diff --git a/crates/agent-artifact-admission/src/pypi_cache_directory_authority.rs b/crates/agent-artifact-admission/src/pypi_cache_directory_authority.rs
index c687e436..14d18b7d 100644
--- a/crates/agent-artifact-admission/src/pypi_cache_directory_authority.rs
+++ b/crates/agent-artifact-admission/src/pypi_cache_directory_authority.rs
@@ -36,6 +36,13 @@ pub(crate) fn requests_unapproved_pypi_cache_directory_authority(intent: &Instal
     }
 }
 
+/// Match only the canonical pip General Option spelling. Pre-command option
+/// normalization intentionally does not inherit install-parser abbreviations
+/// without separate upstream evidence for that parser phase.
+pub(crate) fn matches_canonical_pip_cache_directory_option(argument: &str) -> bool {
+    argument.split_once('=').map_or(argument, |(name, _)| name) == "--cache-dir"
+}
+
 /// pip uses Python optparse, which accepts an unambiguous long-option prefix.
 /// `--ca` is the shortest prefix of `--cache-dir` that does not collide with
 /// another current `pip install` long option at the reviewed upstream commit.
diff --git a/crates/agent-artifact-admission/src/pypi_global_option_authority.rs b/crates/agent-artifact-admission/src/pypi_global_option_authority.rs
index 024211d8..80649702 100644
--- a/crates/agent-artifact-admission/src/pypi_global_option_authority.rs
+++ b/crates/agent-artifact-admission/src/pypi_global_option_authority.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use crate::InstallIntent;
+use crate::pypi_cache_directory_authority::matches_canonical_pip_cache_directory_option;
 use crate::pypi_certificate_store_authority::matches_pip_certificate_store_abbreviation;
 use crate::pypi_client_certificate_authority::matches_pip_client_certificate_option;
 use crate::pypi_log_output_authority::matches_pip_log_option;
@@ -124,6 +125,26 @@ pub(crate) fn normalize_reviewed_direct_pip_global_options(
             continue;
         }
 
+        if matches_canonical_pip_cache_directory_option(argument) {
+            if let Some((_, value)) = argument.split_once('=') {
+                if value.is_empty() {
+                    return None;
+                }
+                reviewed_global_arguments.push(arguments[index].clone());
+                index += 1;
+            } else {
+                // A separate cache path is consumed General Option grammar. Attach
+                // it only in the internal policy copy so it cannot masquerade as
+                // an artifact operand; the submitted argv/hash stay authoritative.
+                push_attached_normalized_value_argument(
+                    arguments,
+                    &mut reviewed_global_arguments,
+                    &mut index,
+                )?;
+            }
+            continue;
+        }
+
         if matches_pip_log_option(argument) {
             if let Some((_, value)) = argument.split_once('=') {
                 if value.is_empty() {
diff --git a/crates/agent-artifact-admission/tests/pypi_cache_dir_authority_contract.rs b/crates/agent-artifact-admission/tests/pypi_cache_dir_authority_contract.rs
index 1b120034..9b284a96 100644
--- a/crates/agent-artifact-admission/tests/pypi_cache_dir_authority_contract.rs
+++ b/crates/agent-artifact-admission/tests/pypi_cache_dir_authority_contract.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use wardnet_agent_artifact_admission::{
     AdmissionPolicy, ApprovedArtifact, ApprovedManifest, ArtifactCoordinate, DecisionKind,
-    InstallIntent, InstructionSource, InstructionSourceKind, admission_decision,
+    InstallIntent, InstructionSource, InstructionSourceKind, admission_decision, sha256_hex,
 };
 
 #[test]
@@ -46,6 +46,60 @@ fn approved_pip_install_cannot_gain_caller_selected_cache_directory_authority()
     }
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn valid_global_pip_cache_directory_options_remain_causal_write_authority_evidence() {
+    for executable in ["pip", "pip3"] {
+        let (policy, control_intent) = approved_pip_install(executable);
+
+        for global_cache_arguments in [
+            vec!["--cache-dir=/tmp/wardnet-pip-cache"],
+            vec!["--cache-dir", "/tmp/wardnet-pip-cache"],
+        ] {
+            let mut intent = control_intent.clone();
+            let mut argv = Vec::with_capacity(intent.argv.len() + global_cache_arguments.len());
+            argv.push(executable.to_string());
+            argv.extend(
+                global_cache_arguments
+                    .iter()
+                    .map(|argument| (*argument).to_string()),
+            );
+            argv.extend(control_intent.argv.iter().skip(1).cloned());
+            intent.argv = argv;
+            let submitted_argv = intent.argv.clone();
+
+            let decision = admission_decision(&policy, &intent);
+            assert_eq!(
+                decision.decision,
+                DecisionKind::Block,
+                "parser-valid global {executable} {} must fail closed",
+                global_cache_arguments.join(" ")
+            );
+            assert!(
+                decision
+                    .reason_codes
+                    .iter()
+                    .any(|reason| reason.as_str() == "alternate_install_root"),
+                "parser-valid global {executable} {} must retain causal cache-directory evidence: {:?}",
+                global_cache_arguments.join(" "),
+                decision.reason_codes
+            );
+            assert!(
+                !decision
+                    .reason_codes
+                    .iter()
+                    .any(|reason| reason.as_str() == "artifact_not_approved"),
+                "the cache path consumed by pip General Options must not masquerade as an artifact operand: {:?}",
+                decision.reason_codes
+            );
+            assert_eq!(
+                decision.command_sha256,
+                sha256_hex(submitted_argv.join("\u{1f}").as_bytes()),
+                "policy normalization must preserve the exact submitted argv audit identity"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 fn approved_pip_install(executable: &str) -> (AdmissionPolicy, InstallIntent) {
     let artifact = ArtifactCoordinate {
         ecosystem: "pypi".to_string(),