Significance Promoting effective CD8 ⁺ T cell memory is a primary goal of T cell-based vaccination and immunotherapy strategies. While it is well established that CD4 ⁺ T cell help is required for enduring CD8 ⁺ T cell memory, how such help contributes to establishing optimal CD8 ⁺ T cell memory generation and persistence remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that CD4 ⁺ help at the time of priming ensures that memory CD8 ⁺ T cells are programmed to engage metabolic biological pathways essential for effective recall responses. Such understanding has clear implications for the augmentation of vaccine therapies designed to promote protective T cell immunity.