diff --git a/lib/cli-engine.js b/lib/cli-engine.js
index 2d9299339e6..c878778b680 100644
--- a/lib/cli-engine.js
+++ b/lib/cli-engine.js
@@ -457,10 +457,6 @@ function CLIEngine(options) {
      */
     this._fileCache = fileEntryCache.create(cacheFile);
 
-    if (!this.options.cache) {
-        this._fileCache.destroy();
-    }
-
     // load in additional rules
     if (this.options.rulePaths) {
         var cwd = this.options.cwd;
@@ -665,6 +661,8 @@ CLIEngine.prototype = {
                     // move to the next file
                     return;
                 }
+            } else {
+                fileCache.destroy();
             }
 
             debug("Processing " + filename);
diff --git a/tests/lib/cli-engine.js b/tests/lib/cli-engine.js
index 97871f3a9e8..d28ef362d00 100644
--- a/tests/lib/cli-engine.js
+++ b/tests/lib/cli-engine.js
@@ -1774,6 +1774,7 @@ describe("CLIEngine", function() {
 
                 assert.isFalse(fs.existsSync(cacheFile), "the cache for eslint was deleted since last run did not used the cache");
             });
+
             it("should not store in the cache a file that failed the test", function() {
 
                 var cacheFile = getFixturePath(".eslintcache");
@@ -1812,6 +1813,95 @@ describe("CLIEngine", function() {
                 assert.deepEqual(result, cachedResult, "result is the same with or without cache");
             });
 
+            it("should not delete cache when executing on text", function() {
+                var cacheFile = getFixturePath(".eslintcache");
+
+                engine = new CLIEngine({
+                    cwd: path.join(fixtureDir, ".."),
+                    useEslintrc: false,
+                    cacheFile: cacheFile,
+                    rules: {
+                        "no-console": 0,
+                        "no-unused-vars": 2
+                    },
+                    extensions: ["js"]
+                });
+
+                assert.isTrue(fs.existsSync(cacheFile), "the cache for eslint exists");
+
+                engine.executeOnText("var foo = 'bar';");
+
+                assert.isTrue(fs.existsSync(cacheFile), "the cache for eslint still exists");
+            });
+
+            it("should not delete cache when executing on text with a provided filename", function() {
+                var cacheFile = getFixturePath(".eslintcache");
+
+                engine = new CLIEngine({
+                    cwd: path.join(fixtureDir, ".."),
+                    useEslintrc: false,
+                    cacheFile: cacheFile,
+                    rules: {
+                        "no-console": 0,
+                        "no-unused-vars": 2
+                    },
+                    extensions: ["js"]
+                });
+
+                assert.isTrue(fs.existsSync(cacheFile), "the cache for eslint exists");
+
+                engine.executeOnText("var bar = foo;", "fixtures/passing.js");
+
+                assert.isTrue(fs.existsSync(cacheFile), "the cache for eslint still exists");
+            });
+
+            it("should not delete cache when executing on files with --cache flag", function() {
+                var cacheFile = getFixturePath(".eslintcache");
+
+                engine = new CLIEngine({
+                    cwd: path.join(fixtureDir, ".."),
+                    useEslintrc: false,
+                    cache: true,
+                    cacheFile: cacheFile,
+                    rules: {
+                        "no-console": 0,
+                        "no-unused-vars": 2
+                    },
+                    extensions: ["js"]
+                });
+
+                var file = getFixturePath("cli-engine", "console.js");
+
+                assert.isTrue(fs.existsSync(cacheFile), "the cache for eslint exists");
+
+                engine.executeOnFiles([file]);
+
+                assert.isTrue(fs.existsSync(cacheFile), "the cache for eslint still exists");
+            });
+
+            it("should delete cache when executing on files without --cache flag", function() {
+                var cacheFile = getFixturePath(".eslintcache");
+
+                engine = new CLIEngine({
+                    cwd: path.join(fixtureDir, ".."),
+                    useEslintrc: false,
+                    cacheFile: cacheFile,
+                    rules: {
+                        "no-console": 0,
+                        "no-unused-vars": 2
+                    },
+                    extensions: ["js"]
+                });
+
+                var file = getFixturePath("cli-engine", "console.js");
+
+                assert.isTrue(fs.existsSync(cacheFile), "the cache for eslint exists");
+
+                engine.executeOnFiles([file]);
+
+                assert.isFalse(fs.existsSync(cacheFile), "the cache for eslint has been deleted");
+            });
+
             describe("cacheFile", function() {
                 it("should use the specified cache file", function() {
                     var customCacheFile = path.resolve(".cache/custom-cache");