diff --git a/src/datasets/load.py b/src/datasets/load.py
index 01b71f8ebdb..0973093c544 100644
--- a/src/datasets/load.py
+++ b/src/datasets/load.py
@@ -68,13 +68,13 @@
 from .naming import camelcase_to_snakecase, snakecase_to_camelcase
 from .packaged_modules import (
     _ALL_ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS,
+    _ALL_METADATA_FILENAMES,
     _EXTENSION_TO_MODULE,
     _MODULE_TO_EXTENSIONS,
     _MODULE_TO_METADATA_EXTENSIONS,
     _MODULE_TO_METADATA_FILE_NAMES,
     _PACKAGED_DATASETS_MODULES,
 )
-from .packaged_modules.folder_based_builder.folder_based_builder import FolderBasedBuilder
 from .splits import Split
 from .utils import _dataset_viewer
 from .utils.file_utils import (
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ def infer_module_for_data_files_list(
             - dict of builder kwargs
     """
     extensions_counter = Counter(
-        ("." + suffix.lower(), xbasename(filepath) in FolderBasedBuilder.METADATA_FILENAMES)
+        ("." + suffix.lower(), xbasename(filepath) in _ALL_METADATA_FILENAMES)
         for filepath in data_files_list
         for suffix in xbasename(filepath).split(".")[1:]
     )
@@ -234,7 +234,17 @@ def infer_module_for_data_files_list(
         def sort_key(ext_count: tuple[tuple[str, bool], int]) -> tuple[int, bool]:
             """Sort by count and set ".parquet" as the favorite in case of a draw, and ignore metadata files"""
             (ext, is_metadata), count = ext_count
-            return (not is_metadata, count, ext == ".parquet", ext == ".jsonl", ext == ".json", ext == ".csv", ext)
+            return (
+                not is_metadata,
+                count,
+                ext == ".parquet",
+                ext == ".lance",
+                ext == ".arrow",
+                ext == ".jsonl",
+                ext == ".json",
+                ext == ".csv",
+                ext,
+            )
 
         for (ext, _), _ in sorted(extensions_counter.items(), key=sort_key, reverse=True):
             if ext in _EXTENSION_TO_MODULE:
diff --git a/src/datasets/packaged_modules/__init__.py b/src/datasets/packaged_modules/__init__.py
index 424aa432aff..7ff455cc0da 100644
--- a/src/datasets/packaged_modules/__init__.py
+++ b/src/datasets/packaged_modules/__init__.py
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ def _hash_python_lines(lines: list[str]) -> str:
 _MODULE_TO_METADATA_FILE_NAMES["meshfolder"] = meshfolder.MeshFolder.METADATA_FILENAMES
 _MODULE_TO_METADATA_FILE_NAMES["pdffolder"] = imagefolder.ImageFolder.METADATA_FILENAMES
 _MODULE_TO_METADATA_FILE_NAMES["niftifolder"] = imagefolder.ImageFolder.METADATA_FILENAMES
+_MODULE_TO_METADATA_FILE_NAMES["lance"] = lance.Lance.METADATA_FILE_NAMES
 
 _MODULE_TO_METADATA_EXTENSIONS: Dict[str, List[str]] = {}
 for _module in _MODULE_TO_EXTENSIONS:
@@ -139,3 +140,6 @@ def _hash_python_lines(lines: list[str]) -> str:
 _ALL_EXTENSIONS = list(_EXTENSION_TO_MODULE.keys()) + [".zip"]
 _ALL_METADATA_EXTENSIONS = sorted({_ext for _exts in _MODULE_TO_METADATA_EXTENSIONS.values() for _ext in _exts})
 _ALL_ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS = _ALL_EXTENSIONS + _ALL_METADATA_EXTENSIONS
+_ALL_METADATA_FILENAMES = sorted(
+    {file_name for file_names in _MODULE_TO_METADATA_FILE_NAMES.values() for file_name in file_names}
+)
diff --git a/src/datasets/packaged_modules/lance/lance.py b/src/datasets/packaged_modules/lance/lance.py
index 411f9398f82..017458ec94e 100644
--- a/src/datasets/packaged_modules/lance/lance.py
+++ b/src/datasets/packaged_modules/lance/lance.py
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ def _fix_local_version_file(uri: str) -> str:
 class Lance(datasets.ArrowBasedBuilder, datasets.builder._CountableBuilderMixin):
     BUILDER_CONFIG_CLASS = LanceConfig
     METADATA_EXTENSIONS = [".idx", ".txn", ".manifest"]
+    METADATA_FILE_NAMES = ["latest_version_hint.json"]
 
     def _info(self):
         return datasets.DatasetInfo(features=self.config.features)