diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 7c26959c..19907fcc 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ require (
 	sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime v0.14.3
 	sigs.k8s.io/controller-tools v0.11.3
 	sigs.k8s.io/kustomize v2.0.3+incompatible
-	vitess.io/vitess v0.10.3-0.20231209134218-a77344b9e996
+	vitess.io/vitess v0.10.3-0.20231215192727-7c9fec7205cb
 )
 
 require (
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 0c3cbb19..ca89f299 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1186,5 +1186,5 @@ sigs.k8s.io/structured-merge-diff/v4 v4.2.3/go.mod h1:qjx8mGObPmV2aSZepjQjbmb2ih
 sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.2.0/go.mod h1:yfXDCHCao9+ENCvLSE62v9VSji2MKu5jeNfTrofGhJc=
 sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.3.0 h1:a2VclLzOGrwOHDiV8EfBGhvjHvP46CtW5j6POvhYGGo=
 sigs.k8s.io/yaml v1.3.0/go.mod h1:GeOyir5tyXNByN85N/dRIT9es5UQNerPYEKK56eTBm8=
-vitess.io/vitess v0.10.3-0.20231209134218-a77344b9e996 h1:4ifq7vupLUhpdgy55mtMr71jg2pq62dl8z9d0usmjtU=
-vitess.io/vitess v0.10.3-0.20231209134218-a77344b9e996/go.mod h1:klf5QIzty1+nq+FXHFmimgRA5lh4DhP9edrrKPGDNgY=
+vitess.io/vitess v0.10.3-0.20231215192727-7c9fec7205cb h1:dNI30GuQx70LgnhhJaPAOyzF1DkNuTgpypAJ2OrGM30=
+vitess.io/vitess v0.10.3-0.20231215192727-7c9fec7205cb/go.mod h1:klf5QIzty1+nq+FXHFmimgRA5lh4DhP9edrrKPGDNgY=
diff --git a/pkg/operator/vttablet/flags.go b/pkg/operator/vttablet/flags.go
index 2b4d11d6..1ec42d0c 100644
--- a/pkg/operator/vttablet/flags.go
+++ b/pkg/operator/vttablet/flags.go
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 package vttablet
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+
 	"vitess.io/vitess/go/vt/topo/topoproto"
 
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
@@ -70,7 +72,7 @@ func init() {
 			"health_check_interval": healthCheckInterval,
 
 			"queryserver-config-max-result-size":  queryserverConfigMaxResultSize,
-			"queryserver-config-query-timeout":    queryserverConfigQueryTimeout,
+			"queryserver-config-query-timeout":    fmt.Sprintf("%ds", queryserverConfigQueryTimeout),
 			"queryserver-config-pool-size":        queryserverConfigPoolSize,
 			"queryserver-config-stream-pool-size": queryserverConfigStreamPoolSize,
 			"queryserver-config-transaction-cap":  queryserverConfigTransactionCap,