diff --git a/nvflare/private/fed/client/communicator.py b/nvflare/private/fed/client/communicator.py
index 1387f9ca9c..49565ae927 100644
--- a/nvflare/private/fed/client/communicator.py
+++ b/nvflare/private/fed/client/communicator.py
@@ -368,8 +368,13 @@ def pull_task(self, project_name, token, ssid, fl_ctx: FLContext, timeout=None):
         )
         job_id = fl_ctx.get_job_id()
 
+        # Use at least the server-required minimum (e.g. for tensor streaming). When the server
+        # sends MIN_GET_TASK_TIMEOUT we update self.timeout; the caller may still pass a smaller
+        # config value, so ensure we never use less than the required minimum.
         if not timeout:
             timeout = self.timeout
+        else:
+            timeout = max(timeout, self.timeout)
 
         parent_fqcn = determine_parent_fqcn(self.client_config, fl_ctx)
         self.logger.debug(f"pulling task from parent FQCN: {parent_fqcn}")
diff --git a/tests/unit_test/app_opt/tensor_stream/timeout_management_test.py b/tests/unit_test/app_opt/tensor_stream/timeout_management_test.py
index a27c99fd4a..fc1205cf09 100644
--- a/tests/unit_test/app_opt/tensor_stream/timeout_management_test.py
+++ b/tests/unit_test/app_opt/tensor_stream/timeout_management_test.py
@@ -267,6 +267,81 @@ def get_header_side_effect(key, default=None):
                 for log_message in all_log_messages:
                     assert "Automatically adjusting" not in log_message
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        "initial_timeout,server_min_timeout,caller_timeout,expected_request_timeout",
+        [
+            (5.0, 360.0, 5.0, 360.0),  # Caller passes small value, server min is large → use server min
+            (5.0, 360.0, 30.0, 360.0),  # Caller passes moderate value, still below server min → use server min
+            (5.0, 360.0, 400.0, 400.0),  # Caller passes value above server min → use caller value
+            (5.0, 360.0, 360.0, 360.0),  # Caller passes exactly server min → use that
+            (5.0, 660.0, 600.0, 660.0),  # Large server min, caller still below → use server min
+        ],
+    )
+    @patch("nvflare.private.fed.client.communicator.new_cell_message")
+    @patch("nvflare.private.fed.client.communicator.determine_parent_fqcn")
+    @patch("nvflare.private.fed.client.communicator.gen_new_peer_ctx")
+    def test_explicit_timeout_enforces_server_minimum(
+        self,
+        mock_gen_ctx,
+        mock_determine_parent,
+        mock_new_cell_message,
+        initial_timeout,
+        server_min_timeout,
+        caller_timeout,
+        expected_request_timeout,
+    ):
+        """Test that an explicit caller-provided timeout is raised to the server minimum when needed.
+
+        When self.timeout has been bumped by a prior MIN_GET_TASK_TIMEOUT from the server,
+        and the caller passes an explicit (smaller) timeout, pull_task should use
+        max(caller_timeout, self.timeout) so the server-required minimum is respected.
+        """
+        from nvflare.fuel.f3.cellnet.defs import MessageHeaderKey, ReturnCode
+
+        communicator = Communicator(client_config={"client_name": "test_client"}, timeout=initial_timeout)
+        communicator.engine = Mock()
+        communicator.cell = Mock()
+
+        # Simulate a prior MIN_GET_TASK_TIMEOUT bump
+        communicator.timeout = server_min_timeout
+
+        mock_determine_parent.return_value = "parent_fqcn"
+        mock_new_cell_message.return_value = Mock()
+
+        # Create a successful response (content doesn't matter for this test)
+        response_shareable = Shareable()
+        response_shareable.set_header(ServerCommandKey.TASK_NAME, "train")
+        response_shareable.set_header(FLContextKey.TASK_ID, "task_123")
+
+        mock_task = Mock()
+
+        def get_header_side_effect(key, default=None):
+            return {
+                MessageHeaderKey.RETURN_CODE: ReturnCode.OK,
+                MessageHeaderKey.PAYLOAD_LEN: 1024,
+            }.get(key, default)
+
+        mock_task.get_header = Mock(side_effect=get_header_side_effect)
+        mock_task.payload = response_shareable
+        communicator.cell.send_request.return_value = mock_task
+
+        mock_fl_context = Mock()
+        mock_fl_context.get_job_id.return_value = "job_123"
+        mock_fl_context.get_run_abort_signal.return_value = None
+        mock_fl_context.set_prop = Mock()
+
+        communicator.logger = Mock()
+
+        # Call pull_task WITH an explicit timeout
+        communicator.pull_task("project", "token", "ssid", mock_fl_context, timeout=caller_timeout)
+
+        # Verify the actual timeout passed to cell.send_request
+        actual_timeout = communicator.cell.send_request.call_args[1]["timeout"]
+        assert actual_timeout == expected_request_timeout, (
+            f"Expected send_request timeout={expected_request_timeout}, got {actual_timeout}. "
+            f"caller_timeout={caller_timeout}, self.timeout={server_min_timeout}"
+        )
+
     @patch("nvflare.private.fed.client.communicator.new_cell_message")
     @patch("nvflare.private.fed.client.communicator.determine_parent_fqcn")
     @patch("nvflare.private.fed.client.communicator.gen_new_peer_ctx")