diff --git a/sycl/source/detail/persistent_device_code_cache.cpp b/sycl/source/detail/persistent_device_code_cache.cpp
index a86e727dcca3a..40e8318f92c81 100644
--- a/sycl/source/detail/persistent_device_code_cache.cpp
+++ b/sycl/source/detail/persistent_device_code_cache.cpp
@@ -367,11 +367,18 @@ std::string PersistentDeviceCodeCache::getDeviceIDString(const device &Device) {
 }
 
 /* Write built binary to persistent cache
- * Format: BinarySize, Binary
+ * Format: NumBinaries(=1), BinarySize, Binary
  */
 void PersistentDeviceCodeCache::writeBinaryDataToFile(
     const std::string &FileName, const std::vector<char> &Data) {
   std::ofstream FileStream{FileName, std::ios::binary};
+  // The reason why we need to write number of binaries (in current
+  // implementation always 1) is to keep compatibility with the old format of
+  // files in persistent cache, so that new runtime can use binaries from
+  // persistent cache generated by old compiler/runtime.
+  size_t NumBinaries = 1;
+  FileStream.write((char *)&NumBinaries, sizeof(NumBinaries));
+
   auto Size = Data.size();
   FileStream.write((char *)&Size, sizeof(Size));
   FileStream.write(Data.data(), Size);
@@ -380,11 +387,26 @@ void PersistentDeviceCodeCache::writeBinaryDataToFile(
 }
 
 /* Read built binary from persistent cache. Each persistent cache file contains
- * binary for a single device. Format: BinarySize, Binary
+ * binary for a single device.
+ * Format: NumBinaries(=1), BinarySize, Binary
  */
 std::vector<char>
 PersistentDeviceCodeCache::readBinaryDataFromFile(const std::string &FileName) {
   std::ifstream FileStream{FileName, std::ios::binary};
+  // We ignore this number, we always read single device binary from a file and
+  // we need this just to keep compatibility with the old format of files in
+  // persistent cache, so that new runtime can use binaries from persistent
+  // cache generated by old compiler/runtime.
+  size_t NumBinaries = 0;
+  FileStream.read((char *)&NumBinaries, sizeof(NumBinaries));
+  if (FileStream.fail()) {
+    trace("Failed to read number of binaries from " + FileName);
+    return {};
+  }
+  // Even in the old implementation we could only put a single binary to the
+  // persistent cache in all scenarios, multi-device case wasn't supported.
+  assert(NumBinaries == 1);
+
   size_t BinarySize = 0;
   FileStream.read((char *)&BinarySize, sizeof(BinarySize));
 
diff --git a/sycl/source/detail/persistent_device_code_cache.hpp b/sycl/source/detail/persistent_device_code_cache.hpp
index 24cc0bfad83f1..a7c57625f81f4 100644
--- a/sycl/source/detail/persistent_device_code_cache.hpp
+++ b/sycl/source/detail/persistent_device_code_cache.hpp
@@ -91,13 +91,19 @@ class PersistentDeviceCodeCache {
    */
 private:
   /* Write built binary to persistent cache
-   * Format: BinarySize, Binary
+   * Format: NumBinaries(=1), BinarySize, Binary
+   * The reason why we need to write a number of binaries (always 1 in current
+   * implementation) is to keep compatibility with the old format of files in
+   * the persistent cache, so that new runtime can use binaries from the
+   * persistent cache generated by an old compiler/runtime. NumBinaries can be
+   * removed at next ABI breaking window.
    */
   static void writeBinaryDataToFile(const std::string &FileName,
                                     const std::vector<char> &Data);
 
-  /* Read built binary to persistent cache
-   * Format: BinarySize, Binary
+  /* Read built binary from persistent cache
+   * Format: NumBinaries(=1), BinarySize, Binary
+   * See comment above regarding the reason why we need NumBinaries.
    */
   static std::vector<char> readBinaryDataFromFile(const std::string &FileName);
 
diff --git a/sycl/unittests/kernel-and-program/PersistentDeviceCodeCache.cpp b/sycl/unittests/kernel-and-program/PersistentDeviceCodeCache.cpp
index 1cd0fcee45dc7..85ac0cd62c6a0 100644
--- a/sycl/unittests/kernel-and-program/PersistentDeviceCodeCache.cpp
+++ b/sycl/unittests/kernel-and-program/PersistentDeviceCodeCache.cpp
@@ -394,14 +394,14 @@ TEST_P(PersistentDeviceCodeCache, CorruptedCacheFiles) {
   // Binary file is corrupted
   detail::PersistentDeviceCodeCache::putItemToDisc({Dev}, {&Img}, {},
                                                    BuildOptions, NativeProg);
-  std::ofstream FileStream(ItemDir + "/0.bin",
-                           std::ofstream::out | std::ofstream::trunc);
-  /* Emulate binary built for 2 devices: first is OK, second is trancated
-   * from 23 bytes to 4
-   */
-  FileStream << 2 << 12 << "123456789012" << 23 << "1234";
-  FileStream.close();
-  EXPECT_FALSE(FileStream.fail()) << "Failed to create trancated binary file";
+  {
+    std::ofstream FileStream(ItemDir + "/0.bin",
+                             std::ofstream::out | std::ofstream::trunc);
+    // Emulate binary which is truncated from 23 bytes to 4.
+    FileStream << 1 << 23 << "1234";
+    FileStream.close();
+    EXPECT_FALSE(FileStream.fail()) << "Failed to create trancated binary file";
+  }
   Res = detail::PersistentDeviceCodeCache::getItemFromDisc({Dev}, {&Img}, {},
                                                            BuildOptions);
   EXPECT_EQ(Res.size(), static_cast<size_t>(0))
@@ -421,6 +421,23 @@ TEST_P(PersistentDeviceCodeCache, CorruptedCacheFiles) {
   EXPECT_EQ(Res.size(), static_cast<size_t>(0))
       << "Item with corrupted binary file was read";
   ASSERT_NO_ERROR(llvm::sys::fs::remove_directories(ItemDir));
+
+  // Unexpected 2 binaries in a single file.
+  detail::PersistentDeviceCodeCache::putItemToDisc({Dev}, {&Img}, {},
+                                                   BuildOptions, NativeProg);
+  {
+    std::ofstream FileStream(ItemDir + "/0.bin",
+                             std::ofstream::out | std::ofstream::trunc);
+    // Emulate binaries for 2 devices in a single file.
+    FileStream << 2 << 12 << "123456789012" << 4 << "1234";
+    FileStream.close();
+    EXPECT_FALSE(FileStream.fail())
+        << "Failed to create a file containing 2 binaries";
+  }
+  ASSERT_DEATH(detail::PersistentDeviceCodeCache::getItemFromDisc(
+                   {Dev}, {&Img}, {}, BuildOptions),
+               "NumBinaries == 1");
+  ASSERT_NO_ERROR(llvm::sys::fs::remove_directories(ItemDir));
 }
 
 /* Checks that lock file affects cache operations as expected: