diff --git a/Configuration/Applications/python/ConfigBuilder.py b/Configuration/Applications/python/ConfigBuilder.py
index 5cfa3530d8d6b..d28c398014e30 100644
--- a/Configuration/Applications/python/ConfigBuilder.py
+++ b/Configuration/Applications/python/ConfigBuilder.py
@@ -1849,7 +1849,7 @@ def NFI(index):
             if self._options.restoreRNDSeeds==False and not self._options.restoreRNDSeeds==True:
                 self._options.restoreRNDSeeds=True
 
-        if not 'DIGI' in self.stepMap and not self._options.fast:
+        if not 'DIGI' in self.stepMap and not self._options.isData and not self._options.fast:
             self.executeAndRemember("process.mix.playback = True")
             self.executeAndRemember("process.mix.digitizers = cms.PSet()")
             self.executeAndRemember("for a in process.aliases: delattr(process, a)")
diff --git a/Configuration/Applications/python/cmsDriverOptions.py b/Configuration/Applications/python/cmsDriverOptions.py
index d7db1e394ded9..6d3643231cdb5 100755
--- a/Configuration/Applications/python/cmsDriverOptions.py
+++ b/Configuration/Applications/python/cmsDriverOptions.py
@@ -229,10 +229,15 @@ def OptionsFromItems(items):
             options.isMC=True
         if 'SIM' in options.datatier:
             options.isMC=True
+        if 'VALIDATION' in options.trimmedStep:
+            options.isMC=True
+        if options.era and 'Phase2' in options.era:
+            options.isMC=True
         if options.isMC:
             print('We have determined that this is simulation (if not, rerun cmsDriver.py with --data)')
         else:
             print('We have determined that this is real data (if not, rerun cmsDriver.py with --mc)')
+            options.isData=True
 
     if options.profile:
         if options.profile and options.prefix: