diff --git a/sae_lens/sae.py b/sae_lens/sae.py
index 55cd03ed..8998d82f 100644
--- a/sae_lens/sae.py
+++ b/sae_lens/sae.py
@@ -433,6 +433,13 @@ def forward(
             with torch.no_grad():
                 x = x.to(self.dtype)
                 sae_in = self.reshape_fn_in(x)  # type: ignore
+
+                # handle run time activation normalization if needed
+                sae_in = self.run_time_activation_norm_fn_in(sae_in)
+
+                # apply b_dec_to_input if using that method.
+                sae_in = sae_in - (self.b_dec * self.cfg.apply_b_dec_to_input)
+
                 gating_pre_activation = sae_in @ self.W_enc + self.b_gate
                 active_features = (gating_pre_activation > 0).float()
 
@@ -461,10 +468,10 @@ def forward(
                 sae_in = self.reshape_fn_in(x)  # type: ignore
 
                 # handle run time activation normalization if needed
-                x = self.run_time_activation_norm_fn_in(x)
+                sae_in = self.run_time_activation_norm_fn_in(sae_in)
 
                 # apply b_dec_to_input if using that method.
-                sae_in = x - (self.b_dec * self.cfg.apply_b_dec_to_input)
+                sae_in = sae_in - (self.b_dec * self.cfg.apply_b_dec_to_input)
 
                 # "... d_in, d_in d_sae -> ... d_sae",
                 hidden_pre = sae_in @ self.W_enc + self.b_enc
@@ -501,11 +508,11 @@ def encode_gated(
         magnitude_pre_activation = self.hook_sae_acts_pre(
             sae_in @ (self.W_enc * self.r_mag.exp()) + self.b_mag
         )
-        feature_magnitudes = self.hook_sae_acts_post(
-            self.activation_fn(magnitude_pre_activation)
-        )
+        feature_magnitudes = self.activation_fn(magnitude_pre_activation)
 
-        return active_features * feature_magnitudes
+        feature_acts = self.hook_sae_acts_post(active_features * feature_magnitudes)
+
+        return feature_acts
 
     def encode_jumprelu(
         self, x: Float[torch.Tensor, "... d_in"]