diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/lib/cache.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/lib/cache.ts
index cf268615eba25..1d8e264649634 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/lib/cache.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/lib/cache.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,13 @@ export enum LocalCacheMode {
  */
 export abstract class Cache {
   public static none(): Cache {
-    return { _toCloudFormation: () => undefined, _bind: () => { return; } };
+    return {
+      _toCloudFormation(): CfnProject.ProjectCacheProperty | undefined {
+        return { type: 'NO_CACHE' };
+      },
+      _bind(): void {
+      },
+    };
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/lib/project.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/lib/project.ts
index c6a816e3aedd2..c91f88b227491 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/lib/project.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/lib/project.ts
@@ -1040,10 +1040,10 @@ export class Project extends ProjectBase {
         : new NoArtifacts());
     const artifactsConfig = artifacts.bind(this, this);
 
-    const cache = props.cache || Cache.none();
+    const cache = props.cache;
 
     // give the caching strategy the option to grant permissions to any required resources
-    cache._bind(this);
+    cache?._bind(this);
 
     // Inject download commands for asset if requested
     const environmentVariables = props.environmentVariables || {};
@@ -1085,7 +1085,7 @@ export class Project extends ProjectBase {
       // empty will not remove existing encryptionKeys during an update (ref. t/D17810523)
       encryptionKey: Lazy.string({ produce: () => this._encryptionKey ? this._encryptionKey.keyArn : 'alias/aws/s3' }),
       badgeEnabled: props.badge,
-      cache: cache._toCloudFormation(),
+      cache: cache?._toCloudFormation(),
       name: this.physicalName,
       timeoutInMinutes: props.timeout && props.timeout.toMinutes(),
       queuedTimeoutInMinutes: props.queuedTimeout && props.queuedTimeout.toMinutes(),
@@ -2125,4 +2125,4 @@ export enum ProjectNotificationEvents {
 
 function isBindableBuildImage(x: unknown): x is IBindableBuildImage {
   return typeof x === 'object' && !!x && !!(x as any).bind;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/test/project.test.ts b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/test/project.test.ts
index 0041d1651ec9d..264a192becf84 100644
--- a/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/test/project.test.ts
+++ b/packages/@aws-cdk/aws-codebuild/test/project.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { objectLike, ResourcePart, arrayWith } from '@aws-cdk/assert-internal';
+import { ABSENT, objectLike, ResourcePart, arrayWith } from '@aws-cdk/assert-internal';
 import '@aws-cdk/assert-internal/jest';
 import * as ec2 from '@aws-cdk/aws-ec2';
 import * as iam from '@aws-cdk/aws-iam';
@@ -292,103 +292,123 @@ describe('BitBucket source', () => {
   });
 });
 
-test('project with s3 cache bucket', () => {
-  // GIVEN
-  const stack = new cdk.Stack();
+describe('caching', () => {
+  test('using Cache.none() results in NO_CACHE in the template', () => {
+    // GIVEN
+    const stack = new cdk.Stack();
 
-  // WHEN
-  new codebuild.Project(stack, 'Project', {
-    source: codebuild.Source.s3({
-      bucket: new s3.Bucket(stack, 'SourceBucket'),
-      path: 'path',
-    }),
-    cache: codebuild.Cache.bucket(new s3.Bucket(stack, 'Bucket'), {
-      prefix: 'cache-prefix',
-    }),
+    // WHEN
+    new codebuild.PipelineProject(stack, 'Project', {
+      cache: codebuild.Cache.none(),
+    });
+
+    // THEN
+    expect(stack).toHaveResourceLike('AWS::CodeBuild::Project', {
+      Cache: {
+        Type: 'NO_CACHE',
+        Location: ABSENT,
+      },
+    });
   });
 
-  // THEN
-  expect(stack).toHaveResourceLike('AWS::CodeBuild::Project', {
-    Cache: {
-      Type: 'S3',
-      Location: {
-        'Fn::Join': [
-          '/',
-          [
-            {
-              'Ref': 'Bucket83908E77',
-            },
-            'cache-prefix',
+  test('project with s3 cache bucket', () => {
+    // GIVEN
+    const stack = new cdk.Stack();
+
+    // WHEN
+    new codebuild.Project(stack, 'Project', {
+      source: codebuild.Source.s3({
+        bucket: new s3.Bucket(stack, 'SourceBucket'),
+        path: 'path',
+      }),
+      cache: codebuild.Cache.bucket(new s3.Bucket(stack, 'Bucket'), {
+        prefix: 'cache-prefix',
+      }),
+    });
+
+    // THEN
+    expect(stack).toHaveResourceLike('AWS::CodeBuild::Project', {
+      Cache: {
+        Type: 'S3',
+        Location: {
+          'Fn::Join': [
+            '/',
+            [
+              {
+                'Ref': 'Bucket83908E77',
+              },
+              'cache-prefix',
+            ],
           ],
-        ],
+        },
       },
-    },
+    });
   });
-});
 
-test('s3 codebuild project with sourceVersion', () => {
-  // GIVEN
-  const stack = new cdk.Stack();
+  test('s3 codebuild project with sourceVersion', () => {
+    // GIVEN
+    const stack = new cdk.Stack();
 
-  // WHEN
-  new codebuild.Project(stack, 'Project', {
-    source: codebuild.Source.s3({
-      bucket: new s3.Bucket(stack, 'Bucket'),
-      path: 'path',
-      version: 's3version',
-    }),
-    cache: codebuild.Cache.local(codebuild.LocalCacheMode.CUSTOM, codebuild.LocalCacheMode.DOCKER_LAYER,
-      codebuild.LocalCacheMode.SOURCE),
-  });
+    // WHEN
+    new codebuild.Project(stack, 'Project', {
+      source: codebuild.Source.s3({
+        bucket: new s3.Bucket(stack, 'Bucket'),
+        path: 'path',
+        version: 's3version',
+      }),
+      cache: codebuild.Cache.local(codebuild.LocalCacheMode.CUSTOM, codebuild.LocalCacheMode.DOCKER_LAYER,
+        codebuild.LocalCacheMode.SOURCE),
+    });
 
-  // THEN
-  expect(stack).toHaveResource('AWS::CodeBuild::Project', {
-    SourceVersion: 's3version',
+    // THEN
+    expect(stack).toHaveResource('AWS::CodeBuild::Project', {
+      SourceVersion: 's3version',
+    });
   });
-});
 
-test('project with local cache modes', () => {
-  // GIVEN
-  const stack = new cdk.Stack();
+  test('project with local cache modes', () => {
+    // GIVEN
+    const stack = new cdk.Stack();
 
-  // WHEN
-  new codebuild.Project(stack, 'Project', {
-    source: codebuild.Source.s3({
-      bucket: new s3.Bucket(stack, 'Bucket'),
-      path: 'path',
-    }),
-    cache: codebuild.Cache.local(codebuild.LocalCacheMode.CUSTOM, codebuild.LocalCacheMode.DOCKER_LAYER,
-      codebuild.LocalCacheMode.SOURCE),
-  });
+    // WHEN
+    new codebuild.Project(stack, 'Project', {
+      source: codebuild.Source.s3({
+        bucket: new s3.Bucket(stack, 'Bucket'),
+        path: 'path',
+      }),
+      cache: codebuild.Cache.local(codebuild.LocalCacheMode.CUSTOM, codebuild.LocalCacheMode.DOCKER_LAYER,
+        codebuild.LocalCacheMode.SOURCE),
+    });
 
-  // THEN
-  expect(stack).toHaveResourceLike('AWS::CodeBuild::Project', {
-    Cache: {
-      Type: 'LOCAL',
-      Modes: [
-        'LOCAL_CUSTOM_CACHE',
-        'LOCAL_DOCKER_LAYER_CACHE',
-        'LOCAL_SOURCE_CACHE',
-      ],
-    },
+    // THEN
+    expect(stack).toHaveResourceLike('AWS::CodeBuild::Project', {
+      Cache: {
+        Type: 'LOCAL',
+        Modes: [
+          'LOCAL_CUSTOM_CACHE',
+          'LOCAL_DOCKER_LAYER_CACHE',
+          'LOCAL_SOURCE_CACHE',
+        ],
+      },
+    });
   });
-});
 
-test('project by default has no cache modes', () => {
-  // GIVEN
-  const stack = new cdk.Stack();
+  test('project by default has no cache modes', () => {
+    // GIVEN
+    const stack = new cdk.Stack();
 
-  // WHEN
-  new codebuild.Project(stack, 'Project', {
-    source: codebuild.Source.s3({
-      bucket: new s3.Bucket(stack, 'Bucket'),
-      path: 'path',
-    }),
-  });
+    // WHEN
+    new codebuild.Project(stack, 'Project', {
+      source: codebuild.Source.s3({
+        bucket: new s3.Bucket(stack, 'Bucket'),
+        path: 'path',
+      }),
+    });
 
-  // THEN
-  expect(stack).not.toHaveResourceLike('AWS::CodeBuild::Project', {
-    Cache: {},
+    // THEN
+    expect(stack).not.toHaveResourceLike('AWS::CodeBuild::Project', {
+      Cache: {},
+    });
   });
 });