diff --git a/timm/models/metaformers.py b/timm/models/metaformers.py
index ab1b0f0c..257d4e74 100644
--- a/timm/models/metaformers.py
+++ b/timm/models/metaformers.py
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ class MetaFormer(nn.Module):
         if not isinstance(downsample_layers, (list, tuple)):
             downsample_layers = [downsample_layers] * num_stage
         down_dims = [in_chans] + dims
-        self.downsample_layers = nn.ModuleList(
+        downsample_layers = nn.ModuleList(
             [downsample_layers[i](down_dims[i], down_dims[i+1]) for i in range(num_stage)]
         )
         
@@ -604,7 +604,7 @@ class MetaFormer(nn.Module):
             self.stages.append(stage)
             cur += depths[i]
         
-        self.stages = nn.Sequential(*stages)
+        self.stages = nn.Sequential(zip(*downsample_layers, *stages))
         self.norm = output_norm(dims[-1])