diff --git a/CondCore/CTPPSPlugins/src/plugin.cc b/CondCore/CTPPSPlugins/src/plugin.cc
index 1c8892df4218e..f2eb460050b5e 100644
--- a/CondCore/CTPPSPlugins/src/plugin.cc
+++ b/CondCore/CTPPSPlugins/src/plugin.cc
@@ -26,6 +26,12 @@
 #include "CondFormats/PPSObjects/interface/PPSAssociationCuts.h"
 #include "CondFormats/DataRecord/interface/PPSAssociationCutsRcd.h"
 
+namespace {
+  struct InitAssociationCuts {
+    void operator()(PPSAssociationCuts &cuts) { cuts.initialize(); }
+  };
+}  // namespace
+
 REGISTER_PLUGIN(CTPPSBeamParametersRcd, CTPPSBeamParameters);
 REGISTER_PLUGIN(CTPPSPixelDAQMappingRcd, CTPPSPixelDAQMapping);
 REGISTER_PLUGIN(CTPPSPixelAnalysisMaskRcd, CTPPSPixelAnalysisMask);
@@ -39,4 +45,5 @@ REGISTER_PLUGIN(PPSDirectSimulationDataRcd, PPSDirectSimulationData);
 REGISTER_PLUGIN(PPSPixelTopologyRcd, PPSPixelTopology);
 REGISTER_PLUGIN(PPSAlignmentConfigRcd, PPSAlignmentConfig);
 REGISTER_PLUGIN(PPSAlignmentConfigurationRcd, PPSAlignmentConfiguration);
-REGISTER_PLUGIN(PPSAssociationCutsRcd, PPSAssociationCuts);
+
+REGISTER_PLUGIN_INIT(PPSAssociationCutsRcd, PPSAssociationCuts, InitAssociationCuts);
diff --git a/CondFormats/PPSObjects/interface/PPSAssociationCuts.h b/CondFormats/PPSObjects/interface/PPSAssociationCuts.h
index 59a35e5372c05..486fe22eff03d 100644
--- a/CondFormats/PPSObjects/interface/PPSAssociationCuts.h
+++ b/CondFormats/PPSObjects/interface/PPSAssociationCuts.h
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ struct TF1;
 #include "CondFormats/Serialization/interface/Serializable.h"
 #include "FWCore/ParameterSet/interface/ParameterSet.h"
 #include "FWCore/ParameterSet/interface/ParameterSetDescription.h"
+#include "FWCore/Utilities/interface/Exception.h"
 
 #include <iostream>
 #include <memory>
@@ -37,8 +38,7 @@ class PPSAssociationCuts {
     double getTiTrMax() const { return ti_tr_max_; }
 
     // build TF1 representations of the mean and threshold functions
-    // NB: declared as const as it only modifies mutable class fields
-    void buildFunctions() const;
+    void buildFunctions();
 
     // returns whether the specified cut is applied
     bool isApplied(Quantities quantity) const;
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ class PPSAssociationCuts {
     std::vector<std::string> s_thresholds_;
 
     // TF1 representation of the cut parameters - for run time evaluations
-    mutable std::vector<std::shared_ptr<TF1> > f_means_ COND_TRANSIENT;
-    mutable std::vector<std::shared_ptr<TF1> > f_thresholds_ COND_TRANSIENT;
+    std::vector<std::shared_ptr<TF1> > f_means_ COND_TRANSIENT;
+    std::vector<std::shared_ptr<TF1> > f_thresholds_ COND_TRANSIENT;
 
     // timing-tracking cuts
     double ti_tr_min_;
@@ -70,7 +70,13 @@ class PPSAssociationCuts {
 
   ~PPSAssociationCuts() {}
 
-  const CutsPerArm &getAssociationCuts(const int sector) const { return association_cuts_.at(sector); }
+  // checks if the data have a valid structure
+  bool isValid() const;
+
+  // builds run-time data members, useful e.g. after loading data from DB
+  void initialize();
+
+  const CutsPerArm &getAssociationCuts(const int sector) const { return association_cuts_.find(sector)->second; }
 
   static edm::ParameterSetDescription getDefaultParameters();
 
diff --git a/CondFormats/PPSObjects/src/PPSAssociationCuts.cc b/CondFormats/PPSObjects/src/PPSAssociationCuts.cc
index 294829d2179fe..f486947af6aae 100644
--- a/CondFormats/PPSObjects/src/PPSAssociationCuts.cc
+++ b/CondFormats/PPSObjects/src/PPSAssociationCuts.cc
@@ -27,13 +27,11 @@ PPSAssociationCuts::CutsPerArm::CutsPerArm(const edm::ParameterSet &iConfig, int
 
   ti_tr_min_ = association_cuts.getParameter<double>("ti_tr_min");
   ti_tr_max_ = association_cuts.getParameter<double>("ti_tr_max");
-
-  buildFunctions();
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-void PPSAssociationCuts::CutsPerArm::buildFunctions() const {
+void PPSAssociationCuts::CutsPerArm::buildFunctions() {
   f_means_.clear();
   for (const auto &s : s_means_)
     f_means_.push_back(std::make_shared<TF1>("f", s.c_str()));
@@ -46,7 +44,7 @@ void PPSAssociationCuts::CutsPerArm::buildFunctions() const {
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 bool PPSAssociationCuts::CutsPerArm::isApplied(Quantities quantity) const {
-  return (!s_thresholds_.at(quantity).empty()) && (!s_means_.at(quantity).empty());
+  return (!s_thresholds_[quantity].empty()) && (!s_means_[quantity].empty());
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -57,14 +55,9 @@ bool PPSAssociationCuts::CutsPerArm::isSatisfied(
   if (!isApplied(quantity))
     return true;
 
-  // build functions if not already done
-  // (this may happen if data (string representation) are loaded from DB and the constructor is not executed)
-  if (f_means_.size() < s_means_.size())
-    buildFunctions();
-
   // evaluate mean and threshold
-  const double mean = evaluateExpression(f_means_.at(quantity), x_near, y_near, xangle);
-  const double threshold = evaluateExpression(f_thresholds_.at(quantity), x_near, y_near, xangle);
+  const double mean = evaluateExpression(f_means_[quantity], x_near, y_near, xangle);
+  const double threshold = evaluateExpression(f_thresholds_[quantity], x_near, y_near, xangle);
 
   // make comparison
   return fabs(q_NF_diff - mean) < threshold;
@@ -88,6 +81,8 @@ PPSAssociationCuts::PPSAssociationCuts(const edm::ParameterSet &iConfig) {
   unsigned int i = 0;
   for (const int &sector : {45, 56})
     association_cuts_[i++] = CutsPerArm(iConfig, sector);
+
+  initialize();
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -115,6 +110,31 @@ edm::ParameterSetDescription PPSAssociationCuts::getDefaultParameters() {
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+bool PPSAssociationCuts::isValid() const {
+  // valid if association_cuts_ have two entries, with keys 0 and 1
+  if (association_cuts_.size() != 2)
+    return false;
+
+  if (association_cuts_.find(0) == association_cuts_.end())
+    return false;
+  if (association_cuts_.find(1) == association_cuts_.end())
+    return false;
+
+  return true;
+}
+
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+void PPSAssociationCuts::initialize() {
+  if (!isValid())
+    throw cms::Exception("PPS") << "Invalid structure of PPSAssociationCuts.";
+
+  for (auto &p : association_cuts_)
+    p.second.buildFunctions();
+}
+
+//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 std::ostream &operator<<(std::ostream &os, const PPSAssociationCuts::CutsPerArm &cutsPerArm) {
   os << "CutsPerArm {" << std::endl;