diff --git a/django/template/engine.py b/django/template/engine.py
index 9e6f1e97da..f2215c0e4e 100644
--- a/django/template/engine.py
+++ b/django/template/engine.py
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@ class Engine:
             loaders = ["django.template.loaders.filesystem.Loader"]
             if app_dirs:
                 loaders += ["django.template.loaders.app_directories.Loader"]
-            if not debug:
-                loaders = [("django.template.loaders.cached.Loader", loaders)]
+            loaders = [("django.template.loaders.cached.Loader", loaders)]
         else:
             if app_dirs:
                 raise ImproperlyConfigured(
diff --git a/docs/ref/templates/api.txt b/docs/ref/templates/api.txt
index 1082823e71..2e0adb0046 100644
--- a/docs/ref/templates/api.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/templates/api.txt
@@ -99,9 +99,14 @@ overridden by what's passed by
       * ``'django.template.loaders.app_directories.Loader'`` if and only if
         ``app_dirs`` is ``True``.
 
-      If ``debug`` is ``False``, these loaders are wrapped in
+      These loaders are then wrapped in
       :class:`django.template.loaders.cached.Loader`.
 
+      .. versionchanged:: 4.1
+
+        In older versions, the cached template loader was only enabled by
+        default when ``DEBUG`` was ``False``.
+
       See :ref:`template-loaders` for details.
 
     * ``string_if_invalid`` is the output, as a string, that the template
@@ -905,10 +910,9 @@ loaders that come with Django:
 
 .. class:: cached.Loader
 
-    By default (when :setting:`DEBUG` is ``True``), the template system reads
-    and compiles your templates every time they're rendered. While the Django
-    template system is quite fast, the overhead from reading and compiling
-    templates can add up.
+    While the Django template system is quite fast, if it needs to read and
+    compile your templates every time they're rendered, the overhead from that
+    can add up.
 
     You configure the cached template loader with a list of other loaders that
     it should wrap. The wrapped loaders are used to locate unknown templates
@@ -917,11 +921,9 @@ loaders that come with Django:
     subsequent requests to load the same template.
 
     This loader is automatically enabled if :setting:`OPTIONS['loaders']
-    <TEMPLATES-OPTIONS>` isn't specified and :setting:`OPTIONS['debug']
-    <TEMPLATES-OPTIONS>` is ``False`` (the latter option defaults to the value
-    of :setting:`DEBUG`).
+    <TEMPLATES-OPTIONS>` isn't specified.
 
-    You can also enable template caching with some custom template loaders
+    You can manually specify template caching with some custom template loaders
     using settings like this::
 
         TEMPLATES = [{
@@ -947,6 +949,12 @@ loaders that come with Django:
         information, see :ref:`template tag thread safety considerations
         <template_tag_thread_safety>`.
 
+    .. versionchanged:: 4.1
+
+        The cached template loader was enabled whenever ``OPTIONS['loaders']``
+        is not specified. Previously it was only enabled when ``DEBUG`` was
+        ``False``.
+
 ``django.template.loaders.locmem.Loader``
 
 .. class:: locmem.Loader
diff --git a/docs/releases/4.1.txt b/docs/releases/4.1.txt
index f248e1f21e..e84a47dd2d 100644
--- a/docs/releases/4.1.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/4.1.txt
@@ -339,12 +339,19 @@ Signals
   :data:`~django.db.models.signals.post_delete` signals now dispatch the
   ``origin`` of the deletion.
 
+.. _templates-4.1:
+
 Templates
 ~~~~~~~~~
 
 * :tfilter:`json_script` template filter now allows wrapping in a ``<script>``
   tag without the HTML ``id`` attribute.
 
+* The :class:`cached template loader <django.template.loaders.cached.Loader>`
+  is now enabled in development, when :setting:`DEBUG` is ``True``, and
+  :setting:`OPTIONS['loaders'] <TEMPLATES-OPTIONS>` isn't specified. You may
+  specify ``OPTIONS['loaders']`` to override this, if necessary.
+
 Tests
 ~~~~~
 
@@ -484,6 +491,10 @@ Miscellaneous
 * The undocumented ``InlineAdminFormSet.non_form_errors`` property is replaced
   by the ``non_form_errors()`` method. This is consistent with ``BaseFormSet``.
 
+* As per :ref:`above<templates-4.1>`, the cached template loader is now
+  enabled in development. You may specify ``OPTIONS['loaders']`` to override
+  this, if necessary.
+
 .. _deprecated-features-4.1:
 
 Features deprecated in 4.1
diff --git a/tests/template_backends/test_django.py b/tests/template_backends/test_django.py
index 40fe225ea0..d91869a8c7 100644
--- a/tests/template_backends/test_django.py
+++ b/tests/template_backends/test_django.py
@@ -176,27 +176,25 @@ class DjangoTemplatesTests(TemplateStringsTests):
             "Hello, Bob &amp; Jim",
         )
 
-    default_loaders = [
-        "django.template.loaders.filesystem.Loader",
-        "django.template.loaders.app_directories.Loader",
-    ]
-
-    @override_settings(DEBUG=False)
-    def test_non_debug_default_template_loaders(self):
-        engine = DjangoTemplates(
-            {"DIRS": [], "APP_DIRS": True, "NAME": "django", "OPTIONS": {}}
-        )
-        self.assertEqual(
-            engine.engine.loaders,
-            [("django.template.loaders.cached.Loader", self.default_loaders)],
-        )
-
-    @override_settings(DEBUG=True)
-    def test_debug_default_template_loaders(self):
-        engine = DjangoTemplates(
-            {"DIRS": [], "APP_DIRS": True, "NAME": "django", "OPTIONS": {}}
-        )
-        self.assertEqual(engine.engine.loaders, self.default_loaders)
+    def test_default_template_loaders(self):
+        """The cached template loader is always enabled by default."""
+        for debug in (True, False):
+            with self.subTest(DEBUG=debug), self.settings(DEBUG=debug):
+                engine = DjangoTemplates(
+                    {"DIRS": [], "APP_DIRS": True, "NAME": "django", "OPTIONS": {}}
+                )
+                self.assertEqual(
+                    engine.engine.loaders,
+                    [
+                        (
+                            "django.template.loaders.cached.Loader",
+                            [
+                                "django.template.loaders.filesystem.Loader",
+                                "django.template.loaders.app_directories.Loader",
+                            ],
+                        )
+                    ],
+                )
 
     def test_dirs_pathlib(self):
         engine = DjangoTemplates(