diff --git a/python/src/convert.cpp b/python/src/convert.cpp
index 88da37103..0367aceb0 100644
--- a/python/src/convert.cpp
+++ b/python/src/convert.cpp
@@ -406,10 +406,16 @@ mx::array array_from_list_impl(
       }
     }
     case pyfloat: {
-      std::vector<float> vals;
-      fill_vector(pl, vals);
-      return mx::array(
-          vals.begin(), shape, specified_type.value_or(mx::float32));
+      auto out_type = specified_type.value_or(mx::float32);
+      if (out_type == mx::float64) {
+        std::vector<double> vals;
+        fill_vector(pl, vals);
+        return mx::array(vals.begin(), shape, out_type);
+      } else {
+        std::vector<float> vals;
+        fill_vector(pl, vals);
+        return mx::array(vals.begin(), shape, out_type);
+      }
     }
     case pycomplex: {
       std::vector<std::complex<float>> vals;
@@ -470,7 +476,12 @@ mx::array create_array(ArrayInitType v, std::optional<mx::Dtype> t) {
         : mx::int32;
     return mx::array(val, t.value_or(default_type));
   } else if (auto pv = std::get_if<nb::float_>(&v); pv) {
-    return mx::array(nb::cast<float>(*pv), t.value_or(mx::float32));
+    auto out_type = t.value_or(mx::float32);
+    if (out_type == mx::float64) {
+      return mx::array(nb::cast<double>(*pv), out_type);
+    } else {
+      return mx::array(nb::cast<float>(*pv), out_type);
+    }
   } else if (auto pv = std::get_if<std::complex<float>>(&v); pv) {
     return mx::array(
         static_cast<mx::complex64_t>(*pv), t.value_or(mx::complex64));
diff --git a/python/tests/test_array.py b/python/tests/test_array.py
index e2aa74f04..601e61674 100644
--- a/python/tests/test_array.py
+++ b/python/tests/test_array.py
@@ -434,6 +434,14 @@ class TestArray(mlx_tests.MLXTestCase):
         x = mx.array([0, 4294967295], dtype=mx.float32)
         self.assertTrue(np.array_equal(x, xnp))
 
+    def test_double_keeps_precision(self):
+        x = 39.14223403241
+        out = mx.array(x, dtype=mx.float64).item()
+        self.assertEqual(out, x)
+
+        out = mx.array([x], dtype=mx.float64).item()
+        self.assertEqual(out, x)
+
     def test_construction_from_lists_of_mlx_arrays(self):
         dtypes = [
             mx.bool_,