diff --git a/internal/cmd/config/config_test.go b/internal/cmd/config/config_test.go
index 4a84a35edf..d6aa6e6ae5 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/config/config_test.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/config/config_test.go
@@ -2834,11 +2834,13 @@ func TestSetupWorkerInitialUpstreams(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestGetDownstreamWorkersTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
-		name           string
-		in             string
-		wantController time.Duration
-		wantWorker     time.Duration
-		assertErr      func(error)
+		name                  string
+		in                    string
+		wantController        bool
+		wantWorker            bool
+		wantControllerTimeout time.Duration
+		wantWorkerTimeout     time.Duration
+		assertErr             func(*testing.T, error)
 	}{
 		{
 			name: "controller_valid_time_value",
@@ -2847,9 +2849,11 @@ func TestGetDownstreamWorkersTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 				name = "example-controller"
 				get_downstream_workers_timeout = "10s"
 			}`,
-			wantController: 10 * time.Second,
-			wantWorker:     0,
-			assertErr:      nil,
+			wantControllerTimeout: 10 * time.Second,
+			wantWorkerTimeout:     0,
+			wantController:        true,
+			wantWorker:            false,
+			assertErr:             nil,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "worker_valid_time_value",
@@ -2858,9 +2862,11 @@ func TestGetDownstreamWorkersTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 				name = "example-worker"
 				get_downstream_workers_timeout = "5s"
 			}`,
-			wantController: 0,
-			wantWorker:     5 * time.Second,
-			assertErr:      nil,
+			wantControllerTimeout: 0,
+			wantWorkerTimeout:     5 * time.Second,
+			wantController:        false,
+			wantWorker:            true,
+			assertErr:             nil,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "both_valid_time_value",
@@ -2873,9 +2879,26 @@ func TestGetDownstreamWorkersTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 				name = "example-worker"
 				get_downstream_workers_timeout = "500ms"
 			}`,
-			wantController: 5 * time.Second,
-			wantWorker:     500 * time.Millisecond,
-			assertErr:      nil,
+			wantControllerTimeout: 5 * time.Second,
+			wantWorkerTimeout:     500 * time.Millisecond,
+			wantController:        true,
+			wantWorker:            true,
+			assertErr:             nil,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "both_unspecified_defaults_to_zero",
+			in: `
+			controller {
+				name = "example-controller"
+			}
+			worker {
+				name = "example-worker"
+			}`,
+			wantController:        true,
+			wantWorker:            true,
+			wantControllerTimeout: 0,
+			wantWorkerTimeout:     0,
+			assertErr:             nil,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "controller_int_value_no_unit_assumes_seconds",
@@ -2884,7 +2907,10 @@ func TestGetDownstreamWorkersTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 				name = "example-controller"
 				get_downstream_workers_timeout = 100
 			}`,
-			wantController: 100 * time.Second,
+			wantController:        true,
+			wantWorker:            false,
+			wantControllerTimeout: 100 * time.Second,
+			wantWorkerTimeout:     0,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "worker_int_value_no_unit_assumes_seconds",
@@ -2893,7 +2919,9 @@ func TestGetDownstreamWorkersTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 				name = "example-worker"
 				get_downstream_workers_timeout = 30
 			}`,
-			wantWorker: 30 * time.Second,
+			wantController:    false,
+			wantWorker:        true,
+			wantWorkerTimeout: 30 * time.Second,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "controller_invalid_bool_value",
@@ -2902,7 +2930,9 @@ func TestGetDownstreamWorkersTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 				name = "example-controller"
 				get_downstream_workers_timeout = true
 			}`,
-			assertErr: func(err error) {
+			wantController: true,
+			wantWorker:     false,
+			assertErr: func(t *testing.T, err error) {
 				require.Error(t, err)
 				require.ErrorContains(t, err, `error trying to parse controller get_downstream_workers_timeout`)
 			},
@@ -2914,7 +2944,9 @@ func TestGetDownstreamWorkersTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 				name = "example-worker"
 				get_downstream_workers_timeout = false
 			}`,
-			assertErr: func(err error) {
+			wantController: false,
+			wantWorker:     true,
+			assertErr: func(t *testing.T, err error) {
 				require.Error(t, err)
 				require.ErrorContains(t, err, `error trying to parse worker get_downstream_workers_timeout`)
 			},
@@ -2926,10 +2958,9 @@ func TestGetDownstreamWorkersTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 				name = "example-controller"
 				get_downstream_workers_timeout = ""
 			}`,
-			assertErr: func(err error) {
-				require.Error(t, err)
-				require.ErrorContains(t, err, `get downstream workers timeout must be greater than 0`)
-			},
+			wantController:        true,
+			wantWorker:            false,
+			wantControllerTimeout: 0,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "worker_invalid_empty_value",
@@ -2938,10 +2969,9 @@ func TestGetDownstreamWorkersTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 				name = "example-worker"
 				get_downstream_workers_timeout = ""
 			}`,
-			assertErr: func(err error) {
-				require.Error(t, err)
-				require.ErrorContains(t, err, `get downstream workers timeout must be greater than 0`)
-			},
+			wantController:    false,
+			wantWorker:        true,
+			wantWorkerTimeout: 0,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "controller_invalid_zero_value",
@@ -2950,10 +2980,9 @@ func TestGetDownstreamWorkersTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 				name = "example-controller"
 				get_downstream_workers_timeout = "0s"
 			}`,
-			assertErr: func(err error) {
-				require.Error(t, err)
-				require.ErrorContains(t, err, `get downstream workers timeout must be greater than 0`)
-			},
+			wantController:        true,
+			wantWorker:            false,
+			wantControllerTimeout: 0,
 		},
 		{
 			name: "worker_invalid_zero_value",
@@ -2962,27 +2991,26 @@ func TestGetDownstreamWorkersTimeout(t *testing.T) {
 				name = "example-worker"
 				get_downstream_workers_timeout = "0s"
 			}`,
-			assertErr: func(err error) {
-				require.Error(t, err)
-				require.ErrorContains(t, err, `get downstream workers timeout must be greater than 0`)
-			},
+			wantController:    false,
+			wantWorker:        true,
+			wantWorkerTimeout: 0,
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
 			c, err := Parse(tt.in)
 			if tt.assertErr != nil {
-				tt.assertErr(err)
+				tt.assertErr(t, err)
 				return
 			}
 			require.NoError(t, err)
-			if tt.wantController != 0 {
+			if tt.wantController {
 				require.NotNil(t, c.Controller)
-				require.Equal(t, tt.wantController, c.Controller.GetDownstreamWorkersTimeoutDuration)
+				require.Equal(t, tt.wantControllerTimeout, c.Controller.GetDownstreamWorkersTimeoutDuration)
 			}
-			if tt.wantWorker != 0 {
+			if tt.wantWorker {
 				require.NotNil(t, c.Worker)
-				require.Equal(t, tt.wantWorker, c.Worker.GetDownstreamWorkersTimeoutDuration)
+				require.Equal(t, tt.wantWorkerTimeout, c.Worker.GetDownstreamWorkersTimeoutDuration)
 			}
 		})
 	}