diff --git a/src/diffusers/models/modeling_utils.py b/src/diffusers/models/modeling_utils.py
index 425f2f29235e..a02c13b70d49 100644
--- a/src/diffusers/models/modeling_utils.py
+++ b/src/diffusers/models/modeling_utils.py
@@ -1288,19 +1288,44 @@ def from_pretrained(cls, pretrained_model_name_or_path: str | os.PathLike | None
                     )
 
         if resolved_model_file is None and not is_sharded:
-            resolved_model_file = _get_model_file(
-                pretrained_model_name_or_path,
-                weights_name=_add_variant(WEIGHTS_NAME, variant),
-                cache_dir=cache_dir,
-                force_download=force_download,
-                proxies=proxies,
-                local_files_only=local_files_only,
-                token=token,
-                revision=revision,
-                subfolder=subfolder,
-                user_agent=user_agent,
-                commit_hash=commit_hash,
-            )
+            pickle_index_file = None
+            try:
+                resolved_model_file = _get_model_file(
+                    pretrained_model_name_or_path,
+                    weights_name=_add_variant(WEIGHTS_NAME, variant),
+                    cache_dir=cache_dir,
+                    force_download=force_download,
+                    proxies=proxies,
+                    local_files_only=local_files_only,
+                    token=token,
+                    revision=revision,
+                    subfolder=subfolder,
+                    user_agent=user_agent,
+                    commit_hash=commit_hash,
+                )
+            except EnvironmentError:
+                if not allow_pickle or use_flashpack:
+                    raise
+                pickle_index_file_kwargs = {**index_file_kwargs, "use_safetensors": False}
+                pickle_index_file = _fetch_index_file(**pickle_index_file_kwargs)
+                if variant is not None and (pickle_index_file is None or not os.path.exists(pickle_index_file)):
+                    pickle_index_file = _fetch_index_file_legacy(**pickle_index_file_kwargs)
+                if pickle_index_file is None or not pickle_index_file.is_file():
+                    raise
+
+            if pickle_index_file is not None:
+                is_sharded = True
+                resolved_model_file, sharded_metadata = _get_checkpoint_shard_files(
+                    pretrained_model_name_or_path,
+                    pickle_index_file,
+                    cache_dir=cache_dir,
+                    proxies=proxies,
+                    local_files_only=local_files_only,
+                    token=token,
+                    user_agent=user_agent,
+                    revision=revision,
+                    subfolder=subfolder or "",
+                )
 
         if not isinstance(resolved_model_file, list):
             resolved_model_file = [resolved_model_file]
diff --git a/tests/models/test_modeling_common.py b/tests/models/test_modeling_common.py
index b1bdaabbad7a..66954e663433 100644
--- a/tests/models/test_modeling_common.py
+++ b/tests/models/test_modeling_common.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 from huggingface_hub import ModelCard, delete_repo, snapshot_download, try_to_load_from_cache
 from huggingface_hub.utils import HfHubHTTPError, is_jinja_available
 
-from diffusers.models import FluxTransformer2DModel, SD3Transformer2DModel, UNet2DConditionModel
+from diffusers.models import FluxTransformer2DModel, SD3Transformer2DModel, UNet2DConditionModel, UNet2DModel
 
 from ..others.test_utils import TOKEN, USER, is_staging_test
 from ..testing_utils import (
@@ -167,6 +167,31 @@ def test_local_files_only_with_sharded_checkpoint(self):
                 f"Expected error about missing shard, got: {error_msg}"
             )
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "variant, index_name",
+        [
+            (None, "diffusion_pytorch_model.bin.index.json"),
+            ("ema", "diffusion_pytorch_model.bin.index.ema.json"),
+            ("ema", "diffusion_pytorch_model.bin.ema.index.json"),
+        ],
+    )
+    def test_sharded_bin_checkpoint_loads_with_default_use_safetensors(self, tmp_path, variant, index_name):
+        model = UNet2DModel(
+            sample_size=32,
+            in_channels=3,
+            out_channels=3,
+            block_out_channels=(4, 8),
+            norm_num_groups=2,
+            down_block_types=("DownBlock2D", "AttnDownBlock2D"),
+            up_block_types=("AttnUpBlock2D", "UpBlock2D"),
+        )
+        model.save_pretrained(tmp_path, variant=variant, safe_serialization=False, max_shard_size="50KB")
+        saved_index = next(tmp_path.glob("*.bin.index*.json"))
+        saved_index.rename(tmp_path / index_name)
+
+        loaded = UNet2DModel.from_pretrained(tmp_path, variant=variant)
+        assert all(torch.equal(p1, p2) for p1, p2 in zip(model.parameters(), loaded.parameters()))
+
     @pytest.mark.skip(reason="Flaky behaviour on CI. Re-enable after migrating to new runners")
     @pytest.mark.skipif(torch_device == "mps", reason="Test not supported for MPS.")
     def test_one_request_upon_cached(self):