diff --git a/agent/agent.go b/agent/agent.go
index ac81fb9a5..c13553629 100644
--- a/agent/agent.go
+++ b/agent/agent.go
@@ -395,6 +395,7 @@ func New(bd BaseDeps) (*Agent, error) {
 			Logger: bd.Logger.Named("rpcclient.health"),
 		},
 		UseStreamingBackend: a.config.UseStreamingBackend,
+		QueryOptionDefaults: config.ApplyDefaultQueryOptions(a.config),
 	}
 
 	a.serviceManager = NewServiceManager(&a)
diff --git a/agent/config/runtime.go b/agent/config/runtime.go
index 5a2857919..eae903737 100644
--- a/agent/config/runtime.go
+++ b/agent/config/runtime.go
@@ -1930,3 +1930,16 @@ func isFloat(t reflect.Type) bool { return t.Kind() == reflect.Float32 || t.Kind
 func isComplex(t reflect.Type) bool {
 	return t.Kind() == reflect.Complex64 || t.Kind() == reflect.Complex128
 }
+
+// ApplyDefaultQueryOptions returns a function which will set default values on
+// the options based on the configuration. The RuntimeConfig must not be nil.
+func ApplyDefaultQueryOptions(config *RuntimeConfig) func(options *structs.QueryOptions) {
+	return func(options *structs.QueryOptions) {
+		switch {
+		case options.MaxQueryTime > config.MaxQueryTime:
+			options.MaxQueryTime = config.MaxQueryTime
+		case options.MaxQueryTime == 0:
+			options.MaxQueryTime = config.DefaultQueryTime
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/agent/rpcclient/health/health.go b/agent/rpcclient/health/health.go
index 9d20f3caa..004101144 100644
--- a/agent/rpcclient/health/health.go
+++ b/agent/rpcclient/health/health.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ type Client struct {
 	MaterializerDeps    MaterializerDeps
 	CacheName           string
 	UseStreamingBackend bool
+	QueryOptionDefaults func(options *structs.QueryOptions)
 }
 
 type NetRPC interface {
@@ -38,6 +39,8 @@ func (c *Client) ServiceNodes(
 	req structs.ServiceSpecificRequest,
 ) (structs.IndexedCheckServiceNodes, cache.ResultMeta, error) {
 	if c.useStreaming(req) && (req.QueryOptions.UseCache || req.QueryOptions.MinQueryIndex > 0) {
+		c.QueryOptionDefaults(&req.QueryOptions)
+
 		result, err := c.ViewStore.Get(ctx, c.newServiceRequest(req))
 		if err != nil {
 			return structs.IndexedCheckServiceNodes{}, cache.ResultMeta{}, err
diff --git a/agent/rpcclient/health/health_test.go b/agent/rpcclient/health/health_test.go
index 09da967bd..9ac67805f 100644
--- a/agent/rpcclient/health/health_test.go
+++ b/agent/rpcclient/health/health_test.go
@@ -3,10 +3,12 @@ package health
 import (
 	"context"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/agent/cache"
+	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/agent/config"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/agent/structs"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/consul/agent/submatview"
 )
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@ func TestClient_ServiceNodes_BackendRouting(t *testing.T) {
 			ViewStore:           &fakeViewStore{},
 			CacheName:           "cache-no-streaming",
 			UseStreamingBackend: true,
+			QueryOptionDefaults: config.ApplyDefaultQueryOptions(&config.RuntimeConfig{}),
 		}
 
 		_, _, err := c.ServiceNodes(context.Background(), tc.req)
@@ -233,3 +236,28 @@ func TestClient_Notify_BackendRouting(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestClient_ServiceNodes_SetsDefaults(t *testing.T) {
+	store := &fakeViewStore{}
+	c := &Client{
+		ViewStore:           store,
+		CacheName:           "cache-no-streaming",
+		UseStreamingBackend: true,
+		QueryOptionDefaults: config.ApplyDefaultQueryOptions(&config.RuntimeConfig{
+			MaxQueryTime:     200 * time.Second,
+			DefaultQueryTime: 100 * time.Second,
+		}),
+	}
+
+	req := structs.ServiceSpecificRequest{
+		Datacenter:   "dc1",
+		ServiceName:  "web1",
+		QueryOptions: structs.QueryOptions{MinQueryIndex: 22},
+	}
+
+	_, _, err := c.ServiceNodes(context.Background(), req)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.Len(t, store.calls, 1)
+	require.Equal(t, 100*time.Second, store.calls[0].CacheInfo().Timeout)
+}