diff --git a/annif/backend/vw_multi.py b/annif/backend/vw_multi.py
index 86d7aa33c..355a1a34e 100644
--- a/annif/backend/vw_multi.py
+++ b/annif/backend/vw_multi.py
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ def initialize(self):
                     backend_id=self.backend_id)
             self.debug('loading VW model from {}'.format(path))
             params = self._create_params({'i': path, 'quiet': True})
+            if 'passes' in params:
+                # don't confuse the model with passes
+                del params['passes']
+            self.debug("model parameters: {}".format(params))
             self._model = pyvw.vw(**params)
             self.debug('loaded model {}'.format(str(self._model)))
 
@@ -111,9 +115,6 @@ def _create_params(self, params):
         params.update({param: self._convert_param(param, val)
                        for param, val in self.params.items()
                        if param in self.VW_PARAMS})
-        if params.get('passes', 1) > 1:
-            # need a cache file when there are multiple passes
-            params.update({'cache': True, 'kill_cache': True})
         if self.algorithm == 'oaa':
             # only the oaa algorithm supports probabilities output
             params.update({'probabilities': True, 'loss_function': 'logistic'})
@@ -124,6 +125,9 @@ def _create_model(self, project):
         trainpath = os.path.join(self._get_datadir(), self.TRAIN_FILE)
         params = self._create_params(
             {'data': trainpath, self.algorithm: len(project.subjects)})
+        if params.get('passes', 1) > 1:
+            # need a cache file when there are multiple passes
+            params.update({'cache': True, 'kill_cache': True})
         self.debug("model parameters: {}".format(params))
         self._model = pyvw.vw(**params)
         modelpath = os.path.join(self._get_datadir(), self.MODEL_FILE)
diff --git a/tests/test_backend_vw.py b/tests/test_backend_vw.py
index 30cd55bff..5598f3122 100644
--- a/tests/test_backend_vw.py
+++ b/tests/test_backend_vw.py
@@ -96,19 +96,6 @@ def test_vw_train_invalid_learning_rate(datadir, project, vw_corpus):
         vw.train(vw_corpus, project)
 
 
-def test_vw_train_unknown_subject(datadir, project, vw_corpus):
-    vw_type = annif.backend.get_backend('vw_multi')
-    vw = vw_type(
-        backend_id='vw_multi',
-        params={'chunksize': 4},
-        datadir=str(datadir))
-
-    vw.train(vw_corpus, project)
-    assert vw._model is not None
-    assert datadir.join('vw-model').exists()
-    assert datadir.join('vw-model').size() > 0
-
-
 def test_vw_analyze(datadir, project):
     vw_type = annif.backend.get_backend('vw_multi')
     vw = vw_type(
@@ -141,6 +128,18 @@ def test_vw_analyze_empty(datadir, project):
     assert len(results) == 0
 
 
+def test_vw_analyze_multiple_passes(datadir, project):
+    vw_type = annif.backend.get_backend('vw_multi')
+    vw = vw_type(
+        backend_id='vw_multi',
+        params={'chunksize': 4, 'passes': 2},
+        datadir=str(datadir))
+
+    results = vw.analyze("...", project)
+
+    assert len(results) == 0
+
+
 def test_vw_train_ect(datadir, document_corpus, project):
     vw_type = annif.backend.get_backend('vw_multi')
     vw = vw_type(