diff --git a/docs/envvars.rst b/docs/envvars.rst
index 307eb5e28eb..23ddea6f94c 100644
--- a/docs/envvars.rst
+++ b/docs/envvars.rst
@@ -205,8 +205,8 @@ Core Mesa environment variables
 
    if set, determines the directory to be used for the on-disk cache of
    compiled shader programs. If this variable is not set, then the cache
-   will be stored in ``$XDG_CACHE_HOME/mesa_shader_cache`` (if that
-   variable is set), or else within ``.cache/mesa_shader_cache`` within
+   will be stored in ``$XDG_CACHE_HOME/mesa_shader_cache_db`` (if that
+   variable is set), or else within ``.cache/mesa_shader_cache_db`` within
    the user's home directory.
 
 .. envvar:: MESA_SHADER_CACHE_SHOW_STATS
@@ -217,10 +217,9 @@ Core Mesa environment variables
 .. envvar:: MESA_DISK_CACHE_SINGLE_FILE
 
    if set to 1, enables the single file Fossilize DB on-disk shader
-   cache implementation instead of the default multi-file cache
-   implementation. This implementation reduces the overall disk usage by
-   the shader cache and also allows for loading of precompiled cache
-   DBs via :envvar:`MESA_DISK_CACHE_READ_ONLY_FOZ_DBS` or
+   cache implementation instead of the default Mesa-DB cache
+   implementation. This implementation allows for loading of precompiled
+   cache DBs via :envvar:`MESA_DISK_CACHE_READ_ONLY_FOZ_DBS` or
    :envvar:`MESA_DISK_CACHE_READ_ONLY_FOZ_DBS_DYNAMIC_LIST`. This
    implementation does not support cache size limits via
    :envvar:`MESA_SHADER_CACHE_MAX_SIZE`. If
@@ -229,6 +228,16 @@ Core Mesa environment variables
    or else within ``.cache/mesa_shader_cache_sf`` within the user's home
    directory.
 
+.. envvar:: MESA_DISK_CACHE_MULTI_FILE
+
+   if set to 1, enables the multi file on-disk shader cache implementation
+   instead of the default Mesa-DB cache implementation.
+   This implementation increases the overall disk usage.
+   If :envvar:`MESA_SHADER_CACHE_DIR` is not set, the cache will be stored
+   in ``$XDG_CACHE_HOME/mesa_shader_cache`` (if that variable is set)
+   or else within ``.cache/mesa_shader_cache`` within the user's home
+   directory.
+
 .. envvar:: MESA_DISK_CACHE_READ_ONLY_FOZ_DBS
 
    if set with :envvar:`MESA_DISK_CACHE_SINGLE_FILE` enabled, references
@@ -240,18 +249,6 @@ Core Mesa environment variables
    and ``filename1_idx.foz``. A limit of 8 DBs can be loaded and this limit
    is shared with :envvar:`MESA_DISK_CACHE_READ_ONLY_FOZ_DBS_DYNAMIC_LIST`.
 
-.. envvar:: MESA_DISK_CACHE_DATABASE
-
-   if set to 1, enables the Mesa-DB single file on-disk shader cache
-   implementation instead of the default multi-file cache implementation.
-   Like :envvar:`MESA_DISK_CACHE_SINGLE_FILE`, Mesa-DB reduces overall
-   disk usage but Mesa-DB supports cache size limits via
-   :envvar:`MESA_SHADER_CACHE_MAX_SIZE`. If
-   :envvar:`MESA_SHADER_CACHE_DIR` is not set, the cache will be stored
-   in ``$XDG_CACHE_HOME/mesa_shader_cache_db`` (if that variable is set)
-   or else within ``.cache/mesa_shader_cache_db`` within the user's home
-   directory.
-
 .. envvar:: MESA_DISK_CACHE_DATABASE_NUM_PARTS
 
    specifies number of mesa-db cache parts, default is 50.
diff --git a/src/util/disk_cache.c b/src/util/disk_cache.c
index 61825fa1360..ba8cbcd96f6 100644
--- a/src/util/disk_cache.c
+++ b/src/util/disk_cache.c
@@ -271,10 +271,10 @@ disk_cache_create(const char *gpu_name, const char *driver_id,
 
    if (debug_get_bool_option("MESA_DISK_CACHE_SINGLE_FILE", false))
       cache_type = DISK_CACHE_SINGLE_FILE;
-   else if (debug_get_bool_option("MESA_DISK_CACHE_DATABASE", false))
-      cache_type = DISK_CACHE_DATABASE;
-   else
+   else if (debug_get_bool_option("MESA_DISK_CACHE_MULTI_FILE", false))
       cache_type = DISK_CACHE_MULTI_FILE;
+   else
+      cache_type = DISK_CACHE_DATABASE;
 
    /* Create main writable cache. */
    cache = disk_cache_type_create(gpu_name, driver_id, driver_flags,
diff --git a/src/util/tests/cache_test.cpp b/src/util/tests/cache_test.cpp
index 48d723b4742..af4edb71c1f 100644
--- a/src/util/tests/cache_test.cpp
+++ b/src/util/tests/cache_test.cpp
@@ -700,6 +700,8 @@ TEST_F(Cache, MultiFile)
    bool compress = true;
 
 run_tests:
+   setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_MULTI_FILE", "true", 1);
+
    if (!compress)
       driver_id = "make_check_uncompressed";
    else
@@ -711,6 +713,8 @@ run_tests:
 
    test_put_key_and_get_key(driver_id);
 
+   setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_MULTI_FILE", "false", 1);
+
    int err = rmrf_local(CACHE_TEST_TMP);
    EXPECT_EQ(err, 0) << "Removing " CACHE_TEST_TMP " again";
 
@@ -769,7 +773,6 @@ TEST_F(Cache, Database)
    GTEST_SKIP() << "ENABLE_SHADER_CACHE not defined.";
 #else
    setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_DATABASE_NUM_PARTS", "1", 1);
-   setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_DATABASE", "true", 1);
 
    test_disk_cache_create(mem_ctx, CACHE_DIR_NAME_DB, driver_id);
 
@@ -793,7 +796,6 @@ TEST_F(Cache, Database)
 
    test_put_and_get_between_instances_with_eviction(driver_id);
 
-   setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_DATABASE", "false", 1);
    unsetenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_DATABASE_NUM_PARTS");
 
    err = rmrf_local(CACHE_TEST_TMP);
@@ -820,7 +822,7 @@ TEST_F(Cache, Combined)
    GTEST_SKIP() << "ENABLE_SHADER_CACHE not defined.";
 #else
    setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_SINGLE_FILE", "true", 1);
-   setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_DATABASE", "false", 1);
+   setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_MULTI_FILE", "true", 1);
 
 #ifdef SHADER_CACHE_DISABLE_BY_DEFAULT
    setenv("MESA_SHADER_CACHE_DISABLE", "false", 1);
@@ -890,7 +892,7 @@ TEST_F(Cache, Combined)
    EXPECT_EQ(unlink(foz_rw_idx_file), 0);
 
    setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_SINGLE_FILE", "false", 1);
-   setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_DATABASE", "true", 1);
+   setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_MULTI_FILE", "false", 1);
 
    /* Create MESA-DB cache with enabled retrieval from the read-only
     * cache. */
@@ -959,7 +961,7 @@ TEST_F(Cache, Combined)
    disk_cache_destroy(cache_mesa_db);
 
    /* Create default multi-file cache. */
-   setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_DATABASE", "false", 1);
+   setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_MULTI_FILE", "true", 1);
 
    /* Enable read-only cache. */
    setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_COMBINE_RW_WITH_RO_FOZ", "true", 1);
@@ -1017,6 +1019,8 @@ TEST_F(Cache, Combined)
 
    disk_cache_destroy(cache_multifile);
 
+   unsetenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_MULTI_FILE");
+
    int err = rmrf_local(CACHE_TEST_TMP);
    EXPECT_EQ(err, 0) << "Removing " CACHE_TEST_TMP " again";
 #endif
@@ -1269,14 +1273,12 @@ TEST_F(Cache, DatabaseMultipartEviction)
    GTEST_SKIP() << "ENABLE_SHADER_CACHE not defined.";
 #else
    setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_DATABASE_NUM_PARTS", "3", 1);
-   setenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_DATABASE", "true", 1);
 
    test_disk_cache_create(mem_ctx, CACHE_DIR_NAME_DB, driver_id);
 
    test_multipart_eviction(driver_id);
 
    unsetenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_DATABASE_NUM_PARTS");
-   unsetenv("MESA_DISK_CACHE_DATABASE");
 
    int err = rmrf_local(CACHE_TEST_TMP);
    EXPECT_EQ(err, 0) << "Removing " CACHE_TEST_TMP " again";