diff --git a/src/all_types.hpp b/src/all_types.hpp
index f9c50eeaac..3dfbc6ba7f 100644
--- a/src/all_types.hpp
+++ b/src/all_types.hpp
@@ -1682,6 +1682,7 @@ struct CodeGen {
     Buf output_file_path;
     Buf o_file_output_path;
     Buf *wanted_output_file_path;
+    Buf cache_dir;
 
     IrInstruction *invalid_instruction;
 
diff --git a/src/cache_hash.cpp b/src/cache_hash.cpp
index 65e3e62ae0..b302946310 100644
--- a/src/cache_hash.cpp
+++ b/src/cache_hash.cpp
@@ -467,11 +467,3 @@ void cache_release(CacheHash *ch) {
     assert(ch->manifest_file_path != nullptr);
     os_file_close(ch->manifest_file);
 }
-
-Buf *get_random_basename() {
-    Buf *result = buf_alloc();
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < 16; i += 1) {
-        buf_append_char(result, base64_fs_alphabet[rand() % 64]);
-    }
-    return result;
-}
diff --git a/src/cache_hash.hpp b/src/cache_hash.hpp
index 6acd805be6..db1c42ec03 100644
--- a/src/cache_hash.hpp
+++ b/src/cache_hash.hpp
@@ -68,8 +68,4 @@ Error ATTRIBUTE_MUST_USE cache_final(CacheHash *ch, Buf *out_b64_digest);
 void cache_release(CacheHash *ch);
 
 
-
-// Completely independent function. Just returns a random filename safe basename.
-Buf *get_random_basename();
-
 #endif
diff --git a/src/codegen.cpp b/src/codegen.cpp
index 96e979f9d3..aeb2b6edc4 100644
--- a/src/codegen.cpp
+++ b/src/codegen.cpp
@@ -8195,8 +8195,6 @@ void codegen_build_and_link(CodeGen *g) {
         }
 
         os_path_join(stage1_dir, buf_create_from_str("artifact"), artifact_dir);
-    } else {
-        os_path_join(stage1_dir, buf_create_from_str("tmp"), artifact_dir);
     }
 
     if (g->enable_cache && buf_len(&digest) != 0) {
@@ -8217,8 +8215,7 @@ void codegen_build_and_link(CodeGen *g) {
             }
             os_path_join(artifact_dir, &digest, &g->artifact_dir);
         } else {
-            Buf *tmp_basename = get_random_basename(); 
-            os_path_join(artifact_dir, tmp_basename, &g->artifact_dir);
+            buf_init_from_buf(&g->artifact_dir, &g->cache_dir);
         }
         if ((err = os_make_path(&g->artifact_dir))) {
             fprintf(stderr, "Unable to create artifact directory: %s\n", err_str(err));
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 1751fabfe5..f18dd949b0 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     size_t ver_minor = 0;
     size_t ver_patch = 0;
     bool timing_info = false;
-    const char *cache_dir = nullptr;
+    const char *cache_dir = default_zig_cache_name;
     CliPkg *cur_pkg = allocate<CliPkg>(1);
     BuildMode build_mode = BuildModeDebug;
     ZigList<const char *> test_exec_args = {0};
@@ -402,6 +402,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         os_path_join(special_dir, buf_create_from_str("build_runner.zig"), build_runner_path);
 
         CodeGen *g = codegen_create(build_runner_path, nullptr, OutTypeExe, BuildModeDebug, zig_lib_dir_buf);
+        buf_init_from_str(&g->cache_dir, cache_dir);
         codegen_set_out_name(g, buf_create_from_str("build"));
 
         Buf *build_file_buf = buf_create_from_str(build_file);
@@ -410,13 +411,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         Buf build_file_dirname = BUF_INIT;
         os_path_split(&build_file_abs, &build_file_dirname, &build_file_basename);
 
-        Buf full_cache_dir = BUF_INIT;
-        if (cache_dir == nullptr) {
-            os_path_join(&build_file_dirname, buf_create_from_str(default_zig_cache_name), &full_cache_dir);
-        } else {
-            Buf *cache_dir_buf = buf_create_from_str(cache_dir);
-            full_cache_dir = os_path_resolve(&cache_dir_buf, 1);
-        }
+        Buf *cache_dir_buf = buf_create_from_str(cache_dir);
+        Buf full_cache_dir = os_path_resolve(&cache_dir_buf, 1);
 
         args.items[1] = buf_ptr(&build_file_dirname);
         args.items[2] = buf_ptr(&full_cache_dir);
@@ -832,6 +828,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
             Buf *zig_lib_dir_buf = resolve_zig_lib_dir();
 
             CodeGen *g = codegen_create(zig_root_source_file, target, out_type, build_mode, zig_lib_dir_buf);
+            buf_init_from_str(&g->cache_dir, cache_dir);
             codegen_set_out_name(g, buf_out_name);
             codegen_set_lib_version(g, ver_major, ver_minor, ver_patch);
             codegen_set_is_test(g, cmd == CmdTest);