diff --git a/clients/drcachesim/tests/decode_cache_test.cpp b/clients/drcachesim/tests/decode_cache_test.cpp
index 43235bce432..a5274752431 100644
--- a/clients/drcachesim/tests/decode_cache_test.cpp
+++ b/clients/drcachesim/tests/decode_cache_test.cpp
@@ -161,6 +161,14 @@ check_decode_caching(void *drcontext, bool persist_instrs, bool use_module_mappe
         if (decode_info_nop_2 != decode_info_nop) {
             return "Did not see same decode info instance for second instance of nop";
         }
+        decode_cache.clear_cache();
+        decode_info_nop =
+            decode_cache.get_decode_info(reinterpret_cast<app_pc>(memrefs[0].instr.addr));
+        decode_info_ret =
+            decode_cache.get_decode_info(reinterpret_cast<app_pc>(memrefs[1].instr.addr));
+        if (decode_info_nop != nullptr || decode_info_ret != nullptr) {
+            return "Cached decode info not cleared after clear_cache()";
+        }
     }
     instrlist_clear_and_destroy(drcontext, ilist);
     std::cerr << "check_decode_caching with persist_instrs: " << persist_instrs
diff --git a/clients/drcachesim/tools/common/decode_cache.h b/clients/drcachesim/tools/common/decode_cache.h
index 7b89e83c023..60214c1c752 100644
--- a/clients/drcachesim/tools/common/decode_cache.h
+++ b/clients/drcachesim/tools/common/decode_cache.h
@@ -350,6 +350,24 @@ template <class DecodeInfo> class decode_cache_t : public decode_cache_base_t {
         return init_module_mapper(module_file_path, alt_module_dir);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Clears all cached decode info entries.
+     *
+     * Typically analysis tools like to keep their per-shard data around till all shards
+     * are done processing (so they can combine the shards and use the results), but
+     * this API allows tools to keep memory consumption in check by clearing the decode
+     * cache entries in parallel_shard_exit(), since it's very likely that the decode
+     * cache is not needed for result computation.
+     *
+     * This does not affect the state of any initialized module mapper, which is still
+     * cleaned up during destruction.
+     */
+    void
+    clear_cache()
+    {
+        decode_cache_.clear();
+    }
+
 private:
     std::unordered_map<app_pc, DecodeInfo> decode_cache_;
     void *dcontext_ = nullptr;
diff --git a/clients/drcachesim/tools/invariant_checker.cpp b/clients/drcachesim/tools/invariant_checker.cpp
index 00c26b276d8..b93abd2b132 100644
--- a/clients/drcachesim/tools/invariant_checker.cpp
+++ b/clients/drcachesim/tools/invariant_checker.cpp
@@ -174,6 +174,8 @@ bool
 invariant_checker_t::parallel_shard_exit(void *shard_data)
 {
     per_shard_t *shard = reinterpret_cast<per_shard_t *>(shard_data);
+    if (shard->decode_cache_ != nullptr)
+        shard->decode_cache_->clear_cache();
     report_if_false(shard,
                     shard->saw_thread_exit_
                         // XXX i#6733: For online we sometimes see threads
diff --git a/clients/drcachesim/tools/opcode_mix.cpp b/clients/drcachesim/tools/opcode_mix.cpp
index 9b9735631b2..fe0e50ef7d8 100644
--- a/clients/drcachesim/tools/opcode_mix.cpp
+++ b/clients/drcachesim/tools/opcode_mix.cpp
@@ -143,7 +143,10 @@ opcode_mix_t::parallel_shard_init_stream(
 bool
 opcode_mix_t::parallel_shard_exit(void *shard_data)
 {
-    // Nothing (we read the shard data in print_results).
+    shard_data_t *shard = reinterpret_cast<shard_data_t *>(shard_data);
+    if (shard->decode_cache != nullptr)
+        shard->decode_cache->clear_cache();
+    // We still need the remaining shard data in print_results.
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -434,8 +437,8 @@ opcode_mix_t::opcode_data_t::set_decode_info_derived(
     void *dcontext, const dynamorio::drmemtrace::_memref_instr_t &memref_instr,
     instr_t *instr)
 {
-    opcode = instr_get_opcode(instr);
-    category = instr_get_category(instr);
+    opcode_ = instr_get_opcode(instr);
+    category_ = instr_get_category(instr);
 }
 
 } // namespace drmemtrace