diff --git a/test/test_models.py b/test/test_models.py
index 7a8e1d83b6e..0455573c2a0 100644
--- a/test/test_models.py
+++ b/test/test_models.py
@@ -339,6 +339,18 @@ def get_gn(num_channels):
         self.assertFalse(any(isinstance(x, nn.BatchNorm2d) for x in model.modules()))
         self.assertTrue(any(isinstance(x, nn.GroupNorm) for x in model.modules()))
 
+    def test_inceptionv3_eval(self):
+        # replacement for models.inception_v3(pretrained=True) that does not download weights
+        kwargs = {}
+        kwargs['transform_input'] = True
+        kwargs['aux_logits'] = True
+        kwargs['init_weights'] = False
+        model = models.Inception3(**kwargs)
+        model.aux_logits = False
+        model.AuxLogits = None
+        m = torch.jit.script(model.eval())
+        self.checkModule(m, "inception_v3", torch.rand(1, 3, 299, 299))
+
     def test_fasterrcnn_double(self):
         model = models.detection.fasterrcnn_resnet50_fpn(num_classes=50, pretrained_backbone=False)
         model.double()
diff --git a/torchvision/models/inception.py b/torchvision/models/inception.py
index 9e49e446849..f2156018327 100644
--- a/torchvision/models/inception.py
+++ b/torchvision/models/inception.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def inception_v3(pretrained: bool = False, progress: bool = True, **kwargs: Any)
         model.load_state_dict(state_dict)
         if not original_aux_logits:
             model.aux_logits = False
-            del model.AuxLogits
+            model.AuxLogits = None
         return model
 
     return Inception3(**kwargs)
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.Mixed_6c = inception_c(768, channels_7x7=160)
         self.Mixed_6d = inception_c(768, channels_7x7=160)
         self.Mixed_6e = inception_c(768, channels_7x7=192)
+        self.AuxLogits: Optional[nn.Module] = None
         if aux_logits:
             self.AuxLogits = inception_aux(768, num_classes)
         self.Mixed_7a = inception_d(768)
@@ -170,11 +171,10 @@ def _forward(self, x: Tensor) -> Tuple[Tensor, Optional[Tensor]]:
         # N x 768 x 17 x 17
         x = self.Mixed_6e(x)
         # N x 768 x 17 x 17
-        aux_defined = self.training and self.aux_logits
-        if aux_defined:
-            aux = self.AuxLogits(x)
-        else:
-            aux = None
+        aux = torch.jit.annotate(Optional[Tensor], None)
+        if self.AuxLogits is not None:
+            if self.training:
+                aux = self.AuxLogits(x)
         # N x 768 x 17 x 17
         x = self.Mixed_7a(x)
         # N x 1280 x 8 x 8
diff --git a/torchvision/models/quantization/inception.py b/torchvision/models/quantization/inception.py
index f452de02815..cdc72ce4851 100644
--- a/torchvision/models/quantization/inception.py
+++ b/torchvision/models/quantization/inception.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def inception_v3(pretrained=False, progress=True, quantize=False, **kwargs):
         if quantize:
             if not original_aux_logits:
                 model.aux_logits = False
-                del model.AuxLogits
+                model.AuxLogits = None
             model_url = quant_model_urls['inception_v3_google' + '_' + backend]
         else:
             model_url = inception_module.model_urls['inception_v3_google']
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ def inception_v3(pretrained=False, progress=True, quantize=False, **kwargs):
         if not quantize:
             if not original_aux_logits:
                 model.aux_logits = False
-                del model.AuxLogits
+                model.AuxLogits = None
     return model