diff --git a/packages/service-worker/worker/src/data.ts b/packages/service-worker/worker/src/data.ts
index ac48b2e7c4..48abdae76b 100644
--- a/packages/service-worker/worker/src/data.ts
+++ b/packages/service-worker/worker/src/data.ts
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ export class DataGroup {
 
     // If the network fetch times out or errors, fall back on the cache.
     if (res === undefined) {
-      ctx.waitUntil(this.safeCacheResponse(req, networkFetch));
+      ctx.waitUntil(this.safeCacheResponse(req, networkFetch, true));
 
       // Ignore the age, the network response will be cached anyway due to the
       // behavior of freshness.
@@ -434,9 +434,10 @@ export class DataGroup {
     }
   }
 
-  private async safeCacheResponse(req: Request, res: Promise<Response>): Promise<void> {
+  private async safeCacheResponse(req: Request, res: Promise<Response>, okToCacheOpaque?: boolean):
+      Promise<void> {
     try {
-      await this.cacheResponse(req, await res, await this.lru());
+      await this.cacheResponse(req, await res, await this.lru(), okToCacheOpaque);
     } catch {
       // TODO: handle this error somehow?
     }
diff --git a/packages/service-worker/worker/test/data_spec.ts b/packages/service-worker/worker/test/data_spec.ts
index 965f79267d..d07e91321b 100644
--- a/packages/service-worker/worker/test/data_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/service-worker/worker/test/data_spec.ts
@@ -259,6 +259,36 @@ import {SwTestHarness, SwTestHarnessBuilder} from '../testing/scope';
         expect(await makeRequest(scope, '/refresh/data')).toEqual('this is refreshed data');
         serverUpdate.assertNoOtherRequests();
       });
+
+      it('caches opaque responses on refresh', async() => {
+        // Make the initial request and populate the cache.
+        expect(await makeRequest(scope, '/fresh/data')).toBe('this is fresh data');
+        server.assertSawRequestFor('/fresh/data');
+        server.clearRequests();
+
+        // Update the server state and pause the server, so the next request times out.
+        scope.updateServerState(serverUpdate);
+        serverUpdate.pause();
+        const [res, done] =
+            makePendingRequest(scope, new MockRequest('/fresh/data', {mode: 'no-cors'}));
+
+        // The network request times out after 1,000ms and the cached response is returned.
+        await serverUpdate.nextRequest;
+        scope.advance(2000);
+        expect(await res).toBe('this is fresh data');
+
+        // Unpause the server to allow the network request to complete and be cached.
+        serverUpdate.unpause();
+        await done;
+
+        // Pause the server to force the cached (opaque) response to be returned.
+        serverUpdate.pause();
+        const [res2] = makePendingRequest(scope, '/fresh/data');
+        await serverUpdate.nextRequest;
+        scope.advance(2000);
+
+        expect(await res2).toBe('');
+      });
     });
   });
 })();