diff --git a/src/SMAPI/Framework/SCore.cs b/src/SMAPI/Framework/SCore.cs
index 7f564a28..be5bc40f 100644
--- a/src/SMAPI/Framework/SCore.cs
+++ b/src/SMAPI/Framework/SCore.cs
@@ -423,7 +423,11 @@ namespace StardewModdingAPI.Framework
                     this.Monitor.Log($"  Skipped {mod.GetRelativePathWithRoot()} (folder name starts with a dot).");
                 mods = mods.Where(p => !p.IsIgnored).ToArray();
 
-                // warn about mods that should load early or late which are not found at all, or both
+                // validate manifests
+                resolver.ValidateManifests(mods, Constants.ApiVersion, toolkit.GetUpdateUrl, getFileLookup: this.GetFileLookup);
+
+                // apply load order customizations
+                if (this.Settings.ModsToLoadEarly.Any() || this.Settings.ModsToLoadLate.Any())
                 {
                     HashSet<string> installedIds = new HashSet<string>(mods.Select(p => p.Manifest.UniqueID), StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
 
@@ -437,11 +441,11 @@ namespace StardewModdingAPI.Framework
                         this.Monitor.Log($"  The 'smapi-internal/config.json' file lists mod IDs in {nameof(this.Settings.ModsToLoadLate)} which aren't installed: '{string.Join("', '", missingLateMods)}'.", LogLevel.Warn);
                     if (duplicateMods.Any())
                         this.Monitor.Log($"  The 'smapi-internal/config.json' file lists mod IDs which are in both {nameof(this.Settings.ModsToLoadEarly)} and {nameof(this.Settings.ModsToLoadLate)}: '{string.Join("', '", duplicateMods)}'. These will be loaded early.", LogLevel.Warn);
+
+                    mods = resolver.ApplyLoadOrderOverrides(mods, this.Settings.ModsToLoadEarly, this.Settings.ModsToLoadLate);
                 }
 
                 // load mods
-                resolver.ValidateManifests(mods, Constants.ApiVersion, toolkit.GetUpdateUrl, getFileLookup: this.GetFileLookup);
-                mods = resolver.ApplyLoadOrderOverrides(mods, this.Settings.ModsToLoadEarly, this.Settings.ModsToLoadLate);
                 mods = resolver.ProcessDependencies(mods, modDatabase).ToArray();
                 this.LoadMods(mods, this.Toolkit.JsonHelper, this.ContentCore, modDatabase);