diff --git a/bin/common.ml b/bin/common.ml
index 46aed1da17cb..4f9076934259 100644
--- a/bin/common.ml
+++ b/bin/common.ml
@@ -418,6 +418,21 @@ let shared_with_config_file =
       value
       & opt (some (enum Config.Toggle.all)) None
       & info [ "cache" ] ~docs ~env:(Cmd.Env.info ~doc "DUNE_CACHE") ~doc)
+  and+ cache_user_rules =
+    let doc =
+      Printf.sprintf
+        "Enable or disable caching user-created rules (%s). Default is `%s'."
+        (Arg.doc_alts_enum Config.Toggle.all)
+        (Config.Toggle.to_string Dune_config.default.cache_user_rules)
+    in
+    Arg.(
+      value
+      & opt (some (enum Config.Toggle.all)) None
+      & info
+          [ "cache-user-rules" ]
+          ~docs
+          ~env:(Cmd.Env.info ~doc "DUNE_CACHE_USER_RULES")
+          ~doc)
   and+ cache_storage_mode =
     let doc =
       Printf.sprintf
@@ -480,6 +495,7 @@ let shared_with_config_file =
   ; sandboxing_preference = Option.map sandboxing_preference ~f:(fun x -> [ x ])
   ; terminal_persistence
   ; cache_enabled
+  ; cache_user_rules
   ; cache_reproducibility_check =
       Option.map
         cache_check_probability
@@ -1217,6 +1233,7 @@ let init (builder : Builder.t) =
       Enabled
         { storage_mode = Option.value config.cache_storage_mode ~default:Hardlink
         ; reproducibility_check = config.cache_reproducibility_check
+        ; cache_user_rules = config.cache_user_rules = `Enabled
         }
   in
   Log.info [ Pp.textf "Shared cache: %s" (Config.Toggle.to_string config.cache_enabled) ];
diff --git a/src/dune_cache/config.ml b/src/dune_cache/config.ml
index e14ab5f7ae47..de3264e786c0 100644
--- a/src/dune_cache/config.ml
+++ b/src/dune_cache/config.ml
@@ -43,4 +43,5 @@ type t =
   | Enabled of
       { storage_mode : Dune_cache_storage.Mode.t
       ; reproducibility_check : Reproducibility_check.t
+      ; cache_user_rules : bool
       }
diff --git a/src/dune_cache/config.mli b/src/dune_cache/config.mli
index e7461c5baa39..fc33dff0bba2 100644
--- a/src/dune_cache/config.mli
+++ b/src/dune_cache/config.mli
@@ -47,4 +47,5 @@ type t =
   | Enabled of
       { storage_mode : Dune_cache_storage.Mode.t
       ; reproducibility_check : Reproducibility_check.t
+      ; cache_user_rules : bool
       }
diff --git a/src/dune_cache/shared.ml b/src/dune_cache/shared.ml
index 21577b83efb6..15cdc9eb4267 100644
--- a/src/dune_cache/shared.ml
+++ b/src/dune_cache/shared.ml
@@ -65,28 +65,27 @@ struct
     | Error exn -> Miss (Error (Printexc.to_string exn))
   ;;
 
-  let lookup_impl ~rule_digest ~targets =
+  let lookup_impl ~can_go_in_shared_cache ~rule_digest ~targets =
     match config with
     | Disabled -> Fiber.return (Hit_or_miss.Miss Miss_reason.Cache_disabled)
-    | Enabled { storage_mode = mode; reproducibility_check } ->
-      (match Config.Reproducibility_check.sample reproducibility_check with
-       | true ->
-         (* CR-someday amokhov: Here we re-execute the rule, as in Jenga. To make
-            [check_probability] more meaningful, we could first make sure that
-            the shared cache actually does contain an entry for [rule_digest]. *)
-         Fiber.return (Hit_or_miss.Miss Miss_reason.Rerunning_for_reproducibility_check)
-       | false -> try_to_restore_from_shared_cache ~mode ~rule_digest ~targets)
+    | Enabled { storage_mode = mode; reproducibility_check; cache_user_rules } ->
+      if can_go_in_shared_cache || cache_user_rules
+      then (
+        match Config.Reproducibility_check.sample reproducibility_check with
+        | true ->
+          (* CR-someday amokhov: Here we re-execute the rule, as in Jenga. To make
+             [check_probability] more meaningful, we could first make sure that
+             the shared cache actually does contain an entry for [rule_digest]. *)
+          Fiber.return (Hit_or_miss.Miss Miss_reason.Rerunning_for_reproducibility_check)
+        | false -> try_to_restore_from_shared_cache ~mode ~rule_digest ~targets)
+      else Fiber.return (Hit_or_miss.Miss Miss_reason.Cannot_go_in_shared_cache)
   ;;
 
   let lookup ~can_go_in_shared_cache ~rule_digest ~targets
     : Digest.t Targets.Produced.t option Fiber.t
     =
     let open Fiber.O in
-    let+ result =
-      match can_go_in_shared_cache with
-      | false -> Fiber.return (Hit_or_miss.Miss Miss_reason.Cannot_go_in_shared_cache)
-      | true -> lookup_impl ~rule_digest ~targets
-    in
+    let+ result = lookup_impl ~can_go_in_shared_cache ~rule_digest ~targets in
     match result with
     | Hit result -> Some result
     | Miss reason ->
@@ -277,8 +276,8 @@ struct
     : Digest.t Targets.Produced.t Fiber.t
     =
     match config with
-    | Enabled { storage_mode = mode; reproducibility_check = _ }
-      when can_go_in_shared_cache ->
+    | Enabled { storage_mode = mode; reproducibility_check = _; cache_user_rules }
+      when can_go_in_shared_cache || cache_user_rules ->
       let open Fiber.O in
       let+ produced_targets_with_digests =
         try_to_store_to_shared_cache ~mode ~rule_digest ~produced_targets ~action
diff --git a/src/dune_config_file/dune_config_file.ml b/src/dune_config_file/dune_config_file.ml
index 3220aa598d4e..edb8b6d67800 100644
--- a/src/dune_config_file/dune_config_file.ml
+++ b/src/dune_config_file/dune_config_file.ml
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ module Dune_config = struct
   module Log = Dune_util.Log
   module Config = Dune_config.Config
   module Execution_env = Dune_util.Execution_env
-  module Feature_flags = Feature_flags
 
   (* the configuration file use the same version numbers as dune-project files for
      simplicity *)
@@ -123,6 +122,7 @@ module Dune_config = struct
       ; terminal_persistence : Terminal_persistence.t field
       ; sandboxing_preference : Sandboxing_preference.t field
       ; cache_enabled : Config.Toggle.t field
+      ; cache_user_rules : Config.Toggle.t field
       ; cache_reproducibility_check : Dune_cache.Config.Reproducibility_check.t field
       ; cache_storage_mode : Cache.Storage_mode.t field
       ; action_stdout_on_success : Action_output_on_success.t field
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ module Dune_config = struct
       ; terminal_persistence = field a.terminal_persistence b.terminal_persistence
       ; sandboxing_preference = field a.sandboxing_preference b.sandboxing_preference
       ; cache_enabled = field a.cache_enabled b.cache_enabled
+      ; cache_user_rules = field a.cache_user_rules b.cache_user_rules
       ; cache_reproducibility_check =
           field a.cache_reproducibility_check b.cache_reproducibility_check
       ; cache_storage_mode = field a.cache_storage_mode b.cache_storage_mode
@@ -173,6 +174,7 @@ module Dune_config = struct
       ; terminal_persistence
       ; sandboxing_preference
       ; cache_enabled
+      ; cache_user_rules
       ; cache_reproducibility_check
       ; cache_storage_mode
       ; action_stdout_on_success
@@ -187,6 +189,7 @@ module Dune_config = struct
         ; ( "sandboxing_preference"
           , field (Dyn.list Sandbox_mode.to_dyn) sandboxing_preference )
         ; "cache_enabled", field Config.Toggle.to_dyn cache_enabled
+        ; "cache_user_rules", field Config.Toggle.to_dyn cache_user_rules
         ; ( "cache_reproducibility_check"
           , field
               Dune_cache.Config.Reproducibility_check.to_dyn
@@ -215,6 +218,7 @@ module Dune_config = struct
       ; terminal_persistence = None
       ; sandboxing_preference = None
       ; cache_enabled = None
+      ; cache_user_rules = None
       ; cache_reproducibility_check = None
       ; cache_storage_mode = None
       ; action_stdout_on_success = None
@@ -280,14 +284,10 @@ module Dune_config = struct
     ; concurrency = (if Execution_env.inside_dune then Fixed 1 else Auto)
     ; terminal_persistence = Clear_on_rebuild
     ; sandboxing_preference = []
-    ; cache_enabled =
-        (if Feature_flags.cache_enabled_by_default then `Enabled else `Disabled)
-    ; cache_reproducibility_check =
-        (if Feature_flags.cache_enabled_by_default then Check else Skip)
-    ; cache_storage_mode =
-        (if Feature_flags.cache_enabled_by_default
-         then Some (Dune_cache_storage.Mode.default ())
-         else None)
+    ; cache_enabled = `Enabled
+    ; cache_user_rules = `Disabled
+    ; cache_reproducibility_check = Check
+    ; cache_storage_mode = Some (Dune_cache_storage.Mode.default ())
     ; action_stdout_on_success = Print
     ; action_stderr_on_success = Print
     ; experimental = []
@@ -307,6 +307,7 @@ module Dune_config = struct
     and+ sandboxing_preference =
       field_o "sandboxing_preference" (1, 0) Sandboxing_preference.decode
     and+ cache_enabled = field_o "cache" (2, 0) (enum Config.Toggle.all)
+    and+ cache_user_rules = field_o "cache-user-rules" (2, 0) (enum Config.Toggle.all)
     and+ _cache_transport_unused_since_3_0 =
       field_o
         "cache-transport"
@@ -369,6 +370,7 @@ module Dune_config = struct
     ; terminal_persistence
     ; sandboxing_preference
     ; cache_enabled
+    ; cache_user_rules
     ; cache_reproducibility_check
     ; cache_storage_mode
     ; action_stdout_on_success
diff --git a/src/dune_config_file/dune_config_file.mli b/src/dune_config_file/dune_config_file.mli
index 0f33225084b2..9586b058e392 100644
--- a/src/dune_config_file/dune_config_file.mli
+++ b/src/dune_config_file/dune_config_file.mli
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ module Dune_config : sig
       ; terminal_persistence : Terminal_persistence.t field
       ; sandboxing_preference : Sandboxing_preference.t field
       ; cache_enabled : Config.Toggle.t field
+      ; cache_user_rules : Config.Toggle.t field
       ; cache_reproducibility_check : Dune_cache.Config.Reproducibility_check.t field
       ; cache_storage_mode : Cache.Storage_mode.t field
       ; action_stdout_on_success : Action_output_on_success.t field
diff --git a/src/dune_config_file/feature_flags.ml b/src/dune_config_file/feature_flags.ml
deleted file mode 100644
index f9521684aa35..000000000000
--- a/src/dune_config_file/feature_flags.ml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-let cache_enabled_by_default = false
diff --git a/src/dune_engine/action.ml b/src/dune_engine/action.ml
index 4f61d4736134..6b71c1cb5721 100644
--- a/src/dune_engine/action.ml
+++ b/src/dune_engine/action.ml
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ module Full = struct
   let make
     ?(env = Env.empty)
     ?(locks = [])
-    ?(can_go_in_shared_cache = true)
+    ?(can_go_in_shared_cache = false)
     ?(sandbox = Sandbox_config.default)
     action
     =
diff --git a/src/dune_engine/action.mli b/src/dune_engine/action.mli
index d67d0c1a496b..ab3cef1db799 100644
--- a/src/dune_engine/action.mli
+++ b/src/dune_engine/action.mli
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ module Full : sig
   val make
     :  ?env:Env.t (** default [Env.empty] *)
     -> ?locks:Path.t list (** default [[]] *)
-    -> ?can_go_in_shared_cache:bool (** default [true] *)
+    -> ?can_go_in_shared_cache:bool (** default [false] *)
     -> ?sandbox:Sandbox_config.t (** default [Sandbox_config.default] *)
     -> action
     -> t