diff --git a/src/lighteval/tasks/registry.py b/src/lighteval/tasks/registry.py
index e7c4e9eb6..84d2a4484 100644
--- a/src/lighteval/tasks/registry.py
+++ b/src/lighteval/tasks/registry.py
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ def create_custom_tasks_module(custom_tasks: str | Path | ModuleType) -> ModuleT
         """Creates a custom task module to load tasks defined by the user in their own file.
 
         Args:
-            custom_tasks (Optional[Union[str, ModuleType]]): Path to the custom tasks file or name of a module to import containing custom tasks or the module itself
+            custom_tasks: Path to the custom tasks file, name of a module containing custom tasks, or the module itself.
 
         Returns:
             ModuleType: The newly imported/created custom tasks modules
@@ -303,6 +303,19 @@ def create_custom_tasks_module(custom_tasks: str | Path | ModuleType) -> ModuleT
         if isinstance(custom_tasks, ModuleType):
             return custom_tasks
         if isinstance(custom_tasks, (str, Path)) and os.path.exists(custom_tasks):
+            custom_tasks_path = Path(custom_tasks).resolve()
+            for module in tuple(sys.modules.values()):
+                if not isinstance(module, ModuleType):
+                    continue
+                module_file = getattr(module, "__file__", None)
+                if module_file is None:
+                    continue
+                try:
+                    if Path(module_file).resolve() == custom_tasks_path:
+                        return module
+                except (OSError, RuntimeError, TypeError):
+                    continue
+
             module_name = os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(custom_tasks))[0]
             spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(module_name, custom_tasks)
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/tasks/test_registry.py b/tests/unit/tasks/test_registry.py
index cc98cb212..08c87a7e9 100644
--- a/tests/unit/tasks/test_registry.py
+++ b/tests/unit/tasks/test_registry.py
@@ -20,12 +20,50 @@
 # OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
 # SOFTWARE.
 
+import importlib.util
+import sys
+from types import ModuleType
+
 import pytest
 
 from lighteval.tasks.lighteval_task import LightevalTask, LightevalTaskConfig
 from lighteval.tasks.registry import Registry
 
 
+def test_create_custom_tasks_module_reuses_previously_imported_file(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    custom_tasks_path = tmp_path / "custom_tasks.py"
+    custom_tasks_path.write_text(
+        "import custom_tasks_import_state\ncustom_tasks_import_state.import_count += 1\nTASKS_TABLE = []\n",
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+
+    import_state = ModuleType("custom_tasks_import_state")
+    import_state.import_count = 0
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, import_state.__name__, import_state)
+
+    spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("preloaded_custom_tasks", custom_tasks_path)
+    assert spec is not None
+    assert spec.loader is not None
+
+    preloaded_module = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, spec.name, preloaded_module)
+    spec.loader.exec_module(preloaded_module)
+
+    loaded_module = Registry.create_custom_tasks_module(custom_tasks_path)
+
+    assert loaded_module is preloaded_module
+    assert import_state.import_count == 1
+
+
+def test_create_custom_tasks_module_loads_new_file(tmp_path):
+    custom_tasks_path = tmp_path / "custom_tasks.py"
+    custom_tasks_path.write_text("TASKS_TABLE = []\n", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    loaded_module = Registry.create_custom_tasks_module(custom_tasks_path)
+
+    assert loaded_module.TASKS_TABLE == []
+
+
 def test_superset_expansion():
     """
     Tests that task info selector correctly handles supersets.