diff --git a/src/evaluate/loading.py b/src/evaluate/loading.py
index 505015b1..6e065f7f 100644
--- a/src/evaluate/loading.py
+++ b/src/evaluate/loading.py
@@ -617,13 +617,13 @@ def evaluation_module_factory(
     if path.endswith(filename):
         if os.path.isfile(path):
             return LocalEvaluationModuleFactory(
-                path, download_mode=download_mode, dynamic_modules_path=dynamic_modules_path
+                path, download_mode=download_mode, download_config=download_config, dynamic_modules_path=dynamic_modules_path
             ).get_module()
         else:
             raise FileNotFoundError(f"Couldn't find a metric script at {relative_to_absolute_path(path)}")
     elif os.path.isfile(combined_path):
         return LocalEvaluationModuleFactory(
-            combined_path, download_mode=download_mode, dynamic_modules_path=dynamic_modules_path
+            combined_path, download_mode=download_mode, download_config=download_config, dynamic_modules_path=dynamic_modules_path
         ).get_module()
     elif is_relative_path(path) and path.count("/") <= 1 and not force_local_path:
         try:
diff --git a/tests/test_load.py b/tests/test_load.py
index e20ea671..d82f02e1 100644
--- a/tests/test_load.py
+++ b/tests/test_load.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import os
 import tempfile
 from unittest import TestCase
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
 import pytest
 from datasets import DownloadConfig
@@ -100,6 +101,35 @@ def test_LocalMetricModuleFactory(self):
         module_factory_result = factory.get_module()
         assert importlib.import_module(module_factory_result.module_path) is not None
 
+    def test_evaluation_module_factory_local_py_path_passes_download_config(self):
+        # Regression test for https://github.com/huggingface/evaluate/issues/709:
+        # evaluation_module_factory must forward download_config to LocalEvaluationModuleFactory
+        # when a direct .py path is given (path.endswith(filename) branch).
+        py_path = os.path.join(self._metric_loading_script_dir, f"{METRIC_LOADING_SCRIPT_NAME}.py")
+        with patch("evaluate.loading.LocalEvaluationModuleFactory", wraps=LocalEvaluationModuleFactory) as spy:
+            evaluation_module_factory(
+                py_path,
+                download_config=self.download_config,
+                dynamic_modules_path=self.dynamic_modules_path,
+            )
+            spy.assert_called_once()
+            _, kwargs = spy.call_args
+            assert kwargs.get("download_config") is self.download_config
+
+    def test_evaluation_module_factory_local_dir_path_passes_download_config(self):
+        # Regression test for https://github.com/huggingface/evaluate/issues/709:
+        # evaluation_module_factory must forward download_config to LocalEvaluationModuleFactory
+        # when a directory path is given (combined_path branch).
+        with patch("evaluate.loading.LocalEvaluationModuleFactory", wraps=LocalEvaluationModuleFactory) as spy:
+            evaluation_module_factory(
+                self._metric_loading_script_dir,
+                download_config=self.download_config,
+                dynamic_modules_path=self.dynamic_modules_path,
+            )
+            spy.assert_called_once()
+            _, kwargs = spy.call_args
+            assert kwargs.get("download_config") is self.download_config
+
     def test_CachedMetricModuleFactory(self):
         path = os.path.join(self._metric_loading_script_dir, f"{METRIC_LOADING_SCRIPT_NAME}.py")
         factory = LocalEvaluationModuleFactory(