diff --git a/verl/experimental/agent_loop/agent_loop.py b/verl/experimental/agent_loop/agent_loop.py
index 717c1394a8f..00c7c41333f 100644
--- a/verl/experimental/agent_loop/agent_loop.py
+++ b/verl/experimental/agent_loop/agent_loop.py
@@ -772,7 +772,8 @@ def batch_fn(data_list: list[DataProto]) -> list[torch.Tensor]:
         self._init_agent_loop_workers()
 
         # Initially we're in sleep mode.
-        self.sleep()
+        if self.config.actor_rollout_ref.rollout.free_cache_engine:
+            self.sleep()
 
     def _initialize_llm_servers(self):
         self.rollout_tp_size = self.config.actor_rollout_ref.rollout.tensor_model_parallel_size
diff --git a/verl/workers/fsdp_workers.py b/verl/workers/fsdp_workers.py
index 299355313d6..3a95c078407 100644
--- a/verl/workers/fsdp_workers.py
+++ b/verl/workers/fsdp_workers.py
@@ -635,13 +635,15 @@ async def rollout_mode(self):
                 for name, param in params.items()
             )
 
-        await self.rollout.resume(tags=["weights"])
+        if self.config.rollout.free_cache_engine:
+            await self.rollout.resume(tags=["weights"])
         log_gpu_memory_usage("After resume weights", logger=logger)
         await self.rollout.update_weights(per_tensor_param, peft_config=peft_config, base_sync_done=self.base_sync_done)
         log_gpu_memory_usage("After update_weights", logger=logger)
         del params, per_tensor_param
         aggressive_empty_cache(force_sync=True)
-        await self.rollout.resume(tags=["kv_cache"])
+        if self.config.rollout.free_cache_engine:
+            await self.rollout.resume(tags=["kv_cache"])
         log_gpu_memory_usage("After resume kv_cache", logger=logger)
 
         self.base_sync_done = True
diff --git a/verl/workers/megatron_workers.py b/verl/workers/megatron_workers.py
index c1fc6b7d9ef..42826731052 100644
--- a/verl/workers/megatron_workers.py
+++ b/verl/workers/megatron_workers.py
@@ -574,12 +574,14 @@ async def rollout_mode(self):
 
         set_expandable_segments(False)
 
-        await self.rollout.resume(tags=["weights"])
+        if self.config.rollout.free_cache_engine:
+            await self.rollout.resume(tags=["weights"])
         await self.rollout.update_weights(per_tensor_param)
         if self._is_offload_param:
             offload_megatron_model_to_cpu(self.actor.actor_module)
         aggressive_empty_cache(force_sync=True)
-        await self.rollout.resume(tags=["kv_cache"])
+        if self.config.rollout.free_cache_engine:
+            await self.rollout.resume(tags=["kv_cache"])
 
         # important: need to manually set the random states of each tp to be identical.
         self.torch_random_states = get_torch_device().get_rng_state()
diff --git a/verl/workers/rollout/vllm_rollout/vllm_rollout_spmd.py b/verl/workers/rollout/vllm_rollout/vllm_rollout_spmd.py
index 276d808020c..3414e5bae8d 100644
--- a/verl/workers/rollout/vllm_rollout/vllm_rollout_spmd.py
+++ b/verl/workers/rollout/vllm_rollout/vllm_rollout_spmd.py
@@ -403,6 +403,9 @@ async def resume(self, tags: list[str]):
         Args:
             tags: weights or kv_cache.
         """
+        if not self.config.free_cache_engine:
+            return
+
         if "tags" in inspect.signature(self.inference_engine.wake_up).parameters:
             self.inference_engine.wake_up(tags=tags)
         else:
@@ -411,6 +414,10 @@ async def resume(self, tags: list[str]):
     async def release(self):
         """Release weights and kv cache in GPU memory."""
         self.inference_engine.reset_prefix_cache()
+
+        if not self.config.free_cache_engine:
+            return
+
         self.inference_engine.sleep(level=VLLM_SLEEP_LEVEL)
 
     async def update_weights(self, weights: Generator[tuple[str, torch.Tensor], None, None], **kwargs):
@@ -540,11 +547,13 @@ async def resume(self, tags: list[str]):
         Args:
             tags: weights or kv_cache.
         """
-        self.inference_engine.wake_up(tags=tags)
+        if self.config.free_cache_engine:
+            self.inference_engine.wake_up(tags=tags)
 
     async def release(self):
         """Release weights and kv cache in GPU memory."""
-        self.inference_engine.sleep(level=VLLM_SLEEP_LEVEL)
+        if self.config.free_cache_engine:
+            self.inference_engine.sleep(level=VLLM_SLEEP_LEVEL)
 
     async def update_weights(self, weights: Generator[tuple[str, torch.Tensor], None, None], **kwargs):
         """Update the weights of the rollout model.