diff --git a/cuda_core/cuda/core/_linker.pyi b/cuda_core/cuda/core/_linker.pyi
index 47eed3dcf65..61465612a2f 100644
--- a/cuda_core/cuda/core/_linker.pyi
+++ b/cuda_core/cuda/core/_linker.pyi
@@ -153,7 +153,9 @@ class LinkerOptions:
     incremental : bool, optional
         Perform an incremental link. The result can be passed
         directly to a later :class:`Linker`. Requires nvJitLink 13.2 or newer
-        and is not supported by the driver linker backend.
+        and is not supported by the driver linker backend. Intermediate
+        caching is disabled on nvJitLink versions older than 13.6 when combined
+        with link-time optimization, to work around an nvJitLink bug.
         Default: False.
     ptx : bool, optional
         Emit PTX after linking instead of CUBIN; only supported with ``link_time_optimization=True``.
@@ -198,6 +200,9 @@ class LinkerOptions:
         Default: 1.
     no_cache : bool, optional
         Do not cache the intermediate steps of nvJitLink.
+        Caching is also disabled automatically for incremental links that use
+        link-time optimization on nvJitLink versions older than 13.6, to work
+        around an nvJitLink bug.
         Default: False.
     numba_debug : bool, optional
         Non-functional. ``numba_debug`` is an NVVM/NVRTC *compiler* option;
diff --git a/cuda_core/cuda/core/_linker.pyx b/cuda_core/cuda/core/_linker.pyx
index 6a077aafa2a..e278f0842f2 100644
--- a/cuda_core/cuda/core/_linker.pyx
+++ b/cuda_core/cuda/core/_linker.pyx
@@ -271,7 +271,9 @@ class LinkerOptions:
     incremental : bool, optional
         Perform an incremental link. The result can be passed
         directly to a later :class:`Linker`. Requires nvJitLink 13.2 or newer
-        and is not supported by the driver linker backend.
+        and is not supported by the driver linker backend. Intermediate
+        caching is disabled on nvJitLink versions older than 13.6 when combined
+        with link-time optimization, to work around an nvJitLink bug.
         Default: False.
     ptx : bool, optional
         Emit PTX after linking instead of CUBIN; only supported with ``link_time_optimization=True``.
@@ -316,6 +318,9 @@ class LinkerOptions:
         Default: 1.
     no_cache : bool, optional
         Do not cache the intermediate steps of nvJitLink.
+        Caching is also disabled automatically for incremental links that use
+        link-time optimization on nvJitLink versions older than 13.6, to work
+        around an nvJitLink bug.
         Default: False.
     numba_debug : bool, optional
         Non-functional. ``numba_debug`` is an NVVM/NVRTC *compiler* option;
@@ -431,7 +436,10 @@ class LinkerOptions:
             options.append(f"-split-compile={int(self.split_compile)}")
         if self.split_compile_extended is not None:
             options.append(f"-split-compile-extended={int(self.split_compile_extended)}")
-        if self.no_cache is True:
+        # nvbugs 6659652
+        if self.no_cache is True or (
+            _nvjitlink_version < (13, 6) and self.incremental and self.link_time_optimization
+        ):
             options.append("-no-cache")
 
         if as_bytes:
@@ -782,8 +790,6 @@ def _decide_nvjitlink_or_driver() -> bool:
     if _use_nvjitlink_backend is not None:
         return not _use_nvjitlink_backend
 
-    _nvjitlink_version = None
-
     warn_txt_common = (
         "the driver APIs will be used instead, which do not support"
         " minor version compatibility or linking LTO IRs."
diff --git a/cuda_core/tests/test_linker.py b/cuda_core/tests/test_linker.py
index 5a7994f9110..5b0bc0a9cbc 100644
--- a/cuda_core/tests/test_linker.py
+++ b/cuda_core/tests/test_linker.py
@@ -244,6 +244,26 @@ def test_linker_options_incremental_as_bytes(value, expected_count):
     assert options.as_bytes().count(b"-r") == expected_count
 
 
+@pytest.mark.agent_authored(model="gpt-6")
+@pytest.mark.skipif(is_culink_backend, reason="as_bytes() only supported for nvjitlink backend")
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "version,needs_workaround", [((13, 4), True), ((13, 5), True), ((13, 6), False), ((14, 0), False)]
+)
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "incremental,link_time_optimization", [(False, False), (False, True), (True, False), (True, True)]
+)
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("no_cache", [None, False, True])
+def test_linker_options_incremental_lto_disables_cache(
+    monkeypatch, version, needs_workaround, incremental, link_time_optimization, no_cache
+):
+    options = LinkerOptions(
+        arch="sm_80", incremental=incremental, link_time_optimization=link_time_optimization, no_cache=no_cache
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(_linker, "_nvjitlink_version", version)
+    expected = no_cache is True or (needs_workaround and incremental and link_time_optimization)
+    assert options.as_bytes().count(b"-no-cache") == int(expected)
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("backend", ("invalid", "driver"))
 def test_linker_options_as_bytes_invalid_backend(backend):
     """Test LinkerOptions.as_bytes() with invalid backend"""