diff --git a/docs/pages/release_notes.md b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
index 58e00a9029..3d8af2c21e 100644
--- a/docs/pages/release_notes.md
+++ b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
@@ -316,6 +316,9 @@ package or made (package) private and are _not accessible_ anymore.
     * All constructors are package private now.
   * {%jdoc !!core::lang.ast.LexException %} - the constructor `LexException(boolean, String, int, int, String, char)` is now package private.
     It is only used by JavaCC-generated token managers.
+  * {%jdoc !!core::PMDConfiguration %}
+    * Method `setAnalysisCache(AnalysisCache)` is now package private. Use {%jdoc core::PMDConfiguration#setAnalysisCacheLocation(java.lang.String) %} instead.
+    * Method `getAnalysisCache()` is now package private.
 * pmd-ant
   * {%jdoc !!ant::ant.Formatter %}
     * Method `getRenderer()` has been removed.
diff --git a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/PMDConfiguration.java b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/PMDConfiguration.java
index b11df3bd2c..8e86465158 100644
--- a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/PMDConfiguration.java
+++ b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/PMDConfiguration.java
@@ -21,13 +21,13 @@ import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.Nullable;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.annotation.DeprecatedUntil700;
-import net.sourceforge.pmd.annotation.InternalApi;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.cache.internal.AnalysisCache;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.cache.internal.FileAnalysisCache;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.cache.internal.NoopAnalysisCache;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.internal.util.ClasspathClassLoader;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.Language;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.LanguageRegistry;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.LanguageVersion;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.rule.RulePriority;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.rule.RuleSetLoader;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.renderers.Renderer;
@@ -455,8 +455,7 @@ public class PMDConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
      *
      * @apiNote This is internal API.
      */
-    @InternalApi
-    public AnalysisCache getAnalysisCache() {
+    AnalysisCache getAnalysisCache() {
         // Make sure we are not null
         if (analysisCache == null || isIgnoreIncrementalAnalysis() && !(analysisCache instanceof NoopAnalysisCache)) {
             // sets a noop cache
@@ -476,8 +475,7 @@ public class PMDConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration {
      *
      * @apiNote This is internal API. Use {@link #setAnalysisCacheLocation(String)} to configure a cache.
      */
-    @InternalApi
-    public void setAnalysisCache(final AnalysisCache cache) {
+    void setAnalysisCache(final AnalysisCache cache) {
         // the doc says it's a noop if incremental analysis was disabled,
         // but it's actually the getter that enforces that
         this.analysisCache = cache == null ? new NoopAnalysisCache() : cache;
diff --git a/pmd-core/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/InternalApiBridgeForTestsOnly.java b/pmd-core/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/InternalApiBridgeForTestsOnly.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f12d571d01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pmd-core/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/InternalApiBridgeForTestsOnly.java
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/*
+ * BSD-style license; for more info see http://pmd.sourceforge.net/license.html
+ */
+
+package net.sourceforge.pmd;
+
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.annotation.InternalApi;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.cache.internal.AnalysisCache;
+
+/**
+ * Internal API.
+ *
+ * <p>Acts as a bridge between outer parts of PMD and the restricted access
+ * internal API of this package.
+ *
+ * <p><b>None of this is published API, and compatibility can be broken anytime!</b>
+ * Use this only at your own risk.
+ *
+ * @apiNote Internal API
+ */
+@InternalApi
+public final class InternalApiBridgeForTestsOnly {
+    private InternalApiBridgeForTestsOnly() {}
+
+    public static void setAnalysisCache(PMDConfiguration pmdConfiguration, AnalysisCache cache) {
+        pmdConfiguration.setAnalysisCache(cache);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/pmd-core/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/reporting/GlobalAnalysisListenerTest.java b/pmd-core/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/reporting/GlobalAnalysisListenerTest.java
index 2f95e79331..1b07770bec 100644
--- a/pmd-core/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/reporting/GlobalAnalysisListenerTest.java
+++ b/pmd-core/src/test/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/reporting/GlobalAnalysisListenerTest.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.mockito.Mockito;
 
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.FooRule;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.InternalApiBridgeForTestsOnly;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.PMDConfiguration;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.PmdAnalysis;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.cache.internal.AnalysisCache;
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ class GlobalAnalysisListenerTest {
 
         PMDConfiguration config = newConfig();
         AnalysisCache mockCache = spy(NoopAnalysisCache.class);
-        config.setAnalysisCache(mockCache);
+        InternalApiBridgeForTestsOnly.setAnalysisCache(config, mockCache);
 
         MyFooRule rule = new MyFooRule();
         runPmd(config, GlobalAnalysisListener.noop(), rule);
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ class GlobalAnalysisListenerTest {
 
         PMDConfiguration config = newConfig();
         AnalysisCache mockCache = spy(NoopAnalysisCache.class);
-        config.setAnalysisCache(mockCache);
+        InternalApiBridgeForTestsOnly.setAnalysisCache(config, mockCache);
 
         BrokenRule rule = new BrokenRule();  // the broken rule throws
         runPmd(config, GlobalAnalysisListener.noop(), rule);
@@ -102,7 +103,7 @@ class GlobalAnalysisListenerTest {
 
         PMDConfiguration config = newConfig();
         AnalysisCache mockCache = spy(NoopAnalysisCache.class);
-        config.setAnalysisCache(mockCache);
+        InternalApiBridgeForTestsOnly.setAnalysisCache(config, mockCache);
 
         BrokenRule rule = new BrokenRule();  // the broken rule throws
         // now the exception should be propagated
@@ -122,7 +123,7 @@ class GlobalAnalysisListenerTest {
     @NonNull
     private PMDConfiguration newConfig() {
         PMDConfiguration config = new PMDConfiguration();
-        config.setAnalysisCache(new NoopAnalysisCache());
+        config.setAnalysisCacheLocation(null);
         config.setIgnoreIncrementalAnalysis(true);
         config.setThreads(0); // no multithreading for this test
         return config;