diff --git a/cmd/validate/image.go b/cmd/validate/image.go
index 2538ada80..68cc2b117 100644
--- a/cmd/validate/image.go
+++ b/cmd/validate/image.go
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ func validateImageCmd(validate imageValidationFunc) *cobra.Command {
 			close(jobs)
 
 			var components []applicationsnapshot.Component
-			var manyData [][]evaluator.Data
+			var evaluatorData [][]evaluator.Data
 			var manyPolicyInput [][]byte
 			var allErrors error = nil
 			for i := 0; i < numComponents; i++ {
@@ -410,7 +410,10 @@ func validateImageCmd(validate imageValidationFunc) *cobra.Command {
 					allErrors = errors.Join(allErrors, e)
 				} else {
 					components = append(components, r.component)
-					manyData = append(manyData, r.data)
+					// evaluator data is duplicated per component, so only collect it once.
+					if len(evaluatorData) == 0 && containsData(data.output) {
+						evaluatorData = append(evaluatorData, r.data)
+					}
 					manyPolicyInput = append(manyPolicyInput, r.policyInput)
 				}
 			}
@@ -428,7 +431,7 @@ func validateImageCmd(validate imageValidationFunc) *cobra.Command {
 				data.output = append(data.output, fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s", applicationsnapshot.JSON, data.outputFile))
 			}
 
-			report, err := applicationsnapshot.NewReport(data.snapshot, components, data.policy, manyData, manyPolicyInput, showSuccesses)
+			report, err := applicationsnapshot.NewReport(data.snapshot, components, data.policy, evaluatorData, manyPolicyInput, showSuccesses)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -538,3 +541,14 @@ func validateImageCmd(validate imageValidationFunc) *cobra.Command {
 
 	return cmd
 }
+
+// find if the slice contains "data" output
+func containsData(data []string) bool {
+	for _, item := range data {
+		newItem := strings.Split(item, "=")
+		if newItem[0] == "data" {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/cmd/validate/image_test.go b/cmd/validate/image_test.go
index be44dada2..b7ad09d3f 100644
--- a/cmd/validate/image_test.go
+++ b/cmd/validate/image_test.go
@@ -1302,3 +1302,27 @@ func TestValidateImageDefaultOutput(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Equal(t, c.expected, out.String())
 	}
 }
+
+// TestContainsData validates containsData behavior
+func TestContainsData(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		input    []string
+		expected bool
+		name     string
+	}{
+		{[]string{"data"}, true, "Match single data"},
+		{[]string{"data=something"}, true, "Match data=something"},
+		{[]string{"text=data-file.txt"}, false, "Do not match text=data-file.txt"},
+		{[]string{"json", "data=custom-data.yaml"}, true, "Match data in slice with multiple values"},
+		{[]string{"data text"}, false, "Do not match data text"},
+		{[]string{"dat"}, false, "Do not match dat"},
+		{[]string{"data123"}, false, "Do not match data123"},
+		{[]string{"data="}, true, "Match data="},
+		{[]string{""}, false, "Do not match empty string"},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		result := containsData(test.input)
+		assert.Equal(t, test.expected, result, test.name)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/validate/input.go b/cmd/validate/input.go
index 2259a5bd2..e9550c6ff 100644
--- a/cmd/validate/input.go
+++ b/cmd/validate/input.go
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ func validateInputCmd(validate InputValidationFunc) *cobra.Command {
 			close(ch)
 
 			var inputs []input.Input
-			var manyData [][]evaluator.Data
+			var evaluatorData [][]evaluator.Data
 			var manyPolicyInput [][]byte
 			var allErrors error = nil
 
@@ -176,7 +176,10 @@ func validateInputCmd(validate InputValidationFunc) *cobra.Command {
 					allErrors = errors.Join(allErrors, e)
 				} else {
 					inputs = append(inputs, r.input)
-					manyData = append(manyData, r.data)
+					// evaluator data is duplicated per component, so only collect it once.
+					if len(evaluatorData) == 0 && containsData(data.output) {
+						evaluatorData = append(evaluatorData, r.data)
+					}
 					manyPolicyInput = append(manyPolicyInput, r.policyInput)
 				}
 			}
@@ -189,7 +192,7 @@ func validateInputCmd(validate InputValidationFunc) *cobra.Command {
 				return inputs[i].FilePath > inputs[j].FilePath
 			})
 
-			report, err := input.NewReport(inputs, data.policy, manyData, manyPolicyInput)
+			report, err := input.NewReport(inputs, data.policy, evaluatorData, manyPolicyInput)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}