diff --git a/controllers/lmes/lmevaljob_controller.go b/controllers/lmes/lmevaljob_controller.go
index ce48ddc9..88837454 100644
--- a/controllers/lmes/lmevaljob_controller.go
+++ b/controllers/lmes/lmevaljob_controller.go
@@ -740,6 +740,10 @@ func CreatePod(svcOpts *serviceOptions, job *lmesv1alpha1.LMEvalJob, log logr.Lo
 			Name:  "TRANSFORMERS_OFFLINE",
 			Value: "1",
 		},
+		{
+			Name:  "HF_EVALUATE_OFFLINE",
+			Value: "1",
+		},
 	}
 	envVars = append(envVars, offlineHuggingFaceEnvVars...)
 
diff --git a/controllers/lmes/lmevaljob_controller_test.go b/controllers/lmes/lmevaljob_controller_test.go
index 3620471a..908231ea 100644
--- a/controllers/lmes/lmevaljob_controller_test.go
+++ b/controllers/lmes/lmevaljob_controller_test.go
@@ -137,6 +137,10 @@ func Test_SimplePod(t *testing.T) {
 							Name:  "TRANSFORMERS_OFFLINE",
 							Value: "1",
 						},
+						{
+							Name:  "HF_EVALUATE_OFFLINE",
+							Value: "1",
+						},
 					},
 				},
 			},
@@ -341,6 +345,10 @@ func Test_WithCustomPod(t *testing.T) {
 							Name:  "TRANSFORMERS_OFFLINE",
 							Value: "1",
 						},
+						{
+							Name:  "HF_EVALUATE_OFFLINE",
+							Value: "1",
+						},
 					},
 				},
 				{
@@ -527,6 +535,10 @@ func Test_EnvSecretsPod(t *testing.T) {
 							Name:  "TRANSFORMERS_OFFLINE",
 							Value: "1",
 						},
+						{
+							Name:  "HF_EVALUATE_OFFLINE",
+							Value: "1",
+						},
 					},
 					Command:         generateCmd(svcOpts, job),
 					Args:            generateArgs(svcOpts, job, log),
@@ -677,6 +689,10 @@ func Test_FileSecretsPod(t *testing.T) {
 							Name:  "TRANSFORMERS_OFFLINE",
 							Value: "1",
 						},
+						{
+							Name:  "HF_EVALUATE_OFFLINE",
+							Value: "1",
+						},
 					},
 					VolumeMounts: []corev1.VolumeMount{
 						{
@@ -1126,6 +1142,10 @@ func Test_ManagedPVC(t *testing.T) {
 							Name:  "TRANSFORMERS_OFFLINE",
 							Value: "1",
 						},
+						{
+							Name:  "HF_EVALUATE_OFFLINE",
+							Value: "1",
+						},
 					},
 
 					VolumeMounts: []corev1.VolumeMount{
@@ -1265,6 +1285,10 @@ func Test_ExistingPVC(t *testing.T) {
 							Name:  "TRANSFORMERS_OFFLINE",
 							Value: "1",
 						},
+						{
+							Name:  "HF_EVALUATE_OFFLINE",
+							Value: "1",
+						},
 					},
 					VolumeMounts: []corev1.VolumeMount{
 						{
@@ -1421,6 +1445,10 @@ func Test_PVCPreference(t *testing.T) {
 							Name:  "TRANSFORMERS_OFFLINE",
 							Value: "1",
 						},
+						{
+							Name:  "HF_EVALUATE_OFFLINE",
+							Value: "1",
+						},
 					},
 					VolumeMounts: []corev1.VolumeMount{
 						{
@@ -1608,6 +1636,10 @@ func Test_OfflineMode(t *testing.T) {
 							Name:  "TRANSFORMERS_OFFLINE",
 							Value: "1",
 						},
+						{
+							Name:  "HF_EVALUATE_OFFLINE",
+							Value: "1",
+						},
 					},
 					VolumeMounts: []corev1.VolumeMount{
 						{
@@ -1772,6 +1804,10 @@ func Test_OfflineModeWithOutput(t *testing.T) {
 							Name:  "TRANSFORMERS_OFFLINE",
 							Value: "1",
 						},
+						{
+							Name:  "HF_EVALUATE_OFFLINE",
+							Value: "1",
+						},
 					},
 					VolumeMounts: []corev1.VolumeMount{
 						{