diff --git a/packages/webpack-cli/lib/groups/ConfigGroup.js b/packages/webpack-cli/lib/groups/ConfigGroup.js
index beac89662e8..3b559708f55 100644
--- a/packages/webpack-cli/lib/groups/ConfigGroup.js
+++ b/packages/webpack-cli/lib/groups/ConfigGroup.js
@@ -126,13 +126,13 @@ const resolveConfigFiles = async (args) => {
         const defaultConfig = configFiles.find((p) => p.path.includes(mode) || p.path.includes(modeAlias[mode]));
 
         if (defaultConfig) {
-            opts = await finalize(defaultConfig, args);
+            opts = await finalize(defaultConfig, args, true);
             return;
         }
 
         const foundConfig = configFiles.pop();
 
-        opts = await finalize(foundConfig, args);
+        opts = await finalize(foundConfig, args, true);
 
         return;
     }
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ const resolveConfigFiles = async (args) => {
 
 // Given config data, determines the type of config and
 // returns final config
-const finalize = async (moduleObj, args) => {
+const finalize = async (moduleObj, args, isDefault = false) => {
     const { env, configName } = args;
     const newOptionsObject = {
         outputOptions: {},
@@ -151,6 +151,10 @@ const finalize = async (moduleObj, args) => {
         return newOptionsObject;
     }
 
+    if (isDefault) {
+        newOptionsObject.outputOptions.defaultConfig = moduleObj.path;
+    }
+
     const config = moduleObj.config;
 
     const isMultiCompilerMode = Array.isArray(config);
diff --git a/packages/webpack-cli/lib/utils/flag-defaults.js b/packages/webpack-cli/lib/utils/flag-defaults.js
index 10940d05d42..75c18c6d6ed 100644
--- a/packages/webpack-cli/lib/utils/flag-defaults.js
+++ b/packages/webpack-cli/lib/utils/flag-defaults.js
@@ -1,23 +1,24 @@
-const cacheDefaults = (finalConfig, parsedArgs) => {
+const cacheDefaults = (finalConfig, parsedArgs, outputOptions) => {
     // eslint-disable-next-line no-prototype-builtins
     const hasCache = finalConfig.hasOwnProperty('cache');
     let cacheConfig = {};
-    if (hasCache && parsedArgs.config) {
+    if (hasCache && (parsedArgs.config || outputOptions.defaultConfig)) {
         if (finalConfig.cache && finalConfig.cache.type === 'filesystem') {
             cacheConfig.buildDependencies = {
-                config: parsedArgs.config,
+                config: parsedArgs.config || outputOptions.defaultConfig,
             };
         }
         return { cache: cacheConfig };
     }
+    console.log({ cacheConfig, outputOptions });
     return cacheConfig;
 };
 
-const assignFlagDefaults = (compilerConfig, parsedArgs) => {
+const assignFlagDefaults = (compilerConfig, parsedArgs, outputOptions) => {
     if (Array.isArray(compilerConfig)) {
-        return compilerConfig.map((config) => cacheDefaults(config, parsedArgs));
+        return compilerConfig.map((config) => cacheDefaults(config, parsedArgs, outputOptions));
     }
-    return cacheDefaults(compilerConfig, parsedArgs);
+    return cacheDefaults(compilerConfig, parsedArgs, outputOptions);
 };
 
 module.exports = assignFlagDefaults;
diff --git a/packages/webpack-cli/lib/webpack-cli.js b/packages/webpack-cli/lib/webpack-cli.js
index 9ae5c1ae010..cee5cb2cfe3 100644
--- a/packages/webpack-cli/lib/webpack-cli.js
+++ b/packages/webpack-cli/lib/webpack-cli.js
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class WebpackCLI extends GroupHelper {
             coreCliHelper.processArguments(coreCliArgs, this.compilerConfiguration, coreConfig);
             // Assign some defaults to core flags
         }
-        const configWithDefaults = assignFlagDefaults(this.compilerConfiguration, parsedArgs);
+        const configWithDefaults = assignFlagDefaults(this.compilerConfiguration, parsedArgs, this.outputConfiguration);
         this._mergeOptionsToConfiguration(configWithDefaults);
     }