diff --git a/nobrainer/dataset.py b/nobrainer/dataset.py
index df8136ac..acb5f97e 100644
--- a/nobrainer/dataset.py
+++ b/nobrainer/dataset.py
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ def from_tfrecords(
         block_shape=None,
         scalar_labels=False,
         n_classes=1,
+        options=None,
         num_parallel_calls=1,
     ):
         """Function to retrieve a saved tf record as a nobrainer Dataset
@@ -97,6 +98,9 @@ def from_tfrecords(
         compressed = _is_gzipped(files[0], filesys=fs)
         dataset = tf.data.Dataset.list_files(file_pattern, shuffle=False)
 
+        if options:
+            dataset = dataset.with_options(options)
+
         # Read each of these files as a TFRecordDataset.
         # Assume all files have same compression type as the first file.
         compression_type = "GZIP" if compressed else None
@@ -150,6 +154,7 @@ def from_files(
         eval_size=0.1,
         n_classes=1,
         block_shape=None,
+        options=None,
     ):
         """Create Nobrainer datasets from data
         filepaths: List(str), list of paths to individual input data files.
@@ -211,6 +216,7 @@ def from_files(
             scalar_labels=scalar_labels,
             n_classes=n_classes,
             block_shape=block_shape,
+            options=options,
             num_parallel_calls=num_parallel_calls,
         )
         ds_eval = None
@@ -223,6 +229,7 @@ def from_files(
                 scalar_labels=scalar_labels,
                 n_classes=n_classes,
                 block_shape=block_shape,
+                options=options,
                 num_parallel_calls=num_parallel_calls,
             )
         return ds_train, ds_eval
diff --git a/nobrainer/processing/checkpoint.py b/nobrainer/processing/checkpoint.py
index e9cb9585..bf54ef43 100644
--- a/nobrainer/processing/checkpoint.py
+++ b/nobrainer/processing/checkpoint.py
@@ -47,8 +47,13 @@ def load(
         """
         checkpoints = glob(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(self.filepath), "*/"))
         if not checkpoints:
+            self.last_epoch = 0
             return None
 
+        # TODO, we should probably exclude non-checkpoint files here,
+        # and maybe parse the filename for the epoch number
+        self.last_epoch = len(checkpoints)
+
         latest = max(checkpoints, key=os.path.getctime)
         self.estimator = self.estimator.load(
             latest,