diff --git a/changelog/unreleased/kong/fix-cli-db-timeout-overrides.yml b/changelog/unreleased/kong/fix-cli-db-timeout-overrides.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3db26988e38d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/unreleased/kong/fix-cli-db-timeout-overrides.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+message: |
+  Fixed an issue where the `pg_timeout` was overridden to `60s` even if `--db-timeout`
+  was not explicitly passed in CLI arguments.
+type: bugfix
+scope: CLI Command
diff --git a/kong/cmd/migrations.lua b/kong/cmd/migrations.lua
index fa01c65422b7..bee5a90d7441 100644
--- a/kong/cmd/migrations.lua
+++ b/kong/cmd/migrations.lua
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ Options:
  -f,--force                         Run migrations even if database reports
                                     as already executed.
 
- --db-timeout     (default 60)      Timeout, in seconds, for all database
+ --db-timeout     (optional number) Timeout, in seconds, for all database
                                     operations.
 
 
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ end
 
 
 local function execute(args)
-  args.db_timeout = args.db_timeout * 1000
+  args.db_timeout = args.db_timeout and (args.db_timeout * 1000) or nil
   args.lock_timeout = args.lock_timeout
 
   if args.quiet then
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ local function execute(args)
 
   package.path = conf.lua_package_path .. ";" .. package.path
 
-  conf.pg_timeout = args.db_timeout -- connect + send + read
+  conf.pg_timeout = args.db_timeout or conf.pg_timeout -- connect + send + read
 
   assert(prefix_handler.prepare_prefix(conf, args.nginx_conf, true))
 
diff --git a/kong/cmd/restart.lua b/kong/cmd/restart.lua
index 0bc4777c47e9..4f9fcbede7bb 100644
--- a/kong/cmd/restart.lua
+++ b/kong/cmd/restart.lua
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ Options:
  -p,--prefix               (optional string)   prefix at which Kong should be running
  --nginx-conf              (optional string)   custom Nginx configuration template
  --run-migrations          (optional boolean)  optionally run migrations on the DB
- --db-timeout              (default 60)
+ --db-timeout              (optional number)
  --lock-timeout            (default 60)
  --nginx-conf-flags        (optional string)   flags that can be used to control
                                                how Nginx configuration templates are rendered
diff --git a/kong/cmd/start.lua b/kong/cmd/start.lua
index 63404cbaa98f..75c0c7b0af8a 100644
--- a/kong/cmd/start.lua
+++ b/kong/cmd/start.lua
@@ -44,14 +44,14 @@ local function cleanup_dangling_unix_sockets(prefix)
 end
 
 local function execute(args)
-  args.db_timeout = args.db_timeout * 1000
+  args.db_timeout = args.db_timeout and (args.db_timeout * 1000) or nil
   args.lock_timeout = args.lock_timeout
 
   local conf = assert(conf_loader(args.conf, {
     prefix = args.prefix
   }, { starting = true }))
 
-  conf.pg_timeout = args.db_timeout -- connect + send + read
+  conf.pg_timeout = args.db_timeout or conf.pg_timeout -- connect + send + read
 
   assert(not kill.is_running(conf.nginx_pid),
          "Kong is already running in " .. conf.prefix)
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ Options:
 
  --run-migrations          (optional boolean)  Run migrations before starting.
 
- --db-timeout              (default 60)        Timeout, in seconds, for all database
+ --db-timeout              (optional number)   Timeout, in seconds, for all database
                                                operations.
 
  --lock-timeout            (default 60)        When --run-migrations is enabled, timeout,