diff --git a/polkadot/node/core/runtime-api/src/cache.rs b/polkadot/node/core/runtime-api/src/cache.rs
index 9c09ea3f22a9e..30463e01a4659 100644
--- a/polkadot/node/core/runtime-api/src/cache.rs
+++ b/polkadot/node/core/runtime-api/src/cache.rs
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ pub(crate) struct RequestResultCache {
 	check_validation_outputs: LruMap<(Hash, ParaId, CandidateCommitments), bool>,
 	session_index_for_child: LruMap<Hash, SessionIndex>,
 	validation_code: LruMap<(Hash, ParaId, OccupiedCoreAssumption), Option<ValidationCode>>,
-	validation_code_by_hash: LruMap<ValidationCodeHash, Option<ValidationCode>>,
+	validation_code_by_hash: LruMap<ValidationCodeHash, ValidationCode>,
 	candidate_pending_availability: LruMap<(Hash, ParaId), Option<CommittedCandidateReceipt>>,
 	candidates_pending_availability: LruMap<(Hash, ParaId), Vec<CommittedCandidateReceipt>>,
 	candidate_events: LruMap<Hash, Vec<CandidateEvent>>,
@@ -244,12 +244,15 @@ impl RequestResultCache {
 		self.validation_code.insert(key, value);
 	}
 
-	// the actual key is `ValidationCodeHash` (`Hash` is ignored),
-	// but we keep the interface that way to keep the macro simple
+	// The actual key is `ValidationCodeHash` (`Hash` is ignored).
+	// Only `Some` values are cached: validation code may not exist at query time but
+	// could be added later (e.g. via `force_set_current_code`). Caching `None` would
+	// produce stale results that prevent approval voting from fetching code that is
+	// already on-chain, stalling finality.
 	pub(crate) fn validation_code_by_hash(
 		&mut self,
 		key: (Hash, ValidationCodeHash),
-	) -> Option<&Option<ValidationCode>> {
+	) -> Option<&ValidationCode> {
 		self.validation_code_by_hash.get(&key.1).map(|v| &*v)
 	}
 
@@ -258,7 +261,9 @@ impl RequestResultCache {
 		key: ValidationCodeHash,
 		value: Option<ValidationCode>,
 	) {
-		self.validation_code_by_hash.insert(key, value);
+		if let Some(code) = value {
+			self.validation_code_by_hash.insert(key, code);
+		}
 	}
 
 	pub(crate) fn candidate_pending_availability(
@@ -683,3 +688,25 @@ pub(crate) enum RequestResult {
 	ParaIds(SessionIndex, Vec<ParaId>),
 	UnappliedSlashesV2(Hash, Vec<(SessionIndex, CandidateHash, slashing::PendingSlashes)>),
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+	use super::*;
+
+	#[test]
+	fn validation_code_by_hash_does_not_cache_none() {
+		let mut cache = RequestResultCache::default();
+		let relay_parent: Hash = [1u8; 32].into();
+		let code = ValidationCode(vec![1, 2, 3]);
+		let code_hash = code.hash();
+
+		cache.cache_validation_code_by_hash(code_hash, None);
+		assert!(
+			cache.validation_code_by_hash((relay_parent, code_hash)).is_none(),
+			"None results must not be cached",
+		);
+
+		cache.cache_validation_code_by_hash(code_hash, Some(code.clone()));
+		assert_eq!(cache.validation_code_by_hash((relay_parent, code_hash)), Some(&code),);
+	}
+}
diff --git a/polkadot/node/core/runtime-api/src/lib.rs b/polkadot/node/core/runtime-api/src/lib.rs
index c047fd46751c7..e12dbf646a35f 100644
--- a/polkadot/node/core/runtime-api/src/lib.rs
+++ b/polkadot/node/core/runtime-api/src/lib.rs
@@ -291,10 +291,17 @@ where
 				query!(validation_code(para, assumption), sender)
 					.map(|sender| Request::ValidationCode(para, assumption, sender))
 			},
-			Request::ValidationCodeByHash(validation_code_hash, sender) => {
-				query!(validation_code_by_hash(validation_code_hash), sender)
-					.map(|sender| Request::ValidationCodeByHash(validation_code_hash, sender))
-			},
+			Request::ValidationCodeByHash(validation_code_hash, sender) => if let Some(code) = self
+				.requests_cache
+				.validation_code_by_hash((relay_parent, validation_code_hash))
+			{
+				self.metrics.on_cached_request();
+				let _ = sender.send(Ok(Some(code.clone())));
+				None
+			} else {
+				Some(sender)
+			}
+			.map(|sender| Request::ValidationCodeByHash(validation_code_hash, sender)),
 			Request::CandidatePendingAvailability(para, sender) => {
 				query!(candidate_pending_availability(para), sender)
 					.map(|sender| Request::CandidatePendingAvailability(para, sender))
diff --git a/prdoc/pr_11108.prdoc b/prdoc/pr_11108.prdoc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..4f5620fb3c659
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prdoc/pr_11108.prdoc
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+title: 'polkadot-runtime-api-cache: Only cache validation code that exists'
+doc:
+- audience: Node Dev
+  description: |-
+    Otherwise there is the possibility that nodes cache `None` and some later `force_set_code` enacts the code. Then the nodes that have cached `None` do not know that the validation code now actually exists on chain.
+crates:
+- name: polkadot-node-core-runtime-api
+  bump: patch