diff --git a/lib/interceptor/cache.js b/lib/interceptor/cache.js
index fe56baa82c9..5ad6e5f1565 100644
--- a/lib/interceptor/cache.js
+++ b/lib/interceptor/cache.js
@@ -106,6 +106,24 @@ function withinStaleWhileRevalidateWindow (result) {
   return now <= staleWhileRevalidateExpiry
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns the if-modified-since value for revalidating a stored response.
+ * https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9110.html#section-13.1.3
+ * @param {import('../../types/cache-interceptor.d.ts').default.GetResult} result
+ * @returns {string}
+ */
+function getIfModifiedSinceValue (result) {
+  if (typeof result.headers['last-modified'] === 'string' && result.headers['last-modified'] !== '') {
+    return result.headers['last-modified']
+  }
+
+  if (typeof result.headers.date === 'string' && result.headers.date !== '') {
+    return result.headers.date
+  }
+
+  return new Date(result.cachedAt).toUTCString()
+}
+
 /**
  * @param {DispatchFn} dispatch
  * @param {import('../../types/cache-interceptor.d.ts').default.CacheHandlerOptions} globalOpts
@@ -307,7 +325,7 @@ function handleResult (
       queueMicrotask(() => {
         const headers = {
           ...opts.headers,
-          'if-modified-since': new Date(result.cachedAt).toUTCString()
+          'if-modified-since': getIfModifiedSinceValue(result)
         }
 
         if (result.etag) {
@@ -351,7 +369,7 @@ function handleResult (
 
     const headers = {
       ...opts.headers,
-      'if-modified-since': new Date(result.cachedAt).toUTCString()
+      'if-modified-since': getIfModifiedSinceValue(result)
     }
 
     if (result.etag) {
diff --git a/test/interceptors/cache-revalidate-stale.js b/test/interceptors/cache-revalidate-stale.js
index 5abc58898a6..17103357014 100644
--- a/test/interceptors/cache-revalidate-stale.js
+++ b/test/interceptors/cache-revalidate-stale.js
@@ -157,3 +157,173 @@ describe('revalidates the request, handles 304s during stale-while-revalidate',
   test('using if-none-match', async () => await revalidateTest(true))
   test('using if-modified-since', async () => await revalidateTest(false))
 })
+
+describe('if-modified-since value on revalidation requests (RFC 9110 §13.1.3)', () => {
+  const LAST_MODIFIED = 'Sat, 09 Oct 2010 14:28:02 GMT'
+
+  test('sends the stored last-modified value verbatim', async () => {
+    const clock = FakeTimers.install({
+      now: new Date('2028-03-15T12:00:00.000Z').getTime()
+    })
+    after(() => clock.uninstall())
+
+    const revalidationRequests = []
+    const server = createServer({ joinDuplicateHeaders: true }, (req, res) => {
+      res.sendDate = false
+      res.setHeader('Date', new Date(clock.now).toUTCString())
+      res.setHeader('Cache-Control', 'public, max-age=1')
+      res.setHeader('Last-Modified', LAST_MODIFIED)
+
+      if (req.headers['if-modified-since']) {
+        revalidationRequests.push(req.headers['if-modified-since'])
+        res.statusCode = 304
+        res.end()
+      } else {
+        res.end('hello world')
+      }
+    })
+
+    server.listen(0)
+    await once(server, 'listening')
+
+    const dispatcher = new Client(`http://localhost:${server.address().port}`)
+      .compose(interceptors.cache())
+
+    after(async () => {
+      server.close()
+      await dispatcher.close()
+    })
+
+    const url = `http://localhost:${server.address().port}`
+
+    // initial request, cache the response
+    {
+      const res = await request(url, { dispatcher })
+      strictEqual(await res.body.text(), 'hello world')
+    }
+
+    // let the response go stale, forcing a revalidation request
+    clock.tick(1500)
+
+    {
+      const res = await request(url, { dispatcher })
+      strictEqual(await res.body.text(), 'hello world')
+    }
+
+    strictEqual(revalidationRequests.length, 1)
+    strictEqual(revalidationRequests[0], LAST_MODIFIED)
+  })
+
+  test('sends the stored last-modified value verbatim during stale-while-revalidate', async () => {
+    const clock = FakeTimers.install({
+      now: new Date('2028-03-15T12:00:00.000Z').getTime()
+    })
+    after(() => clock.uninstall())
+
+    const revalidationRequests = []
+    const server = createServer({ joinDuplicateHeaders: true }, (req, res) => {
+      res.sendDate = false
+      res.setHeader('Date', new Date(clock.now).toUTCString())
+      res.setHeader('Cache-Control', 'public, max-age=1, stale-while-revalidate=3600')
+      res.setHeader('Last-Modified', LAST_MODIFIED)
+
+      if (req.headers['if-modified-since']) {
+        revalidationRequests.push(req.headers['if-modified-since'])
+        res.statusCode = 304
+        res.end()
+      } else {
+        res.end('hello world')
+      }
+    })
+
+    server.listen(0)
+    await once(server, 'listening')
+
+    const dispatcher = new Client(`http://localhost:${server.address().port}`)
+      .compose(interceptors.cache())
+
+    after(async () => {
+      server.close()
+      await dispatcher.close()
+    })
+
+    const url = `http://localhost:${server.address().port}`
+
+    // initial request, cache the response
+    {
+      const res = await request(url, { dispatcher })
+      strictEqual(await res.body.text(), 'hello world')
+    }
+
+    // within the stale-while-revalidate window, revalidated in the background
+    clock.tick(2000)
+
+    {
+      const res = await request(url, { dispatcher })
+      strictEqual(await res.body.text(), 'hello world')
+
+      // wait for the background revalidation to complete
+      await setTimeout(100)
+      clock.tick(10)
+      await setTimeout(100)
+    }
+
+    strictEqual(revalidationRequests.length, 1)
+    strictEqual(revalidationRequests[0], LAST_MODIFIED)
+  })
+
+  test('falls back to the stored date value when there is no last-modified', async () => {
+    const clock = FakeTimers.install({
+      now: new Date('2028-03-15T12:00:00.000Z').getTime()
+    })
+    after(() => clock.uninstall())
+
+    // date header trailing the local clock, as with a skewed origin clock
+    const dateHeader = new Date(clock.now - 5000).toUTCString()
+
+    const revalidationRequests = []
+    const server = createServer({ joinDuplicateHeaders: true }, (req, res) => {
+      res.sendDate = false
+      res.setHeader('Date', dateHeader)
+      res.setHeader('Cache-Control', 'public, max-age=10')
+
+      if (req.headers['if-modified-since']) {
+        revalidationRequests.push(req.headers['if-modified-since'])
+        res.statusCode = 304
+        res.end()
+      } else {
+        res.end('hello world')
+      }
+    })
+
+    server.listen(0)
+    await once(server, 'listening')
+
+    const dispatcher = new Client(`http://localhost:${server.address().port}`)
+      .compose(interceptors.cache())
+
+    after(async () => {
+      server.close()
+      await dispatcher.close()
+    })
+
+    const url = `http://localhost:${server.address().port}`
+
+    // initial request, cache the response
+    {
+      const res = await request(url, { dispatcher })
+      strictEqual(await res.body.text(), 'hello world')
+    }
+
+    // let the response go stale (staleAt is based off of the date header)
+    clock.tick(6000)
+
+    {
+      const res = await request(url, { dispatcher })
+      strictEqual(await res.body.text(), 'hello world')
+    }
+
+    strictEqual(revalidationRequests.length, 1)
+    strictEqual(revalidationRequests[0], dateHeader)
+  })
+})