diff --git a/ultralytics/__init__.py b/ultralytics/__init__.py
index 7126c40c..57d6ec66 100644
--- a/ultralytics/__init__.py
+++ b/ultralytics/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Ultralytics YOLO 🚀, AGPL-3.0 license
 
-__version__ = "8.2.65"
+__version__ = "8.2.66"
 
 import os
 
diff --git a/ultralytics/engine/model.py b/ultralytics/engine/model.py
index 9dc3ae56..1a855081 100644
--- a/ultralytics/engine/model.py
+++ b/ultralytics/engine/model.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from ultralytics.utils import (
     DEFAULT_CFG_DICT,
     LOGGER,
     RANK,
+    SETTINGS,
     callbacks,
     checks,
     emojis,
@@ -286,7 +287,7 @@ class Model(nn.Module):
             >>> model._load('path/to/weights.pth', task='detect')
         """
         if weights.lower().startswith(("https://", "http://", "rtsp://", "rtmp://", "tcp://")):
-            weights = checks.check_file(weights)  # automatically download and return local filename
+            weights = checks.check_file(weights, download_dir=SETTINGS["weights_dir"])  # download and return local file
         weights = checks.check_model_file_from_stem(weights)  # add suffix, i.e. yolov8n -> yolov8n.pt
 
         if Path(weights).suffix == ".pt":
diff --git a/ultralytics/engine/trainer.py b/ultralytics/engine/trainer.py
index 9d71810b..48e95679 100644
--- a/ultralytics/engine/trainer.py
+++ b/ultralytics/engine/trainer.py
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ class BaseTrainer:
         self.last.write_bytes(serialized_ckpt)  # save last.pt
         if self.best_fitness == self.fitness:
             self.best.write_bytes(serialized_ckpt)  # save best.pt
-        if (self.save_period > 0) and (self.epoch >= 0) and (self.epoch % self.save_period == 0):
+        if (self.save_period > 0) and (self.epoch % self.save_period == 0):
             (self.wdir / f"epoch{self.epoch}.pt").write_bytes(serialized_ckpt)  # save epoch, i.e. 'epoch3.pt'
 
     def get_dataset(self):
diff --git a/ultralytics/hub/session.py b/ultralytics/hub/session.py
index ddd4d8c1..1423f5f4 100644
--- a/ultralytics/hub/session.py
+++ b/ultralytics/hub/session.py
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class HUBTrainingSession:
         self.timers = {}  # holds timers in ultralytics/utils/callbacks/hub.py
         self.model = None
         self.model_url = None
+        self.model_file = None
 
         # Parse input
         api_key, model_id, self.filename = self._parse_identifier(identifier)
@@ -91,10 +92,13 @@ class HUBTrainingSession:
             raise ValueError(emojis("❌ The specified HUB model does not exist"))  # TODO: improve error handling
 
         self.model_url = f"{HUB_WEB_ROOT}/models/{self.model.id}"
+        if self.model.is_trained():
+            print(emojis(f"Loading trained HUB model {self.model_url} 🚀"))
+            self.model_file = self.model.get_weights_url("best")
+            return
 
+        # Set training args and start heartbeats for HUB to monitor agent
         self._set_train_args()
-
-        # Start heartbeats for HUB to monitor agent
         self.model.start_heartbeat(self.rate_limits["heartbeat"])
         LOGGER.info(f"{PREFIX}View model at {self.model_url} 🚀")
 
@@ -195,8 +199,6 @@ class HUBTrainingSession:
             ValueError: If the model is already trained, if required dataset information is missing, or if there are
                 issues with the provided training arguments.
         """
-        if self.model.is_trained():
-            raise ValueError(emojis(f"Model is already trained and uploaded to {self.model_url} 🚀"))
 
         if self.model.is_resumable():
             # Model has saved weights
diff --git a/ultralytics/utils/checks.py b/ultralytics/utils/checks.py
index d94e157f..b9bcef3f 100644
--- a/ultralytics/utils/checks.py
+++ b/ultralytics/utils/checks.py
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ def check_model_file_from_stem(model="yolov8n"):
         return model
 
 
-def check_file(file, suffix="", download=True, hard=True):
+def check_file(file, suffix="", download=True, download_dir=".", hard=True):
     """Search/download file (if necessary) and return path."""
     check_suffix(file, suffix)  # optional
     file = str(file).strip()  # convert to string and strip spaces
@@ -497,12 +497,12 @@ def check_file(file, suffix="", download=True, hard=True):
         return file
     elif download and file.lower().startswith(("https://", "http://", "rtsp://", "rtmp://", "tcp://")):  # download
         url = file  # warning: Pathlib turns :// -> :/
-        file = url2file(file)  # '%2F' to '/', split https://url.com/file.txt?auth
-        if Path(file).exists():
+        file = Path(download_dir) / url2file(file)  # '%2F' to '/', split https://url.com/file.txt?auth
+        if file.exists():
             LOGGER.info(f"Found {clean_url(url)} locally at {file}")  # file already exists
         else:
             downloads.safe_download(url=url, file=file, unzip=False)
-        return file
+        return str(file)
     else:  # search
         files = glob.glob(str(ROOT / "**" / file), recursive=True) or glob.glob(str(ROOT.parent / file))  # find file
         if not files and hard: