diff --git a/ivas_processing_scripts/processing/config.py b/ivas_processing_scripts/processing/config.py
index 77ab4e6392cfb598cd7caea0f343af4bc7cb79f9..7027ce75a911ffba01676dc2d5ba8c18de95ba89 100755
--- a/ivas_processing_scripts/processing/config.py
+++ b/ivas_processing_scripts/processing/config.py
@@ -138,6 +138,12 @@ class TestConfig:
         if MISSING_KEYS:
             raise KeyError(f"The following key(s) must be specified : {MISSING_KEYS}")
 
+        # validate preprocessing on concatenated file stage
+        if (pre_proc_2 := getattr(cfg, "preprocessing_2", None)) is not None:
+            bg_noise_folder = Path(pre_proc_2["background_noise_path"]).parent
+            if bg_noise_folder.resolve().absolute() == cfg.input_path.resolve().absolute():
+                raise ValueError(f"Background noise file has to be placed outside the input folder!")
+
         for cond_name, cond_cfg in cfg.get("conditions_to_generate").items():
             type = cond_cfg.get("type")
             if not type: