diff --git a/modern_di/providers/factory.py b/modern_di/providers/factory.py
index 7887d28c..8468e462 100644
--- a/modern_di/providers/factory.py
+++ b/modern_di/providers/factory.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 from modern_di import exceptions, suggester, types
 from modern_di.providers.abstract import AbstractProvider
-from modern_di.types_parser import SignatureItem, parse_creator
+from modern_di.types_parser import ParsedCreator, SignatureItem, parse_creator
 from modern_di.wiring import WiringPlan
 
 
@@ -24,6 +24,13 @@ class CacheSettings(typing.Generic[types.T_co]):
     def __post_init__(self) -> None:
         self.is_async_finalizer = bool(self.finalizer) and inspect.iscoroutinefunction(self.finalizer)
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def coerce(cache: "bool | CacheSettings[types.T] | None") -> "CacheSettings[types.T] | None":
+        """Read a ``Factory``'s ``cache`` argument: ``True`` is the defaults, ``False`` and ``None`` are off."""
+        if cache is True:
+            return CacheSettings()
+        return cache or None
+
 
 class Factory(AbstractProvider[types.T_co]):
     __slots__ = (
@@ -45,12 +52,6 @@ def __init__(  # noqa: PLR0913
         cache: bool | CacheSettings[types.T_co] | None = None,
         skip_creator_parsing: bool = False,
     ) -> None:
-        if cache is True:
-            resolved_cache: CacheSettings[types.T_co] | None = CacheSettings()
-        elif cache:  # a CacheSettings instance
-            resolved_cache = cache
-        else:  # None or False
-            resolved_cache = None
         if skip_creator_parsing:
             if bound_type is types.UNSET:
                 warnings.warn(
@@ -59,15 +60,12 @@ def __init__(  # noqa: PLR0913
                     UserWarning,
                     stacklevel=2,
                 )
-            parsed_type: type | None = None
-            parsed_kwargs: dict[str, SignatureItem] = {}
-            has_positional_only_gap = False
+            parsed = ParsedCreator(return_type=SignatureItem(), params={}, has_positional_only_gap=False)
         else:
-            return_sig, parsed_kwargs, has_positional_only_gap = parse_creator(creator)
-            parsed_type = return_sig.arg_type
+            parsed = parse_creator(creator)
             if kwargs:
-                self._validate_kwargs_against_signature(creator, kwargs, parsed_kwargs)
-            for param_name, item in parsed_kwargs.items():
+                self._validate_kwargs_against_signature(creator, kwargs, parsed.params)
+            for param_name, item in parsed.params.items():
                 if item.raw_annotation is None or item.default is not types.UNSET or (kwargs and param_name in kwargs):
                     continue
                 raise exceptions.UnsupportedCreatorParameterError(
@@ -79,11 +77,14 @@ def __init__(  # noqa: PLR0913
                         f"or use skip_creator_parsing=True"
                     ),
                 )
-        self._parsed_kwargs = parsed_kwargs
-        self._has_positional_only_gap = has_positional_only_gap
-        super().__init__(scope=scope, bound_type=parsed_type if isinstance(bound_type, types.UnsetType) else bound_type)
+        self._parsed_kwargs = parsed.params
+        self._has_positional_only_gap = parsed.has_positional_only_gap
+        super().__init__(
+            scope=scope,
+            bound_type=parsed.return_type.arg_type if isinstance(bound_type, types.UnsetType) else bound_type,
+        )
         self._creator = creator
-        self.cache_settings = resolved_cache
+        self.cache_settings = CacheSettings.coerce(cache)
         self._kwargs = kwargs
         self._cached_definition_site: str | types.UnsetType | None = types.UNSET
 
diff --git a/modern_di/types_parser.py b/modern_di/types_parser.py
index ac0a4792..f271b10f 100644
--- a/modern_di/types_parser.py
+++ b/modern_di/types_parser.py
@@ -86,18 +86,26 @@ def _parse_parameter(
     return item
 
 
-def parse_creator(
-    creator: typing.Callable[..., typing.Any],
-) -> tuple[SignatureItem, dict[str, SignatureItem], bool]:
-    """Return (return-type item, name→param item, has_positional_only_gap).
+@dataclasses.dataclass(kw_only=True, slots=True, frozen=True)
+class ParsedCreator:
+    """A creator's signature as the wiring reads it.
 
     ``has_positional_only_gap`` is True when a positional-only-with-default parameter was dropped
-    from the param map, so the map is no longer a faithful positional prefix of the signature.
+    from ``params``, so the map is no longer a faithful positional prefix of the signature.
     """
+
+    return_type: SignatureItem
+    params: dict[str, SignatureItem]
+    has_positional_only_gap: bool
+
+
+def parse_creator(creator: typing.Callable[..., typing.Any]) -> ParsedCreator:
     try:
         sig = inspect.signature(creator)
     except (ValueError, TypeError):
-        return SignatureItem.from_type(typing.cast(type, creator)), {}, False
+        return ParsedCreator(
+            return_type=SignatureItem.from_type(typing.cast(type, creator)), params={}, has_positional_only_gap=False
+        )
 
     is_class = isinstance(creator, type)
     try:
@@ -137,4 +145,4 @@ def parse_creator(
     else:
         return_sig = SignatureItem()
 
-    return return_sig, param_hints, has_positional_only_gap
+    return ParsedCreator(return_type=return_sig, params=param_hints, has_positional_only_gap=has_positional_only_gap)
diff --git a/tests/providers/test_factory.py b/tests/providers/test_factory.py
index 1e96b42d..5062fa58 100644
--- a/tests/providers/test_factory.py
+++ b/tests/providers/test_factory.py
@@ -1207,3 +1207,16 @@ def _body_raises() -> None:
             creator=_body_raises, exc=exc, resolution_step=lambda: step
         )
     assert result is None
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("cache", "expected"),
+    [(True, providers.CacheSettings()), (False, None), (None, None)],
+)
+def test_cache_settings_coerce(cache: bool | None, expected: providers.CacheSettings[object] | None) -> None:
+    assert providers.CacheSettings.coerce(cache) == expected
+
+
+def test_cache_settings_coerce_returns_an_instance_unchanged() -> None:
+    settings: providers.CacheSettings[object] = providers.CacheSettings(clear_cache=False)
+    assert providers.CacheSettings.coerce(settings) is settings
diff --git a/tests/test_types_parser.py b/tests/test_types_parser.py
index b1713909..d6f80bd0 100644
--- a/tests/test_types_parser.py
+++ b/tests/test_types_parser.py
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ def nonetype_func(hook: None = None) -> None: ...
 
 
 def test_nonetype_params_keep_defaults_through_parse_creator() -> None:
-    _ret, params, _gap = parse_creator(nonetype_func)
+    params = parse_creator(nonetype_func).params
     assert params["hook"] == SignatureItem(default=None, is_nullable=True)
 
 
@@ -210,8 +210,8 @@ def __init__(self, arg1: "WrongType", arg2: "int") -> None: ...  # ty: ignore[un
     ],
 )
 def test_parse_creator(creator: type, result: tuple[SignatureItem | None, dict[str, SignatureItem]]) -> None:
-    return_sig, params, _gap = parse_creator(creator)
-    assert (return_sig, params) == result
+    parsed = parse_creator(creator)
+    assert (parsed.return_type, parsed.params) == result
 
 
 def test_parse_creator_str_generic_annotation_without_default_raises() -> None:
@@ -303,13 +303,13 @@ def _pos_only_with_default(x: int = 0, /, y: int = 1) -> int:
 
 def test_positional_only_param_with_default_is_skipped() -> None:
     assert _pos_only_with_default(2) == _pos_only_with_default(1, 2)
-    return_sig, params, has_positional_only_gap = parse_creator(_pos_only_with_default)
-    assert (return_sig, params) == (
+    parsed = parse_creator(_pos_only_with_default)
+    assert (parsed.return_type, parsed.params) == (
         SignatureItem(arg_type=int),
         {"y": SignatureItem(arg_type=int, default=1)},
     )
     # the dropped positional-only `x` is recorded so the compiled fast path keeps **kwargs
-    assert has_positional_only_gap is True
+    assert parsed.has_positional_only_gap is True
 
 
 def _mixed_kind_creator(pos_or_kw: int, *, kw_only: int) -> int:
@@ -320,6 +320,6 @@ def test_keyword_only_signal_recorded() -> None:
     # A keyword-only parameter records is_keyword_only=True; a positional-or-keyword one records
     # False. This is the only param-kind signal the compiled positional fast path consults.
     assert _mixed_kind_creator(1, kw_only=2) == 1 + 2  # exercise the creator body for coverage
-    _ret, params, _gap = parse_creator(_mixed_kind_creator)
+    params = parse_creator(_mixed_kind_creator).params
     assert params["pos_or_kw"].is_keyword_only is False
     assert params["kw_only"].is_keyword_only is True