_example(*ex);
+  }
+
+  EXPECT_EQ((*tree->bounder->list.begin())->base[0].first, 2);
+
+  auto* ex1 = VW::read_example(*vw, "1 | 1");
+  vw->predict(*ex1);
+  vw->finish_example(*ex1);
+
+  EXPECT_EQ((*tree->bounder->list.begin())->base[0].first, 1);
+
+  auto* ex2 = VW::read_example(*vw, "1 | 0");
+  vw->predict(*ex2);
+  vw->finish_example(*ex2);
+
+  EXPECT_EQ((*tree->bounder->list.begin())->base[0].first, 0);
+}
+
 TEST(EigenMemoryTree, Split)
 {
   auto args = vwtest::make_args("--quiet", "--emt", "--emt_tree", "10", "--emt_leaf", "3");