diff --git a/lib/braintrust/api/internal/experiments.rb b/lib/braintrust/api/internal/experiments.rb
index 9c09f92..b2e2ea5 100644
--- a/lib/braintrust/api/internal/experiments.rb
+++ b/lib/braintrust/api/internal/experiments.rb
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ def initialize(state)
         # @param tags [Array<String>, nil] Optional tags
         # @param metadata [Hash, nil] Optional metadata
         # @return [Hash] Experiment data with "id", "name", "project_id", etc.
-        def create(name:, project_id:, ensure_new: true, tags: nil, metadata: nil)
+        def create(name:, project_id:, ensure_new: true, tags: nil, metadata: nil,
+          dataset_id: nil, dataset_version: nil)
           uri = URI("#{@state.api_url}/v1/experiment")
 
           payload = {
@@ -32,6 +33,8 @@ def create(name:, project_id:, ensure_new: true, tags: nil, metadata: nil)
           }
           payload[:tags] = tags if tags
           payload[:metadata] = metadata if metadata
+          payload[:dataset_id] = dataset_id if dataset_id
+          payload[:dataset_version] = dataset_version if dataset_version
 
           request = Net::HTTP::Post.new(uri)
           request["Content-Type"] = "application/json"
diff --git a/lib/braintrust/eval.rb b/lib/braintrust/eval.rb
index 0f59326..d5c154a 100644
--- a/lib/braintrust/eval.rb
+++ b/lib/braintrust/eval.rb
@@ -220,8 +220,14 @@ def run(project:, experiment:, task:, scorers:,
         api.login
 
         # Resolve dataset to cases if dataset parameter provided
+        dataset_id = nil
+        dataset_version = nil
+
         if dataset
-          cases = resolve_dataset(dataset, project, api)
+          resolved = resolve_dataset(dataset, project, api)
+          cases = resolved[:cases]
+          dataset_id = resolved[:dataset_id]
+          dataset_version = resolved[:dataset_version]
         end
 
         # Register project and experiment via internal API
@@ -234,7 +240,9 @@ def run(project:, experiment:, task:, scorers:,
           project_id: project_result["id"],
           ensure_new: !update,
           tags: tags,
-          metadata: metadata
+          metadata: metadata,
+          dataset_id: dataset_id,
+          dataset_version: dataset_version
         )
 
         experiment_id = experiment_result["id"]
@@ -292,11 +300,11 @@ def validate_params!(project:, experiment:, cases:, dataset:, task:, scorers:)
         end
       end
 
-      # Resolve dataset parameter to an array of case records
+      # Resolve dataset parameter to cases with metadata for experiment linking
       # @param dataset [String, Hash, Dataset] Dataset specifier or instance
       # @param project [String] Project name (used as default if not specified)
       # @param api [API] Braintrust API client
-      # @return [Array<Hash>] Array of case records
+      # @return [Hash] Hash with :cases, :dataset_id, and :dataset_version
       def resolve_dataset(dataset, project, api)
         limit = nil
 
@@ -315,7 +323,15 @@ def resolve_dataset(dataset, project, api)
           raise ArgumentError, "dataset must be String, Hash, or Dataset, got #{dataset.class}"
         end
 
-        dataset_obj.fetch_all(limit: limit)
+        cases = dataset_obj.fetch_all(limit: limit)
+
+        # Use pinned version if available, otherwise compute from max(_xact_id)
+        version = dataset_obj.version
+        version ||= cases
+          .filter_map { |c| c[:origin] && JSON.parse(c[:origin])["_xact_id"] }
+          .max
+
+        {cases: cases, dataset_id: dataset_obj.id, dataset_version: version}
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/test/braintrust/eval_test.rb b/test/braintrust/eval_test.rb
index 17511f8..a9d6530 100644
--- a/test/braintrust/eval_test.rb
+++ b/test/braintrust/eval_test.rb
@@ -837,6 +837,44 @@ def test_eval_with_remote_dataset_sets_origin_from_api_response
         assert origin["id"], "origin.id (record id) should be present"
         assert origin["_xact_id"], "origin._xact_id should be present"
       end
+
+      # Verify experiment was linked to dataset via the actual HTTP request
+      assert_requested :post, %r{v1/experiment} do |req|
+        body = JSON.parse(req.body)
+        assert_equal dataset_id, body["dataset_id"],
+          "Expected dataset_id in experiment creation payload"
+        assert body["dataset_version"],
+          "Expected dataset_version in experiment creation payload"
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_eval_run_without_dataset_does_not_send_dataset_fields
+    # When no dataset is provided, dataset_id and dataset_version should be nil
+    VCR.use_cassette("eval/run_basic") do
+      api = get_integration_test_api
+
+      task = ->(input) { input.upcase }
+      scorer = Braintrust::Eval.scorer("exact") { |i, e, o| (o == e) ? 1.0 : 0.0 }
+
+      Braintrust::Eval.run(
+        project: "ruby-sdk-test",
+        experiment: "test-ruby-sdk-basic",
+        cases: [{input: "hello", expected: "HELLO"}],
+        task: task,
+        scorers: [scorer],
+        api: api,
+        quiet: true
+      )
+
+      # Verify experiment creation did not include dataset fields
+      assert_requested :post, /v1\/experiment/ do |req|
+        body = JSON.parse(req.body)
+        assert_nil body["dataset_id"],
+          "Expected no dataset_id when no dataset provided"
+        assert_nil body["dataset_version"],
+          "Expected no dataset_version when no dataset provided"
+      end
     end
   end
 end