diff --git a/torchrl/collectors/collectors.py b/torchrl/collectors/collectors.py
index 027b440e598..29b29850a0d 100644
--- a/torchrl/collectors/collectors.py
+++ b/torchrl/collectors/collectors.py
@@ -614,14 +614,18 @@ def _reset_if_necessary(self) -> None:
             steps = steps.clone()
             if len(self.env.batch_size):
                 self._tensordict.masked_fill_(done_or_terminated, 0)
-                self._tensordict.set("_reset", done_or_terminated)
+                _reset = done_or_terminated
+                self._tensordict.set("_reset", _reset)
             else:
+                _reset = None
                 self._tensordict.zero_()
             self.env.reset(self._tensordict)
 
-            if self._tensordict.get("done").any():
+            if (_reset is None and self._tensordict.get("done").any()) or (
+                _reset is not None and self._tensordict.get("done")[_reset].any()
+            ):
                 raise RuntimeError(
-                    f"Got {sum(self._tensordict.get('done'))} done envs after reset."
+                    f"Env {self.env} was done after reset on specified '_reset' dimensions. This is (currently) not allowed."
                 )
             traj_ids[done_or_terminated] = traj_ids.max() + torch.arange(
                 1, done_or_terminated.sum() + 1, device=traj_ids.device