diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index d149ec6129348e86d65e79f66998d8a0bc39b305..a2ebd579da796bb2026ed05c48b746b09c790876 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ gem 'arel', github: 'rails/arel', branch: 'master'
 
 gem 'mocha', '>= 0.11.2', :require => false
 gem 'rack-test', github: 'brynary/rack-test'
+gem 'rack-cache', "~> 1.2"
 gem 'bcrypt-ruby', '~> 3.0.0'
 gem 'jquery-rails'
 
diff --git a/actionpack/actionpack.gemspec b/actionpack/actionpack.gemspec
index fd09d3b55b62cfd051e20e56e8c7c715ee0c0570..7d292ac17c4d5a3ed003b2d0453955aaca09b020 100644
--- a/actionpack/actionpack.gemspec
+++ b/actionpack/actionpack.gemspec
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
   s.requirements << 'none'
 
   s.add_dependency('activesupport', version)
-  s.add_dependency('rack-cache',    '~> 1.2')
   s.add_dependency('builder',       '~> 3.1.0')
   s.add_dependency('rack',          '~> 1.4.1')
   s.add_dependency('rack-test',     '~> 0.6.1')
diff --git a/railties/lib/rails/application.rb b/railties/lib/rails/application.rb
index 050190cba662aa1061a8b6a8abd9be6af9407587..0b9ed025dbaa2746fb98ec60ba5b40369a2c2a4b 100644
--- a/railties/lib/rails/application.rb
+++ b/railties/lib/rails/application.rb
@@ -282,6 +282,12 @@ def default_middleware_stack #:nodoc:
       ActionDispatch::MiddlewareStack.new.tap do |middleware|
         app = self
         if rack_cache = config.action_controller.perform_caching && config.action_dispatch.rack_cache
+          begin
+            require 'rack/cache'
+          rescue LoadError => error
+            error.message << ' Be sure to add rack-cache to your Gemfile'
+            raise
+          end
           require "action_dispatch/http/rack_cache"
           middleware.use ::Rack::Cache, rack_cache
         end
diff --git a/railties/lib/rails/generators/rails/app/templates/Gemfile b/railties/lib/rails/generators/rails/app/templates/Gemfile
index 55a6b3f4f2b194ea008573d9d921a050dfa410d9..69027f2903fb7dd0e84e04775783f26b0f0389f4 100644
--- a/railties/lib/rails/generators/rails/app/templates/Gemfile
+++ b/railties/lib/rails/generators/rails/app/templates/Gemfile
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ source 'https://rubygems.org'
 <%= assets_gemfile_entry %>
 <%= javascript_gemfile_entry %>
 
+# Puts a simple HTTP cache in front of your app.
+# For large-scale production use, consider using a caching reverse proxy like nginx, varnish, or squid.
+gem 'rack-cache', '~> 1.2'
+
 # To use ActiveModel has_secure_password
 # gem 'bcrypt-ruby', '~> 3.0.0'
 
diff --git a/railties/test/generators/app_generator_test.rb b/railties/test/generators/app_generator_test.rb
index 856a0e163be41d7a644bced5f516ebb5fafca240..7a646626c6e93323ba1b36052fe7306937dfde64 100644
--- a/railties/test/generators/app_generator_test.rb
+++ b/railties/test/generators/app_generator_test.rb
@@ -300,6 +300,11 @@ def test_inclusion_of_debugger
     assert_file "Gemfile", /# gem 'debugger'/
   end
 
+  def test_inclusion_of_rack_cache
+    run_generator
+    assert_file "Gemfile", /gem 'rack-cache'/
+  end
+
   def test_template_from_dir_pwd
     FileUtils.cd(Rails.root)
     assert_match(/It works from file!/, run_generator([destination_root, "-m", "lib/template.rb"]))