diff --git a/src/datasets/iterable_dataset.py b/src/datasets/iterable_dataset.py
index 3d0b3ce1cf3..c23f45570b4 100644
--- a/src/datasets/iterable_dataset.py
+++ b/src/datasets/iterable_dataset.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from functools import partial
 from itertools import cycle, islice
-from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, Iterable, Iterator, List, Optional, Tuple, Union
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Callable, Dict, Iterable, Iterator, List, Optional, Tuple, Union
 
 import fsspec.asyn
 import numpy as np
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@
 from .utils.sharding import _merge_gen_kwargs, _number_of_shards_in_gen_kwargs, _shuffle_gen_kwargs, _split_gen_kwargs
 
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    import torch
+
 logger = get_logger(__name__)
 
 Key = Union[int, str]
@@ -1690,6 +1693,18 @@ def _maybe_add_torch_iterable_dataset_parent_class(cls):
             cls.__bases__ += (torch.utils.data.IterableDataset,)
 
 
+def _maybe_share_with_torch_persistent_workers(value: Union[int, "torch.Tensor"]) -> Union[int, "torch.Tensor"]:
+    if config.TORCH_AVAILABLE:
+        import torch
+
+        if isinstance(value, torch.Tensor):
+            return value.share_memory_()
+        else:
+            return torch.tensor(value).share_memory_()
+    else:
+        return value
+
+
 class IterableDataset(DatasetInfoMixin):
     """A Dataset backed by an iterable."""
 
@@ -1722,8 +1737,8 @@ def __init__(
         self._formatting = formatting
         self._shuffling = shuffling
         self._distributed = distributed
-        self._epoch = 0
         self._token_per_repo_id: Dict[str, Union[str, bool, None]] = token_per_repo_id or {}
+        self._epoch: Union[int, "torch.Tensor"] = _maybe_share_with_torch_persistent_workers(0)
         self._starting_state_dict: Optional[dict] = None
         self._prepared_ex_iterable = self._prepare_ex_iterable_for_iteration()
         self._state_dict = self._prepared_ex_iterable._init_state_dict()
@@ -1841,18 +1856,24 @@ def __getstate__(self):
 
     def __setstate__(self, d):
         self.__dict__ = d
+        # Re-add torch shared memory, since shared memory is not always kept when pickling
+        self._epoch = _maybe_share_with_torch_persistent_workers(self._epoch)
         # Re-add torch iterable dataset as a parent class, since dynamically added parent classes are not kept when pickling
         _maybe_add_torch_iterable_dataset_parent_class(self.__class__)
 
     def _head(self, n=5):
         return _examples_to_batch(list(self.take(n)))
 
+    @property
+    def epoch(self) -> int:
+        return int(self._epoch)
+
     def _effective_generator(self):
-        if self._shuffling and self._epoch == 0:
+        if self._shuffling and self.epoch == 0:
             return self._shuffling.generator
         elif self._shuffling:
-            # Create effective seed using self._epoch (we subtract in order to avoir overflow in long_scalars)
-            effective_seed = deepcopy(self._shuffling.generator).integers(0, 1 << 63) - self._epoch
+            # Create effective seed using self.epoch (we subtract in order to avoir overflow in long_scalars)
+            effective_seed = deepcopy(self._shuffling.generator).integers(0, 1 << 63) - self.epoch
             effective_seed = (1 << 63) + effective_seed if effective_seed < 0 else effective_seed
             return np.random.default_rng(effective_seed)
         else:
@@ -2465,7 +2486,7 @@ def shuffle(
         )
 
     def set_epoch(self, epoch: int):
-        self._epoch = epoch
+        self._epoch += epoch - self._epoch  # update torch value in shared memory in-place
 
     def skip(self, n: int) -> "IterableDataset":
         """
diff --git a/tests/test_iterable_dataset.py b/tests/test_iterable_dataset.py
index 6d1f84b7d6a..8069c748396 100644
--- a/tests/test_iterable_dataset.py
+++ b/tests/test_iterable_dataset.py
@@ -1641,6 +1641,28 @@ def test_iterable_dataset_is_torch_iterable_dataset(dataset: IterableDataset):
     assert len(out) == DEFAULT_N_EXAMPLES
 
 
+@require_torch
+def test_iterable_dataset_persists_epoch_in_torch_workers(dataset: IterableDataset):
+    from torch.utils.data import DataLoader
+
+    dataset = dataset.shuffle(seed=42)
+    dataloader = DataLoader(dataset, num_workers=1, persistent_workers=True)
+    epoch0 = list(dataloader)
+    assert list(dataloader) == epoch0
+    dataset.set_epoch(1)
+    assert list(dataloader) != epoch0
+
+    # Make sure pickle works even with torch objects in shared memory
+    dataset_copy: IterableDataset = pickle.loads(pickle.dumps(dataset))
+    dataloader = DataLoader(dataset_copy, num_workers=1, persistent_workers=True)
+    epoch1 = list(dataloader)
+    assert list(dataloader) == epoch1
+    dataset.set_epoch(2)  # this should not affect the copy
+    assert list(dataloader) == epoch1
+    dataset_copy.set_epoch(2)
+    assert list(dataloader) != epoch1
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("n", [0, 2, int(1e10)])
 def test_iterable_dataset_skip(dataset: IterableDataset, n):
     skip_dataset = dataset.skip(n)