diff --git a/.changeset/share-compile-cache-with-child-processes.md b/.changeset/share-compile-cache-with-child-processes.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..12219e104bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/share-compile-cache-with-child-processes.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"webpack-cli": patch
+---
+
+perf: share the compile cache with child processes and worker threads, such as minimizer workers, so they start warm too
diff --git a/packages/webpack-cli/bin/cli.js b/packages/webpack-cli/bin/cli.js
index 6e496b42bb9..0ebc85ef4ac 100755
--- a/packages/webpack-cli/bin/cli.js
+++ b/packages/webpack-cli/bin/cli.js
@@ -4,11 +4,22 @@
 
 // `module.enableCompileCache` is only available on Node.js >= 22.8.0
 // eslint-disable-next-line n/no-unsupported-features/node-builtins
-const { enableCompileCache } = require("node:module");
+const { constants, enableCompileCache } = require("node:module");
 
 if (enableCompileCache) {
   try {
-    enableCompileCache();
+    const { status, directory } = enableCompileCache();
+
+    // Minimizer workers and other child processes start without the cache;
+    // the variable Node reads at startup hands them the same directory. Only a
+    // fresh start returns the base directory, which children tag by version.
+    if (
+      // eslint-disable-next-line n/no-unsupported-features/node-builtins
+      status === constants.compileCacheStatus.ENABLED &&
+      process.env.NODE_COMPILE_CACHE === undefined
+    ) {
+      process.env.NODE_COMPILE_CACHE = directory;
+    }
   } catch {
     // Ignore errors
   }
diff --git a/test/build/compile-cache/compile-cache.test.js b/test/build/compile-cache/compile-cache.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f094e7871e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/build/compile-cache/compile-cache.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+"use strict";
+
+const fs = require("node:fs");
+const { enableCompileCache } = require("node:module");
+const os = require("node:os");
+const path = require("node:path");
+const { run } = require("../../utils/test-utils");
+
+/**
+ * Runs the CLI on a configuration that reports the compile cache directory of the
+ * child process and the worker thread it starts.
+ * @param {Record<string, string>} env variables to set on top of a clean environment
+ * @returns {Promise<{ variable: string | null, child: string | null, worker: string | null }>} what it reported
+ */
+const report = async (env) => {
+  const cleanEnv = Object.fromEntries(
+    Object.entries(process.env).filter(
+      ([name]) => !name.startsWith("NODE_COMPILE_CACHE") && name !== "NODE_DISABLE_COMPILE_CACHE",
+    ),
+  );
+  const { exitCode, stdout } = await run(__dirname, [], {
+    env: { ...cleanEnv, ...env },
+    extendEnv: false,
+  });
+
+  expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
+
+  return JSON.parse(stdout.slice(stdout.indexOf("REPORT") + 6).split("\n")[0]);
+};
+
+describe("compile cache", () => {
+  // `module.enableCompileCache` is only available on Node.js >= 22.8.0
+  if (!enableCompileCache) {
+    it("should hand nothing on without a compile cache", async () => {
+      expect(await report({})).toEqual({ variable: null, child: null, worker: null });
+    });
+
+    return;
+  }
+
+  it("should hand the compile cache to child processes and worker threads", async () => {
+    const { variable, child, worker } = await report({});
+
+    expect(typeof variable).toBe("string");
+    expect(child.startsWith(variable)).toBe(true);
+    expect(worker.startsWith(variable)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("should keep a directory the environment already names", async () => {
+    const directory = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "webpack-cli-compile-cache-"));
+
+    try {
+      const { variable, child, worker } = await report({ NODE_COMPILE_CACHE: directory });
+
+      expect(variable).toBe(directory);
+      expect(child.startsWith(directory)).toBe(true);
+      expect(worker.startsWith(directory)).toBe(true);
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(directory, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("should hand nothing on when a preload has already enabled the compile cache", async () => {
+    const { variable, child, worker } = await report({
+      NODE_OPTIONS: `--require ${path.resolve(__dirname, "preload.js")}`,
+    });
+
+    // The preload's directory is already version-tagged; handing it on would tag it twice.
+    expect(variable).toBeNull();
+    expect(child).toBe(worker);
+    expect(child.match(/v\d+\.\d+\.\d+-/g)).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it("should hand nothing on where the compile cache is disabled", async () => {
+    expect(await report({ NODE_DISABLE_COMPILE_CACHE: "1" })).toEqual({
+      variable: null,
+      child: null,
+      worker: null,
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/build/compile-cache/preload.js b/test/build/compile-cache/preload.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a5c3cad7ca5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/build/compile-cache/preload.js
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+"use strict";
+
+require("node:module").enableCompileCache();
diff --git a/test/build/compile-cache/src/index.js b/test/build/compile-cache/src/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..94ea297bb85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/build/compile-cache/src/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+console.log("compile cache");
diff --git a/test/build/compile-cache/webpack.config.js b/test/build/compile-cache/webpack.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ba8979a855a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/build/compile-cache/webpack.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+"use strict";
+
+const { execFileSync } = require("node:child_process");
+const { Worker } = require("node:worker_threads");
+
+// `module.getCompileCacheDir` is only available on Node.js >= 22.8.0
+const script = "(require('node:module').getCompileCacheDir || (() => null))() || null";
+
+const child = execFileSync(process.execPath, ["-p", `JSON.stringify(${script})`], {
+  encoding: "utf8",
+});
+
+new Worker(`require("node:worker_threads").parentPort.postMessage(${script})`, {
+  eval: true,
+}).once("message", (worker) => {
+  process.stdout.write(
+    `REPORT${JSON.stringify({
+      variable: process.env.NODE_COMPILE_CACHE || null,
+      child: JSON.parse(child),
+      worker,
+    })}\n`,
+    () => process.exit(0),
+  );
+});