diff --git a/servers/rendering/renderer_rd/shader_rd.cpp b/servers/rendering/renderer_rd/shader_rd.cpp
index d49634b54ef..1abaef2fb2d 100644
--- a/servers/rendering/renderer_rd/shader_rd.cpp
+++ b/servers/rendering/renderer_rd/shader_rd.cpp
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ bool ShaderRD::_load_from_cache(Version *p_version, int p_group) {
 		f = FileAccess::open(_get_cache_file_path(p_version, p_group, api_safe_name, true), FileAccess::READ);
 	}
 
-	if (f.is_null()) {
+	if (f.is_null() && shader_cache_res_dir_valid) {
 		f = FileAccess::open(_get_cache_file_path(p_version, p_group, api_safe_name, false), FileAccess::READ);
 	}
 
@@ -539,8 +539,10 @@ void ShaderRD::_compile_version_start(Version *p_version, int p_group) {
 	p_version->dirty = false;
 
 #if ENABLE_SHADER_CACHE
-	if (_load_from_cache(p_version, p_group)) {
-		return;
+	if (shader_cache_user_dir_valid || shader_cache_res_dir_valid) {
+		if (_load_from_cache(p_version, p_group)) {
+			return;
+		}
 	}
 #endif
 
@@ -823,6 +825,7 @@ void ShaderRD::initialize(const Vector<String> &p_variant_defines, const String
 
 void ShaderRD::_initialize_cache() {
 	shader_cache_user_dir_valid = !shader_cache_user_dir.is_empty();
+	shader_cache_res_dir_valid = !shader_cache_res_dir.is_empty();
 	if (!shader_cache_user_dir_valid) {
 		return;
 	}
diff --git a/servers/rendering/renderer_rd/shader_rd.h b/servers/rendering/renderer_rd/shader_rd.h
index 2a38e27886a..ae2b0eb8afd 100644
--- a/servers/rendering/renderer_rd/shader_rd.h
+++ b/servers/rendering/renderer_rd/shader_rd.h
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ private:
 	static bool shader_cache_save_compressed_zstd;
 	static bool shader_cache_save_debug;
 	bool shader_cache_user_dir_valid = false;
+	bool shader_cache_res_dir_valid = false;
 
 	enum StageType {
 		STAGE_TYPE_VERTEX,