diff --git a/docs/cmd/kn_service_update.md b/docs/cmd/kn_service_update.md
index 8c37dee855..9be0a55d1c 100644
--- a/docs/cmd/kn_service_update.md
+++ b/docs/cmd/kn_service_update.md
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ kn service update NAME
       --service-account string            Service account name to set. An empty argument ("") clears the service account. The referenced service account must exist in the service's namespace.
       --tag strings                       Set tag (format: --tag revisionRef=tagName) where revisionRef can be a revision or '@latest' string representing latest ready revision. This flag can be specified multiple times.
       --target string                     Work on local directory instead of a remote cluster (experimental)
+      --timeout int                       Duration in seconds that the request routing layer will wait for a request delivered to a container to begin replying (default 300)
       --traffic strings                   Set traffic distribution (format: --traffic revisionRef=percent) where revisionRef can be a revision or a tag or '@latest' string representing latest ready revision. This flag can be given multiple times with percent summing up to 100%.
       --untag strings                     Untag revision (format: --untag tagName). This flag can be specified multiple times.
       --user int                          The user ID to run the container (e.g., 1001).
diff --git a/pkg/kn/commands/service/configuration_edit_flags.go b/pkg/kn/commands/service/configuration_edit_flags.go
index 367b2893fd..17b13e08f3 100644
--- a/pkg/kn/commands/service/configuration_edit_flags.go
+++ b/pkg/kn/commands/service/configuration_edit_flags.go
@@ -21,9 +21,8 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
-	"knative.dev/serving/pkg/apis/config"
-
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"knative.dev/serving/pkg/apis/config"
 
 	knflags "knative.dev/client/pkg/kn/flags"
 	servinglib "knative.dev/client/pkg/serving"
@@ -172,6 +171,11 @@ func (p *ConfigurationEditFlags) addSharedFlags(command *cobra.Command) {
 
 	command.Flags().IntVar(&p.ScaleInit, "scale-init", 0, "Initial number of replicas with which a service starts. Can be 0 or a positive integer.")
 	p.markFlagMakesRevision("scale-init")
+
+	command.Flags().Int64Var(&p.TimeoutSeconds, "timeout", config.DefaultRevisionTimeoutSeconds,
+		"Duration in seconds that the request routing layer will wait for a request delivered to a "+""+
+			"container to begin replying")
+	p.markFlagMakesRevision("timeout")
 }
 
 // AddUpdateFlags adds the flags specific to update.
@@ -219,10 +223,6 @@ func (p *ConfigurationEditFlags) AddCreateFlags(command *cobra.Command) {
 		"Labels to set for both Service and Revision. name=value; you may provide this flag "+
 			"any number of times to set multiple labels.")
 	p.markFlagMakesRevision("label")
-	command.Flags().Int64Var(&p.TimeoutSeconds, "timeout", config.DefaultRevisionTimeoutSeconds,
-		"Duration in seconds that the request routing layer will wait for a request delivered to a "+""+
-			"container to begin replying")
-	p.markFlagMakesRevision("timeout")
 }
 
 // Apply mutates the given service according to the flags in the command.
@@ -456,6 +456,10 @@ func (p *ConfigurationEditFlags) Apply(
 		}
 	}
 
+	if cmd.Flags().Changed("timeout") {
+		service.Spec.Template.Spec.TimeoutSeconds = &p.TimeoutSeconds
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/kn/commands/service/create.go b/pkg/kn/commands/service/create.go
index e0fefd453a..df52b846cb 100644
--- a/pkg/kn/commands/service/create.go
+++ b/pkg/kn/commands/service/create.go
@@ -265,7 +265,6 @@ func constructService(cmd *cobra.Command, editFlags ConfigurationEditFlags, name
 		},
 	}
 	service.Spec.Template.Spec.Containers = []corev1.Container{{}}
-	service.Spec.Template.Spec.TimeoutSeconds = &editFlags.TimeoutSeconds
 
 	err := editFlags.Apply(&service, nil, cmd)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/kn/commands/service/create_mock_test.go b/pkg/kn/commands/service/create_mock_test.go
index 210484439e..67a83a6f23 100644
--- a/pkg/kn/commands/service/create_mock_test.go
+++ b/pkg/kn/commands/service/create_mock_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"knative.dev/serving/pkg/apis/autoscaling"
-	"knative.dev/serving/pkg/apis/config"
 
 	"gotest.tools/v3/assert"
 	corev1 "k8s.io/api/core/v1"
@@ -480,8 +479,6 @@ func getService(name string) *servingv1.Service {
 		},
 	}}
 
-	var defaultTimeout int64 = config.DefaultRevisionTimeoutSeconds
-	service.Spec.Template.Spec.TimeoutSeconds = &defaultTimeout
 	return service
 }