diff --git a/scripts/check_freshness.py b/scripts/check_freshness.py
index ff6b5823..2a67030c 100644
--- a/scripts/check_freshness.py
+++ b/scripts/check_freshness.py
@@ -1057,7 +1057,7 @@ def main() -> int:
     parser.add_argument("--profiles", action="store_true", help="also run profile_sync (slow)")
     parser.add_argument("--offline", action="store_true", help="no network, local ages only")
     parser.add_argument("--jobs", type=int, default=4, help="parallel scrapers")
-    parser.add_argument("--cache-dir", default=".cache/upstream")
+    parser.add_argument("--cache-dir", default=upstream.CACHE_DIR)
     parser.add_argument("--native-cache-dir", default=export_native.DEFAULT_CACHE)
     parser.add_argument("--truth-dir", default="dist/truth")
     parser.add_argument("--platforms-dir", default="platforms")
diff --git a/scripts/mame_ref_audit.py b/scripts/mame_ref_audit.py
index 1e5b2efb..5f1b6111 100644
--- a/scripts/mame_ref_audit.py
+++ b/scripts/mame_ref_audit.py
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ def main() -> None:
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__.splitlines()[0])
     parser.add_argument("emulators", nargs="+")
     parser.add_argument("--emulators-dir", default="emulators")
-    parser.add_argument("--cache-dir", default=".cache")
+    parser.add_argument("--cache-dir", default=upstream.CACHE_DIR)
     parser.add_argument("--offline", action="store_true")
     parser.add_argument("--write", action="store_true")
     args = parser.parse_args()
diff --git a/scripts/profile_sync.py b/scripts/profile_sync.py
index b5a87274..652505be 100644
--- a/scripts/profile_sync.py
+++ b/scripts/profile_sync.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ import upstream
 from common import load_emulator_profiles
 from upstream import CompareResult, find_renamed
 
-DEFAULT_CACHE = ".cache/upstream"
+DEFAULT_CACHE = upstream.CACHE_DIR
 ANON_QUOTA = 60
 TRIAGE_PATH_SAMPLE = 5
 
diff --git a/scripts/upstream.py b/scripts/upstream.py
index 5142fca9..985925d5 100644
--- a/scripts/upstream.py
+++ b/scripts/upstream.py
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ from dataclasses import dataclass
 from pathlib import Path
 
 USER_AGENT = "retrobios-profile-sync/1.0"
+# Where fetched upstream files live, shared by every reader of this cache.
+CACHE_DIR = ".cache/upstream"
 ABSENT = "\0absent\0"
 GITHUB_COMPARE_CAP = 300
 RETRIES = 3
diff --git a/tests/test_mame_ref_audit.py b/tests/test_mame_ref_audit.py
index cbba5dbd..6f560dc2 100644
--- a/tests/test_mame_ref_audit.py
+++ b/tests/test_mame_ref_audit.py
@@ -112,12 +112,13 @@ class TestCorpusStaysCorrect(unittest.TestCase):
     """
 
     def test_every_mame_family_ref_names_its_own_set(self):
-        if not (ROOT / ".cache").is_dir():
+        cache = ROOT / mame_ref_audit.upstream.CACHE_DIR
+        if not cache.is_dir():
             self.skipTest("no upstream cache")
         for name in ("mame", "mamearcade", "mamemess", "groovymame"):
             with self.subTest(emulator=name):
                 findings, agreed, _ = mame_ref_audit.audit(
-                    name, str(ROOT / "emulators"), str(ROOT / ".cache"), True
+                    name, str(ROOT / "emulators"), str(cache), True
                 )
                 if not agreed and not findings:
                     self.skipTest(f"{name}: driver sources not cached")