diff --git a/cache/stores/file/lib.php b/cache/stores/file/lib.php
index 0c08710d55132..5f3920d12cc6a 100644
--- a/cache/stores/file/lib.php
+++ b/cache/stores/file/lib.php
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ protected function prep_data_before_save($data) {
      */
     protected function prep_data_after_read($data) {
         $result = @unserialize($data);
-        if ($result === false) {
+        if ($result === false && $data != serialize(false)) {
             throw new coding_exception('Failed to unserialise data from file. Either failed to read, or failed to write.');
         }
         return $result;