diff --git a/.yarn/versions/c6c3dd7a.yml b/.yarn/versions/c6c3dd7a.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..b3aacffd1f6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.yarn/versions/c6c3dd7a.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+releases:
+  "@yarnpkg/cli": minor
+  "@yarnpkg/core": minor
+  "@yarnpkg/plugin-essentials": minor
+
+declined:
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-compat"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-constraints"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-dlx"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-exec"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-file"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-git"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-github"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-http"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-init"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-interactive-tools"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-link"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-nm"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-npm"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-npm-cli"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-pack"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-patch"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-pnp"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-pnpm"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-stage"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-typescript"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-version"
+  - "@yarnpkg/plugin-workspace-tools"
+  - "@yarnpkg/builder"
+  - "@yarnpkg/doctor"
+  - "@yarnpkg/extensions"
+  - "@yarnpkg/nm"
+  - "@yarnpkg/pnpify"
+  - "@yarnpkg/sdks"
diff --git a/packages/acceptance-tests/pkg-tests-specs/sources/commands/cache/clean.test.js b/packages/acceptance-tests/pkg-tests-specs/sources/commands/cache/clean.test.js
index dbfabc0935f1..1c584dcdeb62 100644
--- a/packages/acceptance-tests/pkg-tests-specs/sources/commands/cache/clean.test.js
+++ b/packages/acceptance-tests/pkg-tests-specs/sources/commands/cache/clean.test.js
@@ -37,5 +37,16 @@ describe(`Commands`, () => {
       expect(xfs.existsSync(`${path}/.yarn/cache`)).toEqual(false);
       expect(xfs.existsSync(`${path}/.yarn/global/cache`)).toEqual(false);
     }));
+
+    test(`it should follow the enableCacheClean configuration`, makeTemporaryEnv({
+      dependencies: {
+        [`no-deps`]: `1.0.0`,
+      },
+    }, {
+      enableCacheClean: false,
+    }, async ({path, run, source}) => {
+      await run(`install`);
+      await expect(run(`cache`, `clean`)).rejects.toThrowError();
+    }));
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/plugin-essentials/sources/commands/cache/clean.ts b/packages/plugin-essentials/sources/commands/cache/clean.ts
index 81a8f2d0e6c9..5d515495bc31 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-essentials/sources/commands/cache/clean.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-essentials/sources/commands/cache/clean.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import {BaseCommand}                               from '@yarnpkg/cli';
 import {Configuration, Cache, StreamReport, Hooks} from '@yarnpkg/core';
 import {xfs}                                       from '@yarnpkg/fslib';
-import {Command, Option, Usage}                    from 'clipanion';
+import {Command, Option, Usage, UsageError}        from 'clipanion';
 
 // eslint-disable-next-line arca/no-default-export
 export default class CacheCleanCommand extends BaseCommand {
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@ export default class CacheCleanCommand extends BaseCommand {
 
   async execute() {
     const configuration = await Configuration.find(this.context.cwd, this.context.plugins);
+
+    if (!configuration.get(`enableCacheClean`))
+      throw new UsageError(`Cache cleaning is currently disabled. To enable it, set \`enableCacheClean: true\` in your configuration file. Note: Cache cleaning is typically not required and should be avoided when using Zero-Installs.`);
+
     const cache = await Cache.find(configuration);
 
     const report = await StreamReport.start({
diff --git a/packages/yarnpkg-core/sources/Configuration.ts b/packages/yarnpkg-core/sources/Configuration.ts
index 241f9bb9f1e3..0b76f83918a9 100644
--- a/packages/yarnpkg-core/sources/Configuration.ts
+++ b/packages/yarnpkg-core/sources/Configuration.ts
@@ -567,6 +567,11 @@ export const coreDefinitions: {[coreSettingName: string]: SettingsDefinition} =
     type: SettingsType.BOOLEAN,
     default: false,
   },
+  enableCacheClean: {
+    description: `If false, disallows the \`cache clean\` command`,
+    type: SettingsType.BOOLEAN,
+    default: true,
+  },
   checksumBehavior: {
     description: `Enumeration defining what to do when a checksum doesn't match expectations`,
     type: SettingsType.STRING,