An apparatus includes a cache controller, the cache controller to receive, from a requestor, a memory access request referencing a memory address of a memory. The cache controller may identify a cache entry associated with the memory address, and responsive to determining that a first data item stored in the cache entry matches a data pattern indicating cache entry invalidity, read a second data item from a memory location identified by the memory address. The cache controller may then return, to the requestor, a response comprising the second data item.