diff --git a/tests/v1/core/test_scheduler.py b/tests/v1/core/test_scheduler.py
index 2fe45242153c..01e7856f5daf 100644
--- a/tests/v1/core/test_scheduler.py
+++ b/tests/v1/core/test_scheduler.py
@@ -4140,3 +4140,54 @@ def test_eagle3_mm_encoder_cache_with_shift():
         f"shifted_end={scheduled_end_with_shift}) overlapping MM at "
         f"{start_pos}. The fix must schedule encoder inputs."
     )
+
+
+def test_preempt_resets_num_cached_tokens():
+    """Preemption must reset num_cached_tokens to -1.
+
+    If it is not reset, the sentinel guard ``if request.num_cached_tokens < 0``
+    never fires again on reschedule, leaving a stale cached-token count that
+    can exceed num_external_computed_tokens and produce a negative
+    local_cache_hit in stats.
+    """
+    BLOCK_SIZE = 4
+    MATCHED_TOKENS = BLOCK_SIZE  # connector always reports this many ext tokens
+
+    scheduler = create_scheduler(
+        enable_prefix_caching=True,
+        use_kv_connector=mock_kv(matched_tokens=MATCHED_TOKENS, is_async=False),
+        block_size=BLOCK_SIZE,
+    )
+    [request] = create_requests(
+        num_requests=1,
+        num_tokens=BLOCK_SIZE * 3,
+        max_tokens=16,
+        block_size=BLOCK_SIZE,
+    )
+    scheduler.add_request(request)
+
+    # First schedule: num_cached_tokens is initialised by the sentinel guard.
+    output = scheduler.schedule()
+    assert len(scheduler.running) == 1
+    scheduler.update_from_output(output, make_output(scheduler))
+    assert request.num_cached_tokens >= 0, (
+        "num_cached_tokens should be set after first schedule"
+    )
+
+    # Directly preempt (the scheduler pops from running before calling this).
+    scheduler.running.remove(request)
+    request.status = RequestStatus.RUNNING  # guard inside _preempt_request
+    scheduler._preempt_request(request, timestamp=0.0)
+
+    # The sentinel must be restored so the guard fires on the next schedule.
+    assert request.num_cached_tokens == -1
+
+    # Reschedule: num_cached_tokens must be recalculated.
+    output = scheduler.schedule()
+    assert len(scheduler.running) == 1
+    assert request.num_cached_tokens >= 0
+    # Invariant: local_cache_hit = num_cached_tokens - num_external_computed_tokens >= 0
+    assert request.num_cached_tokens >= request.num_external_computed_tokens, (
+        f"negative local_cache_hit: num_cached_tokens={request.num_cached_tokens}, "
+        f"num_external_computed_tokens={request.num_external_computed_tokens}"
+    )
diff --git a/vllm/v1/core/sched/scheduler.py b/vllm/v1/core/sched/scheduler.py
index 4628e634475c..d8b4ae9663e5 100644
--- a/vllm/v1/core/sched/scheduler.py
+++ b/vllm/v1/core/sched/scheduler.py
@@ -924,6 +924,7 @@ def _preempt_request(self, request: Request, timestamp: float) -> None:
         self.encoder_cache_manager.free(request)
         request.status = RequestStatus.PREEMPTED
         request.num_computed_tokens = 0
+        request.num_cached_tokens = -1
         if request.spec_token_ids:
             request.spec_token_ids = []
         request.num_preemptions += 1