diff --git a/crates/aiken-project/src/lib.rs b/crates/aiken-project/src/lib.rs
index ca5ea770..32315e74 100644
--- a/crates/aiken-project/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/aiken-project/src/lib.rs
@@ -187,6 +187,10 @@ where
 
         match options.code_gen_mode {
             CodeGenMode::Build(uplc_dump) => {
+                if validators.is_empty() {
+                    self.warnings.push(Warning::NoValidators);
+                }
+
                 let programs = self.code_gen(validators)?;
 
                 self.write_build_outputs(programs, uplc_dump)?;
@@ -401,7 +405,7 @@ where
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn validate_validators(&mut self) -> Result<Vec<(PathBuf, String, TypedFunction)>, Error> {
+    fn validate_validators(&self) -> Result<Vec<(PathBuf, String, TypedFunction)>, Error> {
         let mut errors = Vec::new();
         let mut validators = Vec::new();
 
@@ -464,10 +468,6 @@ where
             }
         }
 
-        if validators.is_empty() {
-            self.warnings.push(Warning::NoValidators);
-        }
-
         if errors.is_empty() {
             Ok(validators)
         } else {