diff --git a/pymongo/auth_aws.py b/pymongo/auth_aws.py
index ab83df965..0d253cea1 100644
--- a/pymongo/auth_aws.py
+++ b/pymongo/auth_aws.py
@@ -44,6 +44,14 @@ def _authenticate_aws(credentials: MongoCredential, conn: Connection) -> None:
             "install with: python -m pip install 'pymongo[aws]'"
         )
 
+    # Delayed import.
+    from pymongo_auth_aws.auth import (  # type:ignore[import]
+        set_cached_credentials,
+        set_use_cached_credentials,
+    )
+
+    set_use_cached_credentials(True)
+
     if conn.max_wire_version < 9:
         raise ConfigurationError("MONGODB-AWS authentication requires MongoDB version 4.4 or later")
 
@@ -87,12 +95,12 @@ def _authenticate_aws(credentials: MongoCredential, conn: Connection) -> None:
                 break
     except pymongo_auth_aws.PyMongoAuthAwsError as exc:
         # Clear the cached credentials if we hit a failure in auth.
-        pymongo_auth_aws.set_cached_credentials(None)
+        set_cached_credentials(None)
         # Convert to OperationFailure and include pymongo-auth-aws version.
         raise OperationFailure(
             f"{exc} (pymongo-auth-aws version {pymongo_auth_aws.__version__})"
         ) from None
     except Exception:
         # Clear the cached credentials if we hit a failure in auth.
-        pymongo_auth_aws.set_cached_credentials(None)
+        set_cached_credentials(None)
         raise
diff --git a/test/auth_aws/test_auth_aws.py b/test/auth_aws/test_auth_aws.py
index d0bb41b73..3e5dcec56 100644
--- a/test/auth_aws/test_auth_aws.py
+++ b/test/auth_aws/test_auth_aws.py
@@ -60,8 +60,13 @@ class TestAuthAWS(unittest.TestCase):
     def setup_cache(self):
         if os.environ.get("AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID", None) or "@" in self.uri:
             self.skipTest("Not testing cached credentials")
-        if not hasattr(auth, "set_cached_credentials"):
-            self.skipTest("Cached credentials not available")
+
+        # Make a connection to ensure that we enable caching.
+        client = MongoClient(self.uri)
+        client.get_database().test.find_one()
+        client.close()
+
+        self.assertTrue(auth.get_use_cached_credentials())
 
         # Ensure cleared credentials.
         auth.set_cached_credentials(None)