diff --git a/devenv/src/cli.rs b/devenv/src/cli.rs
index 2d42dd686..35a541eb8 100644
--- a/devenv/src/cli.rs
+++ b/devenv/src/cli.rs
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ pub struct GlobalOptions {
     )]
     pub impure: bool,
 
+    #[arg(long, global = true, help = "Use flake cache for evaluation results.")]
+    pub eval_cache: bool,
+
     #[arg(
         long,
         global = true,
@@ -97,6 +100,7 @@ impl Default for GlobalOptions {
             cores: 2,
             system: default_system(),
             impure: false,
+            eval_cache: false,
             offline: false,
             clean: None,
             nix_debugger: false,
diff --git a/devenv/src/command.rs b/devenv/src/command.rs
index 638fe26ef..efac01ce9 100644
--- a/devenv/src/command.rs
+++ b/devenv/src/command.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use std::env;
 use std::os::unix::process::CommandExt;
 use std::path::Path;
 
-const NIX_FLAGS: [&str; 12] = [
+const NIX_FLAGS: [&str; 9] = [
     "--show-trace",
     "--extra-experimental-features",
     "nix-command",
@@ -16,10 +16,6 @@ const NIX_FLAGS: [&str; 12] = [
     "--option",
     "warn-dirty",
     "false",
-    // flake caching is too aggressive
-    "--option",
-    "eval-cache",
-    "false",
     // always build all dependencies and report errors at the end
     "--keep-going",
 ];
@@ -112,6 +108,11 @@ impl Devenv {
             let max_jobs = self.global_options.max_jobs.to_string();
             flags.push(&max_jobs);
 
+            flags.push("--option");
+            flags.push("eval-cache");
+            let eval_cache = self.global_options.eval_cache.to_string();
+            flags.push(&eval_cache);
+
             // handle --nix-option key value
             for chunk in self.global_options.nix_option.chunks_exact(2) {
                 flags.push("--option");