diff --git a/.ci/compile.sh b/.ci/compile.sh
index 808f13e91..a9386400f 100755
--- a/.ci/compile.sh
+++ b/.ci/compile.sh
@@ -14,12 +14,13 @@
 # --debug or --release sets the build type ie CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE
 # --ccache [<size>] uses ccache and shows stats, optionally provide size
 # --evict-ccache <age> runs ccache eviction based on given age after build
+# --sccache uses sccache instead, needs a generator that runs the compiler itself
 # --dir <dir> sets the name of the build dir, default is "build"
 # --cmake-generator <generator> sets CMAKE_GENERATOR as used by cmake
 # --target-macos-version <version> sets the min os version - only used for macOS builds
 # --profile writes an MSBuild performance summary and binary log, Windows only
-# uses env: BUILDTYPE MAKE_INSTALL MAKE_PACKAGE PACKAGE_TYPE PACKAGE_SUFFIX MAKE_SERVER MAKE_NO_CLIENT MAKE_TEST USE_CCACHE CCACHE_SIZE CCACHE_EVICTION_AGE BUILD_DIR CMAKE_GENERATOR TARGET_MACOS_VERSION MAKE_SANITIZE MAKE_COVERAGE VCPKG_TARGET_MACOS_VERSION BUILD_PARALLEL_LEVEL BUILD_PROFILE
-# (correspond to args: --debug/--release --install --package <package type> --suffix <suffix> --server --test --sanitize --coverage --ccache <ccache_size> --dir <dir> --profile)
+# uses env: BUILDTYPE MAKE_INSTALL MAKE_PACKAGE PACKAGE_TYPE PACKAGE_SUFFIX MAKE_SERVER MAKE_NO_CLIENT MAKE_TEST USE_CCACHE CCACHE_SIZE CCACHE_EVICTION_AGE BUILD_DIR CMAKE_GENERATOR TARGET_MACOS_VERSION MAKE_SANITIZE MAKE_COVERAGE VCPKG_TARGET_MACOS_VERSION BUILD_PARALLEL_LEVEL BUILD_PROFILE USE_SCCACHE
+# (correspond to args: --debug/--release --install --package <package type> --suffix <suffix> --server --test --sanitize --coverage --ccache <ccache_size> --dir <dir> --profile --sccache)
 # exitcode: 1 for failure, 3 for invalid arguments
 
 # Read arguments
@@ -94,6 +95,10 @@ while [[ $# != 0 ]]; do
       CCACHE_EVICTION_AGE=$1
       shift
       ;;
+    '--sccache')
+      USE_SCCACHE=1
+      shift
+      ;;
     '--vcpkg')
       USE_VCPKG=1
       shift
@@ -169,6 +174,16 @@ export CMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM=3.10
 
 # Add cmake flags
 flags=("-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$BUILDTYPE")
+if [[ $USE_CCACHE && $USE_SCCACHE ]]; then
+  echo "::error file=$0::ccache and sccache at the same time is not a supported combination"
+  exit 1
+fi
+if [[ $USE_SCCACHE && $CMAKE_GENERATOR != "Ninja"* ]]; then
+  # A compiler cache wraps the compiler, and only generators that run the compiler
+  # themselves are given a launcher to wrap: cmake does not pass one to MSBuild.
+  echo "::error file=$0::sccache needs a Ninja generator, not '$CMAKE_GENERATOR', which would ignore it"
+  exit 1
+fi
 if [[ $MAKE_SERVER ]]; then
   flags+=("-DWITH_SERVER=1")
 fi
@@ -199,6 +214,10 @@ if [[ $USE_CCACHE ]]; then
     ccache --max-size "$CCACHE_SIZE"
   fi
 fi
+if [[ $USE_SCCACHE ]]; then
+  flags+=("-DUSE_SCCACHE=1")
+  flags+=("-DCMAKE_C_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=sccache" "-DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_LAUNCHER=sccache")
+fi
 if [[ $PACKAGE_TYPE ]]; then
   flags+=("-DCPACK_GENERATOR=$PACKAGE_TYPE")
 fi
@@ -384,6 +403,10 @@ if [[ $USE_CCACHE ]]; then
   echo "::group::Show ccache stats again"
   ccachestatsverbose
   echo "::endgroup::"
+elif [[ $USE_SCCACHE ]]; then
+  echo "::group::Show sccache stats"
+  sccache --show-stats
+  echo "::endgroup::"
 elif [[ $CCACHE_EVICTION_AGE ]]; then
   echo "::error file=$0::ccache eviction is enabled while ccache is disabled!"
 fi
diff --git a/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml b/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml
index 08efb5782..b12b0eabd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/desktop-build.yml
@@ -415,6 +415,7 @@ jobs:
             qt_version: 6.11.*
             qt_modules: qtimageformats qtmultimedia qtshadertools qtwebsockets
             type: Release
+            use_sccache: 1
             variant: ' (Ninja)'
             # The same scope as the Visual Studio leg, so both halves of the A/B
             # start from the same vcpkg cache and the comparison is about the
@@ -521,6 +522,20 @@ jobs:
         with:
           arch: x64
 
+      # sccache is only useful for the Ninja job: a compiler cache has to wrap the
+      # compiler, and MSBuild is driven by cmake instead of running it, so a
+      # launcher handed to MSBuild is ignored without a word.
+      - name: "[Windows/Ninja] Set up sccache"
+        if: matrix.os == 'Windows' && matrix.cmake_generator == 'Ninja'
+        uses: mozilla-actions/sccache-action@v0.0.11
+        env:
+          SCCACHE_GHA_ENABLED: "true"
+          # A fork pull request can read the cache, but the token it runs with
+          # cannot write to the base branch's scope.
+          SCCACHE_GHA_RW_MODE: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.repo.fork && 'READ_ONLY' || 'READ_WRITE' }}
+          # A cache that cannot be reached must not fail the build.
+          SCCACHE_IGNORE_SERVER_IO_ERROR: "1"
+
       - name: "[Windows] Install NSIS"
         if: matrix.os == 'Windows'
         shell: bash
@@ -569,8 +584,9 @@ jobs:
           MACOS_CI_KEYCHAIN_PWD: ${{ secrets.PROD_MACOS_CI_KEYCHAIN_PWD }}
           MAKE_PACKAGE: '${{ matrix.make_package }}'
           PACKAGE_SUFFIX: '${{ matrix.package_suffix }}'
-          TARGET_MACOS_VERSION: ${{ matrix.override_target }}
+          TARGET_MACOS_VERSION: '${{ matrix.override_target }}'
           USE_CCACHE: ${{ matrix.use_ccache }}
+          USE_SCCACHE: ${{ matrix.use_sccache }}
           # Only pushes to the default branch may write the shared binary cache: the
           # archives a run compiles are only as trustworthy as the code they were
           # built from, and only merged code may populate the scope that master and
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index bee47972c..2ae7b94a5 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -8,8 +8,19 @@
 # 3.16 required for Qt6 and target_precompile_headers()
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.16)
 
+# Let CMake pick the MSVC debug information format through
+# CMAKE_MSVC_DEBUG_INFORMATION_FORMAT instead of writing it into the
+# CMAKE_<LANG>_FLAGS_<CONFIG> defaults. The policy has to be settled before the
+# first project() enables a language, and it does not exist before CMake 3.25,
+# where the old defaults are the only thing available.
+if(POLICY CMP0141)
+  cmake_policy(SET CMP0141 NEW)
+endif()
+
 # Use compiler cache (ccache)
 option(USE_CCACHE "Cache the build results with ccache" ON)
+# Use compiler cache (sccache), for generators that invoke the compiler themselves
+option(USE_SCCACHE "Cache the build results with sccache" OFF)
 # Treat warnings as errors (Debug builds only)
 option(WARNING_AS_ERROR "Treat warnings as errors in debug builds" ON)
 # Check for translation updates
@@ -156,8 +167,17 @@ endif()
 
 # Define proper compilation flags
 if(MSVC)
-  # Disable Warning C4251, C++20 compatibility, Multi-threaded Builds, Warn Detection, Unwind Semantics, Debug Symbols
-  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "/wd4251 /Zc:__cplusplus /std:c++20 /permissive- /W4 /MP /EHsc /Zi")
+  # Debug information: a cache can only store and restore objects that carry it
+  # inside, so a cached build asks for /Z7 (Embedded); otherwise /Zi (ProgramDatabase).
+  # Either way the linker is told to write the PDB, in every configuration.
+  if(USE_SCCACHE)
+    set(CMAKE_MSVC_DEBUG_INFORMATION_FORMAT Embedded)
+  else()
+    set(CMAKE_MSVC_DEBUG_INFORMATION_FORMAT ProgramDatabase)
+  endif()
+
+  # Disable Warning C4251, C++20 compatibility, Multi-threaded Builds, Warn Detection, Unwind Semantics
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "/wd4251 /Zc:__cplusplus /std:c++20 /permissive- /W4 /MP /EHsc")
   # Visual Studio: Maximum Optimization, Multi-threaded DLL
   set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "/Ox /MD")
   # Visual Studio: No Optimization, Multi-threaded Debug DLL