diff --git a/src/lerobot/policies/rlearn/configuration_rlearn.py b/src/lerobot/policies/rlearn/configuration_rlearn.py
index 2967a1e64..9a1d41f17 100644
--- a/src/lerobot/policies/rlearn/configuration_rlearn.py
+++ b/src/lerobot/policies/rlearn/configuration_rlearn.py
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ class RLearNConfig(PreTrainedConfig):
     # Performance optimizations
     use_amp: bool = True  # Mixed precision training for speed boost
     compile_model: bool = True  # torch.compile for additional speedup
-    video_backend: str = "pyav"  # Use PyAV for faster video decoding (vs torchcodec)
 
     # ReWiND-specific parameters
     use_video_rewind: bool = True  # Enable video rewinding augmentation
diff --git a/src/lerobot/scripts/train.py b/src/lerobot/scripts/train.py
index d235770ac..b7b82cf0f 100644
--- a/src/lerobot/scripts/train.py
+++ b/src/lerobot/scripts/train.py
@@ -45,13 +45,25 @@ def _add_video_decoding_timing(dataset):
             }
         
         def timed_query_videos(self, query_timestamps, ep_idx):
+            # Debug: print what backend is being used
+            if not hasattr(self, '_backend_logged'):
+                print(f"DEBUG: Video backend in use: {getattr(self, 'video_backend', 'UNKNOWN')}")
+                self._backend_logged = True
+            
             decode_start = time.perf_counter()
             result = original_query_videos(query_timestamps, ep_idx)
             decode_time = time.perf_counter() - decode_start
             
+            # Debug problematic 0.5 frames issue
+            actual_frames = 0
+            for key in query_timestamps:
+                actual_frames += len(query_timestamps[key])
+            
             # Accumulate timing
             timing_stats = self._video_decode_timing
             timing_stats['decode_times'].append(decode_time * 1000)  # Convert to ms
+            timing_stats['actual_frame_counts'] = timing_stats.get('actual_frame_counts', [])
+            timing_stats['actual_frame_counts'].append(actual_frames)
             
             # Print averaged stats every minute
             current_time = time.perf_counter()
@@ -59,8 +71,9 @@ def _add_video_decoding_timing(dataset):
                 n_samples = len(timing_stats['decode_times'])
                 if n_samples > 0:
                     avg_decode_time = sum(timing_stats['decode_times']) / n_samples
-                    total_frames = sum(len(query_timestamps[key]) for key in query_timestamps)
-                    avg_frames_per_call = total_frames / n_samples if n_samples > 0 else 0
+                    # Use actual frame counts tracked per call
+                    actual_counts = timing_stats.get('actual_frame_counts', [])
+                    avg_frames_per_call = sum(actual_counts) / len(actual_counts) if actual_counts else 0
                     
                     print(f"\nVideo Decoding Timing (last {n_samples} calls):")
                     print(f"  Avg decode time:    {avg_decode_time:.2f} ms")
@@ -70,6 +83,7 @@ def _add_video_decoding_timing(dataset):
                 
                 # Reset stats
                 timing_stats['decode_times'] = []
+                timing_stats['actual_frame_counts'] = []
                 timing_stats['last_print_time'] = current_time
             
             return result
@@ -295,11 +309,27 @@ def train(cfg: TrainPipelineConfig):
     torch.backends.cuda.matmul.allow_tf32 = True
 
     logging.info("Creating dataset")
+    
+    # Force PyAV backend for RLearN (proven to be fastest)
+    if getattr(cfg.policy, "type", None) == "rlearn":
+        # Override video backend to use PyAV
+        if hasattr(cfg.dataset, 'video_backend'):
+            original_backend = cfg.dataset.video_backend
+            cfg.dataset.video_backend = 'pyav'
+            logging.info(f"RLearN: Forcing video_backend from '{original_backend}' to 'pyav' for better performance")
+        else:
+            cfg.dataset.video_backend = 'pyav'
+            logging.info("RLearN: Setting video_backend to 'pyav' for better performance")
+    
     dataset = make_dataset(cfg)
     
-    # Add video decoding timing for RLearN debugging
+    # Add video decoding timing and caching for RLearN debugging
     if getattr(cfg.policy, "type", None) == "rlearn":
         _add_video_decoding_timing(dataset)
+        # Add frame caching for small datasets
+        if hasattr(dataset, 'num_frames') and dataset.num_frames < 1000:
+            _add_video_frame_caching(dataset, cache_size=500)
+            logging.info(f"RLearN: Added frame caching for {dataset.num_frames} frame dataset")
 
     # Create environment used for evaluating checkpoints during training on simulation data.
     # On real-world data, no need to create an environment as evaluations are done outside train.py,