diff --git a/changelog/14148.doc.rst b/changelog/14148.doc.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b54ae2cd8e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/14148.doc.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Documented a safe ``pytestconfig.cache`` access pattern when the
+``cacheprovider`` plugin is disabled.
diff --git a/doc/en/how-to/cache.rst b/doc/en/how-to/cache.rst
index ca345916fc5..c030e487563 100644
--- a/doc/en/how-to/cache.rst
+++ b/doc/en/how-to/cache.rst
@@ -214,11 +214,18 @@ across pytest invocations:
 
     @pytest.fixture
     def mydata(pytestconfig):
-        val = pytestconfig.cache.get("example/value", None)
+        cache = getattr(pytestconfig, "cache", None)
+        if cache is None:
+            # pytestconfig not having the cache attribute means the
+            # cache plugin is disabled.
+            expensive_computation()
+            return 42
+
+        val = cache.get("example/value", None)
         if val is None:
             expensive_computation()
             val = 42
-            pytestconfig.cache.set("example/value", val)
+            cache.set("example/value", val)
         return val