diff --git a/packages/next/server/image-optimizer.ts b/packages/next/server/image-optimizer.ts
index 7a0f7fe1ec18..0d603d546ab5 100644
--- a/packages/next/server/image-optimizer.ts
+++ b/packages/next/server/image-optimizer.ts
@@ -178,6 +178,7 @@ export async function imageOptimizer(
   const imagesDir = join(distDir, 'cache', 'images')
   const hashDir = join(imagesDir, hash)
   const now = Date.now()
+  let staleWhileRevalidate = false
 
   // If there're concurrent requests hitting the same resource and it's still
   // being optimized, wait before accessing the cache.
@@ -199,23 +200,27 @@ export async function imageOptimizer(
         const expireAt = Number(expireAtSt)
         const contentType = getContentType(extension)
         const fsPath = join(hashDir, file)
-        if (now < expireAt) {
-          const result = setResponseHeaders(
-            req,
-            res,
-            url,
-            etag,
-            maxAge,
-            contentType,
-            isStatic,
-            isDev
-          )
-          if (!result.finished) {
-            createReadStream(fsPath).pipe(res)
-          }
+        const isFresh = now < expireAt
+        const xCache = isFresh ? 'HIT' : 'STALE'
+        const result = setResponseHeaders(
+          req,
+          res,
+          url,
+          etag,
+          maxAge,
+          contentType,
+          isStatic,
+          isDev,
+          xCache
+        )
+        if (!result.finished) {
+          createReadStream(fsPath).pipe(res)
+        }
+        if (isFresh) {
           return { finished: true }
         } else {
           await promises.unlink(fsPath)
+          staleWhileRevalidate = true
         }
       }
     }
@@ -332,7 +337,8 @@ export async function imageOptimizer(
           upstreamType,
           upstreamBuffer,
           isStatic,
-          isDev
+          isDev,
+          staleWhileRevalidate
         )
         return { finished: true }
       }
@@ -485,7 +491,8 @@ export async function imageOptimizer(
           contentType,
           optimizedBuffer,
           isStatic,
-          isDev
+          isDev,
+          staleWhileRevalidate
         )
       } else {
         throw new Error('Unable to optimize buffer')
@@ -499,7 +506,8 @@ export async function imageOptimizer(
         upstreamType,
         upstreamBuffer,
         isStatic,
-        isDev
+        isDev,
+        staleWhileRevalidate
       )
     }
 
@@ -548,7 +556,8 @@ function setResponseHeaders(
   maxAge: number,
   contentType: string | null,
   isStatic: boolean,
-  isDev: boolean
+  isDev: boolean,
+  xCache: 'MISS' | 'HIT' | 'STALE'
 ) {
   res.setHeader('Vary', 'Accept')
   res.setHeader(
@@ -574,6 +583,7 @@ function setResponseHeaders(
   }
 
   res.setHeader('Content-Security-Policy', `script-src 'none'; sandbox;`)
+  res.setHeader('X-Nextjs-Cache', xCache)
 
   return { finished: false }
 }
@@ -586,8 +596,13 @@ function sendResponse(
   contentType: string | null,
   buffer: Buffer,
   isStatic: boolean,
-  isDev: boolean
+  isDev: boolean,
+  staleWhileRevalidate: boolean
 ) {
+  if (staleWhileRevalidate) {
+    return
+  }
+  const xCache = 'MISS'
   const etag = getHash([buffer])
   const result = setResponseHeaders(
     req,
@@ -597,7 +612,8 @@ function sendResponse(
     maxAge,
     contentType,
     isStatic,
-    isDev
+    isDev,
+    xCache
   )
   if (!result.finished) {
     res.end(buffer)
diff --git a/test/integration/image-optimizer/test/index.test.js b/test/integration/image-optimizer/test/index.test.js
index 26ea2bfc9d3a..2446330e528e 100644
--- a/test/integration/image-optimizer/test/index.test.js
+++ b/test/integration/image-optimizer/test/index.test.js
@@ -500,6 +500,49 @@ function runTests({
       )
       await expectWidth(res, w)
     })
+
+    it('should use cache and stale-while-revalidate when query is the same for external image', async () => {
+      await fs.remove(imagesDir)
+
+      const url = 'https://image-optimization-test.vercel.app/test.jpg'
+      const query = { url, w, q: 39 }
+      const opts = { headers: { accept: 'image/webp' } }
+
+      const res1 = await fetchViaHTTP(appPort, '/_next/image', query, opts)
+      expect(res1.status).toBe(200)
+      expect(res1.headers.get('X-Nextjs-Cache')).toBe('MISS')
+      expect(res1.headers.get('Content-Type')).toBe('image/webp')
+      expect(res1.headers.get('Content-Disposition')).toBe(
+        `inline; filename="test.webp"`
+      )
+      const json1 = await fsToJson(imagesDir)
+      expect(Object.keys(json1).length).toBe(1)
+
+      const res2 = await fetchViaHTTP(appPort, '/_next/image', query, opts)
+      expect(res2.status).toBe(200)
+      expect(res2.headers.get('X-Nextjs-Cache')).toBe('HIT')
+      expect(res2.headers.get('Content-Type')).toBe('image/webp')
+      expect(res2.headers.get('Content-Disposition')).toBe(
+        `inline; filename="test.webp"`
+      )
+      const json2 = await fsToJson(imagesDir)
+      expect(json2).toStrictEqual(json1)
+
+      if (ttl) {
+        // Wait until expired so we can confirm image is regenerated
+        await waitFor(ttl * 1000)
+        const res3 = await fetchViaHTTP(appPort, '/_next/image', query, opts)
+        expect(res3.status).toBe(200)
+        expect(res3.headers.get('X-Nextjs-Cache')).toBe('STALE')
+        expect(res3.headers.get('Content-Type')).toBe('image/webp')
+        expect(res3.headers.get('Content-Disposition')).toBe(
+          `inline; filename="test.webp"`
+        )
+        const json3 = await fsToJson(imagesDir)
+        expect(json3).not.toStrictEqual(json1)
+        expect(Object.keys(json3).length).toBe(1)
+      }
+    })
   }
 
   it('should fail when url has file protocol', async () => {
@@ -532,7 +575,7 @@ function runTests({
     })
   }
 
-  it('should use cached image file when parameters are the same', async () => {
+  it('should use cache and stale-while-revalidate when query is the same for internal image', async () => {
     await fs.remove(imagesDir)
 
     const query = { url: '/test.png', w, q: 80 }
@@ -540,6 +583,7 @@ function runTests({
 
     const res1 = await fetchViaHTTP(appPort, '/_next/image', query, opts)
     expect(res1.status).toBe(200)
+    expect(res1.headers.get('X-Nextjs-Cache')).toBe('MISS')
     expect(res1.headers.get('Content-Type')).toBe('image/webp')
     expect(res1.headers.get('Content-Disposition')).toBe(
       `inline; filename="test.webp"`
@@ -549,6 +593,7 @@ function runTests({
 
     const res2 = await fetchViaHTTP(appPort, '/_next/image', query, opts)
     expect(res2.status).toBe(200)
+    expect(res2.headers.get('X-Nextjs-Cache')).toBe('HIT')
     expect(res2.headers.get('Content-Type')).toBe('image/webp')
     expect(res2.headers.get('Content-Disposition')).toBe(
       `inline; filename="test.webp"`
@@ -561,6 +606,7 @@ function runTests({
       await waitFor(ttl * 1000)
       const res3 = await fetchViaHTTP(appPort, '/_next/image', query, opts)
       expect(res3.status).toBe(200)
+      expect(res3.headers.get('X-Nextjs-Cache')).toBe('STALE')
       expect(res3.headers.get('Content-Type')).toBe('image/webp')
       expect(res3.headers.get('Content-Disposition')).toBe(
         `inline; filename="test.webp"`
@@ -579,6 +625,7 @@ function runTests({
 
     const res1 = await fetchViaHTTP(appPort, '/_next/image', query, opts)
     expect(res1.status).toBe(200)
+    expect(res1.headers.get('X-Nextjs-Cache')).toBe('MISS')
     expect(res1.headers.get('Content-Type')).toBe('image/svg+xml')
     expect(res1.headers.get('Content-Disposition')).toBe(
       `inline; filename="test.svg"`
@@ -588,6 +635,7 @@ function runTests({
 
     const res2 = await fetchViaHTTP(appPort, '/_next/image', query, opts)
     expect(res2.status).toBe(200)
+    expect(res2.headers.get('X-Nextjs-Cache')).toBe('HIT')
     expect(res2.headers.get('Content-Type')).toBe('image/svg+xml')
     expect(res2.headers.get('Content-Disposition')).toBe(
       `inline; filename="test.svg"`
@@ -604,6 +652,7 @@ function runTests({
 
     const res1 = await fetchViaHTTP(appPort, '/_next/image', query, opts)
     expect(res1.status).toBe(200)
+    expect(res1.headers.get('X-Nextjs-Cache')).toBe('MISS')
     expect(res1.headers.get('Content-Type')).toBe('image/gif')
     expect(res1.headers.get('Content-Disposition')).toBe(
       `inline; filename="animated.gif"`
@@ -613,6 +662,7 @@ function runTests({
 
     const res2 = await fetchViaHTTP(appPort, '/_next/image', query, opts)
     expect(res2.status).toBe(200)
+    expect(res2.headers.get('X-Nextjs-Cache')).toBe('HIT')
     expect(res2.headers.get('Content-Type')).toBe('image/gif')
     expect(res2.headers.get('Content-Disposition')).toBe(
       `inline; filename="animated.gif"`
@@ -810,6 +860,16 @@ function runTests({
 
     const json1 = await fsToJson(imagesDir)
     expect(Object.keys(json1).length).toBe(1)
+
+    const xCache1 = res1.headers.get('X-Nextjs-Cache')
+    const xCache2 = res2.headers.get('X-Nextjs-Cache')
+    if (xCache1 === 'HIT') {
+      expect(xCache1).toBe('HIT')
+      expect(xCache2).toBe('MISS')
+    } else {
+      expect(xCache1).toBe('MISS')
+      expect(xCache2).toBe('HIT')
+    }
   })
 
   if (isDev || isSharp) {