diff --git a/timm/models/metaformers.py b/timm/models/metaformers.py
index 4c15a308..377bcd14 100644
--- a/timm/models/metaformers.py
+++ b/timm/models/metaformers.py
@@ -40,28 +40,57 @@ from ._registry import register_model
 
 __all__ = ['MetaFormer']
 
+
+class Stem(nn.Module):
+    """
+    Stem implemented by a layer of convolution.
+    Conv2d params constant across all models.
+    """
+    def __init__(self,
+        in_channels, 
+        out_channels, 
+        norm_layer=None, 
+    ):
+        super().__init__()
+        self.conv = nn.Conv2d(
+            in_channels,
+            out_channels, 
+            kernel_size=7, 
+            stride=4, 
+            padding=2
+        )
+        self.norm = norm_layer(out_channels) if norm_layer else nn.Identity()
+
+    def forward(self, x):
+        x = self.conv(x)
+        x = self.norm(x.permute(0, 2, 3, 1)).permute(0, 3, 1, 2)
+        return x
+
 class Downsampling(nn.Module):
     """
     Downsampling implemented by a layer of convolution.
     """
-    def __init__(self, in_channels, out_channels, 
-        kernel_size, stride=1, padding=0, 
-        pre_norm=None, post_norm=None, pre_permute=False):
+    def __init__(self,
+        in_channels, 
+        out_channels, 
+        kernel_size, 
+        stride=1, 
+        padding=0, 
+        norm_layer=None, 
+    ):
         super().__init__()
-        self.pre_norm = pre_norm(in_channels) if pre_norm else nn.Identity()
-        self.pre_permute = pre_permute
-        self.conv = nn.Conv2d(in_channels, out_channels, kernel_size=kernel_size, 
-                              stride=stride, padding=padding)
-        self.post_norm = post_norm(out_channels) if post_norm else nn.Identity()
+        self.norm = norm_layer(in_channels) if norm_layer else nn.Identity()
+        self.conv = nn.Conv2d(
+            in_channels, 
+            out_channels, 
+            kernel_size=kernel_size, 
+            stride=stride, 
+            padding=padding
+        )
 
     def forward(self, x):
-        if self.pre_permute:
-            # if take [B, H, W, C] as input, permute it to [B, C, H, W]
-            x = x.permute(0, 3, 1, 2)
-        x = self.pre_norm(x.permute(0, 2, 3, 1)).permute(0, 3, 1, 2)
-        
+        x = self.norm(x.permute(0, 2, 3, 1)).permute(0, 3, 1, 2)
         x = self.conv(x)
-        x = self.post_norm(x.permute(0, 2, 3, 1)).permute(0, 3, 1, 2)
         return x
 
 
@@ -462,13 +491,10 @@ class MetaFormer(nn.Module):
         dp_rates=[x.item() for x in torch.linspace(0, drop_path_rate, sum(depths))]
 
         
-        self.stem = Downsampling(
+        self.stem = Stem(
             in_chans,
             dims[0], 
-            kernel_size=7, 
-            stride=4, 
-            padding=2,
-            post_norm=downsample_norm
+            norm_layer=downsample_norm
         )
         
         stages = nn.ModuleList() # each stage consists of multiple metaformer blocks
@@ -481,8 +507,7 @@ class MetaFormer(nn.Module):
                     kernel_size=3, 
                     stride=2, 
                     padding=1,
-                    pre_norm=downsample_norm,
-                    pre_permute=False
+                    norm_layer=downsample_norm,
                 )),
                 ('blocks', nn.Sequential(*[MetaFormerBlock(
                     dim=dims[i],