diff --git a/src/pytorch_ie/core/hf_hub_mixin.py b/src/pytorch_ie/core/hf_hub_mixin.py
index bc49d2cb..a737a9c5 100644
--- a/src/pytorch_ie/core/hf_hub_mixin.py
+++ b/src/pytorch_ie/core/hf_hub_mixin.py
@@ -407,9 +407,6 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
     def _save_pretrained(self, save_directory):
         return None
 
-    def post_prepare(self) -> None:
-        pass
-
     @classmethod
     def _from_pretrained(
         cls,
@@ -433,6 +430,4 @@ def _from_pretrained(
             config.pop(cls.config_type_key)
 
         taskmodule = cls(**config)
-        taskmodule.post_prepare()
-
         return taskmodule
diff --git a/src/pytorch_ie/core/module_mixins.py b/src/pytorch_ie/core/module_mixins.py
index 7811947a..01c4bc3f 100644
--- a/src/pytorch_ie/core/module_mixins.py
+++ b/src/pytorch_ie/core/module_mixins.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import logging
-from typing import Optional, Type
+from typing import List, Optional, Type
 
 from pytorch_ie.core.document import Document
 
@@ -36,3 +36,64 @@ def convert_dataset(self, dataset: "pie_datasets.DatasetDict") -> "pie_datasets.
             )
 
         return dataset
+
+
+class PreparableMixin:
+    # list of attribute names that need to be set by _prepare()
+    PREPARED_ATTRIBUTES: List[str] = []
+
+    @property
+    def is_prepared(self):
+        """
+        Returns True, iff all attributes listed in PREPARED_ATTRIBUTES are set.
+        Note: Attributes set to None are not considered to be prepared!
+        """
+        return all(
+            getattr(self, attribute, None) is not None for attribute in self.PREPARED_ATTRIBUTES
+        )
+
+    @property
+    def prepared_attributes(self):
+        if not self.is_prepared:
+            raise Exception("The module is not prepared.")
+        return {param: getattr(self, param) for param in self.PREPARED_ATTRIBUTES}
+
+    def _prepare(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        """
+        This method needs to set all attributes listed in PREPARED_ATTRIBUTES.
+        """
+        pass
+
+    def _post_prepare(self):
+        """
+        Any code to do further one-time setup, but that requires the prepared attributes.
+        """
+        pass
+
+    def assert_is_prepared(self, msg: Optional[str] = None):
+        if not self.is_prepared:
+            attributes_not_prepared = [
+                param for param in self.PREPARED_ATTRIBUTES if getattr(self, param, None) is None
+            ]
+            raise Exception(
+                f"{msg or ''} Required attributes that are not set: {str(attributes_not_prepared)}"
+            )
+
+    def post_prepare(self):
+        self.assert_is_prepared()
+        self._post_prepare()
+
+    def prepare(self, *args, **kwargs) -> None:
+        if self.is_prepared:
+            if len(self.PREPARED_ATTRIBUTES) > 0:
+                msg = f"The {self.__class__.__name__} is already prepared, do not prepare again."
+                for k, v in self.prepared_attributes.items():
+                    msg += f"\n{k} = {str(v)}"
+                logger.warning(msg)
+        else:
+            self._prepare(*args, **kwargs)
+            self.assert_is_prepared(
+                msg=f"_prepare() was called, but the {self.__class__.__name__} is not prepared."
+            )
+        self._post_prepare()
+        return None
diff --git a/src/pytorch_ie/core/taskmodule.py b/src/pytorch_ie/core/taskmodule.py
index 64314346..b09d19d5 100644
--- a/src/pytorch_ie/core/taskmodule.py
+++ b/src/pytorch_ie/core/taskmodule.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 from pytorch_ie.core.document import Annotation, Document
 from pytorch_ie.core.hf_hub_mixin import PieTaskModuleHFHubMixin
-from pytorch_ie.core.module_mixins import WithDocumentTypeMixin
+from pytorch_ie.core.module_mixins import PreparableMixin, WithDocumentTypeMixin
 from pytorch_ie.core.registrable import Registrable
 
 """
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ class TaskModule(
     HyperparametersMixin,
     Registrable,
     WithDocumentTypeMixin,
+    PreparableMixin,
     Generic[
         DocumentType,
         InputEncoding,
@@ -143,68 +144,10 @@ class TaskModule(
         TaskOutput,
     ],
 ):
-    PREPARED_ATTRIBUTES: List[str] = []
-
     def __init__(self, encode_document_batch_size: Optional[int] = None, **kwargs):
         super().__init__(**kwargs)
         self.encode_document_batch_size = encode_document_batch_size
 
-    @property
-    def is_prepared(self):
-        """
-        Returns True, iff all attributes listed in PREPARED_ATTRIBUTES are set.
-        Note: Attributes set to None are not considered to be prepared!
-        """
-        return all(
-            getattr(self, attribute, None) is not None for attribute in self.PREPARED_ATTRIBUTES
-        )
-
-    @property
-    def prepared_attributes(self):
-        if not self.is_prepared:
-            raise Exception("The taskmodule is not prepared.")
-        return {param: getattr(self, param) for param in self.PREPARED_ATTRIBUTES}
-
-    def _prepare(self, documents: Sequence[DocumentType]):
-        """
-        This method needs to set all attributes listed in PREPARED_ATTRIBUTES.
-        """
-        pass
-
-    def _post_prepare(self):
-        """
-        Any code to do further one-time setup, but that requires the prepared attributes.
-        """
-        pass
-
-    def _assert_is_prepared(self, msg: Optional[str] = None):
-        if not self.is_prepared:
-            attributes_not_prepared = [
-                param for param in self.PREPARED_ATTRIBUTES if getattr(self, param, None) is None
-            ]
-            raise Exception(
-                f"{msg or ''} Required attributes that are not set: {str(attributes_not_prepared)}"
-            )
-
-    def post_prepare(self):
-        self._assert_is_prepared()
-        self._post_prepare()
-
-    def prepare(self, documents: Sequence[DocumentType]) -> None:
-        if self.is_prepared:
-            if len(self.PREPARED_ATTRIBUTES) > 0:
-                msg = "The taskmodule is already prepared, do not prepare again."
-                for k, v in self.prepared_attributes.items():
-                    msg += f"\n{k} = {str(v)}"
-                logger.warning(msg)
-        else:
-            self._prepare(documents)
-            self._assert_is_prepared(
-                msg="_prepare() was called, but the taskmodule is not prepared."
-            )
-        self._post_prepare()
-        return None
-
     def _config(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         config = super()._config() or {}
         config[self.config_type_key] = TaskModule.name_for_object_class(self)
@@ -220,8 +163,8 @@ def _from_pretrained(
         *args,
         **kwargs,
     ):
-        taskmodule = super()._from_pretrained(*args, **kwargs)
-        taskmodule._post_prepare()
+        taskmodule: TaskModule = super()._from_pretrained(*args, **kwargs)
+        taskmodule.post_prepare()
         return taskmodule
 
     def batch_encode(
@@ -290,6 +233,8 @@ def encode(
         TaskEncodingDataset[TaskEncoding[DocumentType, InputEncoding, TargetEncoding]],
         IterableTaskEncodingDataset[TaskEncoding[DocumentType, InputEncoding, TargetEncoding]],
     ]:
+        self.assert_is_prepared()
+
         # backwards compatibility
         if as_task_encoding_sequence is None:
             as_task_encoding_sequence = not encode_target