diff --git a/providers/cncf/kubernetes/src/airflow/providers/cncf/kubernetes/hooks/kubernetes.py b/providers/cncf/kubernetes/src/airflow/providers/cncf/kubernetes/hooks/kubernetes.py
index 9dcb6b59bba0a..5715a605a31c0 100644
--- a/providers/cncf/kubernetes/src/airflow/providers/cncf/kubernetes/hooks/kubernetes.py
+++ b/providers/cncf/kubernetes/src/airflow/providers/cncf/kubernetes/hooks/kubernetes.py
@@ -104,7 +104,10 @@ def __init__(
 
     def call_api(self, *args, **kwargs):
         timeout_seconds = kwargs.get("timeout_seconds")  # get server-side timeout
-        kwargs.setdefault("_request_timeout", _get_request_timeout(timeout_seconds))  # client-side timeout
+        # Use setdefault's intent but handle explicit None: generated kubernetes client methods always
+        # pass _request_timeout=None explicitly, making setdefault a no-op and leaving an infinite timeout.
+        if kwargs.get("_request_timeout") is None:
+            kwargs["_request_timeout"] = _get_request_timeout(timeout_seconds)
         return super().call_api(*args, **kwargs)
 
 
@@ -119,7 +122,12 @@ def __init__(
 
     async def call_api(self, *args, **kwargs):
         timeout_seconds = kwargs.get("timeout_seconds")  # server-side timeout
-        kwargs.setdefault("_request_timeout", _get_request_timeout(timeout_seconds))  # client-side timeout
+        # Use setdefault's intent but handle explicit None: generated kubernetes_asyncio client methods
+        # always pass _request_timeout=None explicitly, making setdefault a no-op and leaving an infinite
+        # timeout. On a half-open TCP connection (e.g. after a 429 or LB-side 500), this causes the
+        # trigger's await to hang indefinitely with no exception, preventing any retry or recovery.
+        if kwargs.get("_request_timeout") is None:
+            kwargs["_request_timeout"] = _get_request_timeout(timeout_seconds)
         return await super().call_api(*args, **kwargs)
 
 
diff --git a/providers/cncf/kubernetes/tests/unit/cncf/kubernetes/hooks/test_kubernetes.py b/providers/cncf/kubernetes/tests/unit/cncf/kubernetes/hooks/test_kubernetes.py
index de9670f490371..e96c35b93d2a7 100644
--- a/providers/cncf/kubernetes/tests/unit/cncf/kubernetes/hooks/test_kubernetes.py
+++ b/providers/cncf/kubernetes/tests/unit/cncf/kubernetes/hooks/test_kubernetes.py
@@ -93,7 +93,12 @@ class TestTimeoutK8sApiClient:
         ("kwargs", "expected_timeout"),
         [
             pytest.param({}, API_TIMEOUT, id="default-timeout"),
+            # Generated kubernetes client methods always pass _request_timeout=None explicitly,
+            # so setdefault() is a no-op. The fix must coerce None to the default timeout.
+            pytest.param({"_request_timeout": None}, API_TIMEOUT, id="explicit-none-timeout"),
             pytest.param({"timeout_seconds": 5678, "_request_timeout": 1234}, 1234, id="explicit-timeout"),
+            # Log-streaming path passes a (connection, read) tuple; it must not be clobbered.
+            pytest.param({"_request_timeout": (1800, 300)}, (1800, 300), id="explicit-tuple-preserved"),
             pytest.param(
                 {"timeout_seconds": API_TIMEOUT - API_TIMEOUT_OFFSET_SERVER_SIDE},
                 API_TIMEOUT,
@@ -127,7 +132,12 @@ class TestTimeoutAsyncK8sApiClient:
         ("kwargs", "expected_timeout"),
         [
             pytest.param({}, API_TIMEOUT, id="default-timeout"),
+            # Generated kubernetes_asyncio client methods always pass _request_timeout=None explicitly,
+            # so setdefault() is a no-op. The fix must coerce None to the default timeout.
+            pytest.param({"_request_timeout": None}, API_TIMEOUT, id="explicit-none-timeout"),
             pytest.param({"timeout_seconds": 5678, "_request_timeout": 1234}, 1234, id="explicit-timeout"),
+            # Log-streaming path passes a (connection, read) tuple; it must not be clobbered.
+            pytest.param({"_request_timeout": (1800, 300)}, (1800, 300), id="explicit-tuple-preserved"),
             pytest.param(
                 {"timeout_seconds": API_TIMEOUT - API_TIMEOUT_OFFSET_SERVER_SIDE},
                 API_TIMEOUT,