diff --git a/benchmarks/bench_json_schema.py b/benchmarks/bench_json_schema.py
index daa77510b..8d1ceeb24 100644
--- a/benchmarks/bench_json_schema.py
+++ b/benchmarks/bench_json_schema.py
@@ -1,15 +1,8 @@
-import outlines
+from outlines.caching import cache_disabled
+from outlines.fsm.guide import RegexGuide
+from outlines.fsm.json_schema import build_regex_from_schema
 
-outlines.disable_cache()
-
-from outlines.fsm.guide import RegexGuide  # noqa: E402
-from outlines.fsm.json_schema import build_regex_from_schema  # noqa: E402
-
-from .common import (  # noqa: E402
-    clear_outlines_cache,
-    ensure_numba_compiled,
-    setup_tokenizer,
-)
+from .common import ensure_numba_compiled, setup_tokenizer  # noqa: E402
 
 simple_schema = """{
         "$defs": {
@@ -74,14 +67,15 @@ class JsonSchemaBenchmark:
     params = schemas.keys()
 
     def setup(self, schema_name):
-        clear_outlines_cache()
         self.tokenizer = setup_tokenizer()
         self.schema = schemas[schema_name]
         ensure_numba_compiled(self.tokenizer)
 
+    @cache_disabled()
     def time_json_schema_to_regex(self, schema_name):
         build_regex_from_schema(self.schema)
 
+    @cache_disabled()
     def time_json_schema_to_fsm(self, schema_name):
         regex = build_regex_from_schema(self.schema)
         RegexGuide(regex, self.tokenizer)
diff --git a/benchmarks/bench_numba_compile.py b/benchmarks/bench_numba_compile.py
index c0e9d87c4..2713707e5 100644
--- a/benchmarks/bench_numba_compile.py
+++ b/benchmarks/bench_numba_compile.py
@@ -3,18 +3,14 @@
 import interegular
 import numba
 
-import outlines
+from outlines.caching import cache_disabled
+from outlines.fsm import regex
 
-from .common import clear_outlines_cache, setup_tokenizer
-
-outlines.disable_cache()
+from .common import setup_tokenizer
 
 
 class NumbaCompileBenchmark:
     def setup(self):
-        clear_outlines_cache()
-        from outlines.fsm import regex
-
         self.tokenizer = setup_tokenizer()
         self.regex = regex
         original_njit = numba.njit
@@ -33,5 +29,6 @@ def mock_njit(*args, **kwargs):
     def teardown(self):
         numba.njit = self.original_njit
 
+    @cache_disabled()
     def time_compile_numba(self):
         self.regex.create_fsm_index_tokenizer(self.regex_pattern, self.tokenizer)
diff --git a/benchmarks/bench_regex_guide.py b/benchmarks/bench_regex_guide.py
index efaea9e1f..099f94df2 100644
--- a/benchmarks/bench_regex_guide.py
+++ b/benchmarks/bench_regex_guide.py
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
-import outlines
+from outlines.caching import cache_disabled
+from outlines.fsm.guide import RegexGuide
 
-from .common import clear_outlines_cache, ensure_numba_compiled, setup_tokenizer
-
-outlines.disable_cache()
-
-from outlines.fsm.guide import RegexGuide  # noqa: E402
+from .common import ensure_numba_compiled, setup_tokenizer
 
 regex_samples = {
     "email": r"[a-z0-9!#$%&'*+/=?^_`{|}~-]+(?:\.[a-z0-9!#$%&'*+/=?^_`{|}~-]+)*@(?:[a-z0-9](?:[a-z0-9-]*[a-z0-9])?\.)+[a-z0-9](?:[a-z0-9-]*[a-z0-9])?",
@@ -23,11 +20,11 @@ class RegexGuideBenchmark:
     params = regex_samples.keys()
 
     def setup(self, pattern_name):
-        clear_outlines_cache()
         self.tokenizer = setup_tokenizer()
         ensure_numba_compiled(self.tokenizer)
         self.pattern = regex_samples[pattern_name]
 
+    @cache_disabled()
     def time_regex_to_guide(self, pattern_name):
         RegexGuide(self.pattern, self.tokenizer)
 
@@ -36,10 +33,10 @@ class MemoryRegexGuideBenchmark:
     params = ["simple_phone", "complex_span_constrained_relation_extraction"]
 
     def setup(self, pattern_name):
-        clear_outlines_cache()
         self.tokenizer = setup_tokenizer()
         ensure_numba_compiled(self.tokenizer)
         self.pattern = regex_samples[pattern_name]
 
+    @cache_disabled()
     def peakmem_regex_to_guide(self, pattern_name):
         RegexGuide(self.pattern, self.tokenizer)
diff --git a/benchmarks/common.py b/benchmarks/common.py
index e0fe36f14..7d999ea9b 100644
--- a/benchmarks/common.py
+++ b/benchmarks/common.py
@@ -1,14 +1,9 @@
 from transformers import AutoTokenizer
 
-import outlines.caching
 from outlines.fsm.guide import RegexGuide
 from outlines.models.transformers import TransformerTokenizer
 
 
-def clear_outlines_cache():
-    outlines.caching.clear_cache()
-
-
 def setup_tokenizer():
     tokenizer = AutoTokenizer.from_pretrained("gpt2")
     return TransformerTokenizer(tokenizer)
diff --git a/outlines/caching.py b/outlines/caching.py
index 52d66af74..95392c7e8 100644
--- a/outlines/caching.py
+++ b/outlines/caching.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import asyncio
+import contextlib
 import functools
 import os
 from typing import Callable, Optional
@@ -164,3 +165,15 @@ def clear_cache():
     """Erase the cache completely."""
     memory = get_cache()
     memory.clear()
+
+
+@contextlib.contextmanager
+def cache_disabled():
+    # outlines.caching._caching_enabled
+    global _caching_enabled
+    original_state = _caching_enabled
+    _caching_enabled = False
+    try:
+        yield
+    finally:
+        _caching_enabled = original_state
diff --git a/tests/test_cache.py b/tests/test_cache.py
index 5a2de778e..eb4ec406e 100644
--- a/tests/test_cache.py
+++ b/tests/test_cache.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import os
 import tempfile
+import unittest
 
 import diskcache
 import pytest
@@ -157,3 +158,33 @@ def foo():
 
     # assert with version upgrade, old cache is invalidated and new cache is used
     a, b = foo()
+
+
+def test_cache_disabled_decorator(test_cache):
+    """Ensure cache can be disabled in a local scope"""
+
+    from outlines.caching import cache_disabled
+
+    mock = unittest.mock.MagicMock()
+
+    @test_cache
+    def fn():
+        mock()
+        return 1
+
+    # first call isn't cached
+    fn()
+    assert mock.call_count == 1
+
+    # second call doesn't run fn, uses cache
+    fn()
+    assert mock.call_count == 1
+
+    # cache_disabled decorator disables cache within scope
+    with cache_disabled():
+        fn()
+    assert mock.call_count == 2  # called once in cache_disabled scope
+
+    # scope has exited, cache is enabled again
+    fn()
+    assert mock.call_count == 2