diff --git a/packages/linter/migrations.json b/packages/linter/migrations.json
index 1eab1f8e5f4601..fb850af3f90845 100644
--- a/packages/linter/migrations.json
+++ b/packages/linter/migrations.json
@@ -46,6 +46,12 @@
       "version": "12.4.0-beta.0",
       "description": "Remove ESLint parserOptions.project config if no rules requiring type-checking are in use",
       "factory": "./src/migrations/update-12-4-0/remove-eslint-project-config-if-no-type-checking-rules"
+    },
+    "add-outputs": {
+      "cli": "nx",
+      "version": "12.9.0-beta.0",
+      "description": "Add outputs for caching",
+      "factory": "./src/migrations/update-12-9-0/add-outputs"
     }
   },
   "packageJsonUpdates": {
diff --git a/packages/linter/src/generators/lint-project/lint-project.spec.ts b/packages/linter/src/generators/lint-project/lint-project.spec.ts
index 9f41e70ba8d5d0..c49373877b6059 100644
--- a/packages/linter/src/generators/lint-project/lint-project.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/linter/src/generators/lint-project/lint-project.spec.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ describe('@nrwl/linter:lint-project', () => {
                 "**/*.ts",
               ],
             },
+            "outputs": Array [
+              "{options.outputFile}",
+            ],
           }
         `);
       });
diff --git a/packages/linter/src/generators/lint-project/lint-project.ts b/packages/linter/src/generators/lint-project/lint-project.ts
index 543843e7f0f982..2a540253f339f4 100644
--- a/packages/linter/src/generators/lint-project/lint-project.ts
+++ b/packages/linter/src/generators/lint-project/lint-project.ts
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ export async function lintProjectGenerator(
   if (options.linter === Linter.EsLint) {
     projectConfig.targets['lint'] = {
       executor: '@nrwl/linter:eslint',
+      outputs: ['{options.outputFile}'],
       options: {
         lintFilePatterns: options.eslintFilePatterns,
       },
diff --git a/packages/linter/src/migrations/update-12-9-0/add-outputs.spec.ts b/packages/linter/src/migrations/update-12-9-0/add-outputs.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..d67a97dfcbd54a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/linter/src/migrations/update-12-9-0/add-outputs.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+import {
+  addProjectConfiguration,
+  readProjectConfiguration,
+  TargetConfiguration,
+  Tree,
+} from '@nrwl/devkit';
+import { createTreeWithEmptyWorkspace } from '@nrwl/devkit/testing';
+import addOutputs from './add-outputs';
+
+describe('addOutputs', () => {
+  let tree: Tree;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    tree = createTreeWithEmptyWorkspace();
+
+    const lintWithoutOutputs: TargetConfiguration = {
+      executor: '@nrwl/linter:eslint',
+      options: {},
+    };
+    const lintWithOutputs: TargetConfiguration = {
+      executor: '@nrwl/linter:eslint',
+      outputs: ['dist'],
+      options: {},
+    };
+    const notLint: TargetConfiguration = {
+      executor: '@nrwl/node:build',
+      options: {},
+    };
+
+    addProjectConfiguration(tree, 'proj', {
+      root: 'proj',
+      targets: {
+        lintWithoutOutputs,
+        lintWithOutputs,
+        notLint,
+      },
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should add outputs to targets that do not have outputs', async () => {
+    await addOutputs(tree);
+
+    expect(readProjectConfiguration(tree, 'proj')).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+Object {
+  "root": "proj",
+  "targets": Object {
+    "lintWithOutputs": Object {
+      "executor": "@nrwl/linter:eslint",
+      "options": Object {},
+      "outputs": Array [
+        "dist",
+      ],
+    },
+    "lintWithoutOutputs": Object {
+      "executor": "@nrwl/linter:eslint",
+      "options": Object {},
+      "outputs": Array [
+        "{options.outputFile}",
+      ],
+    },
+    "notLint": Object {
+      "executor": "@nrwl/node:build",
+      "options": Object {},
+    },
+  },
+}
+`);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/linter/src/migrations/update-12-9-0/add-outputs.ts b/packages/linter/src/migrations/update-12-9-0/add-outputs.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..7ec85927a0283b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/linter/src/migrations/update-12-9-0/add-outputs.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import {
+  formatFiles,
+  getProjects,
+  Tree,
+  updateProjectConfiguration,
+} from '@nrwl/devkit';
+
+export default async function addOutputs(tree: Tree) {
+  for (const [projectName, project] of getProjects(tree)) {
+    if (!project.targets) {
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    for (const target of Object.values(project.targets)) {
+      if (target.executor !== '@nrwl/linter:eslint' || target.outputs) {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      target.outputs = ['{options.outputFile}'];
+
+      updateProjectConfiguration(tree, projectName, project);
+    }
+  }
+
+  await formatFiles(tree);
+}