diff --git a/dapr/aio/clients/grpc/interceptors.py b/dapr/aio/clients/grpc/interceptors.py
index 0c1d3653..2802f634 100644
--- a/dapr/aio/clients/grpc/interceptors.py
+++ b/dapr/aio/clients/grpc/interceptors.py
@@ -41,11 +41,14 @@ class _ClientCallDetailsAsync(
 
 class DaprClientTimeoutInterceptorAsync(UnaryUnaryClientInterceptor):
     def intercept_unary_unary(self, continuation, client_call_details, request):
-        # If a specific timeout is not set, create a new ClientCallDetails with the default timeout
-        if client_call_details.timeout is None:
+        # Only apply a deadline when DAPR_API_TIMEOUT_SECONDS is explicitly configured.
+        # Without an explicit setting there is no SDK-level default deadline: Dapr's own
+        # resiliency policies and component timeouts act as the authoritative bounds for
+        # long-running operations such as LLM calls and workflow activities.
+        if settings.DAPR_API_TIMEOUT_SECONDS is not None and client_call_details.timeout is None:
             new_client_call_details = _ClientCallDetailsAsync(
                 client_call_details.method,
-                settings.DAPR_API_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
+                float(settings.DAPR_API_TIMEOUT_SECONDS),
                 client_call_details.metadata,
                 client_call_details.credentials,
                 client_call_details.wait_for_ready,
diff --git a/dapr/clients/grpc/interceptors.py b/dapr/clients/grpc/interceptors.py
index a574fb8c..24df379a 100644
--- a/dapr/clients/grpc/interceptors.py
+++ b/dapr/clients/grpc/interceptors.py
@@ -27,11 +27,14 @@ class _ClientCallDetails(
 
 class DaprClientTimeoutInterceptor(UnaryUnaryClientInterceptor):
     def intercept_unary_unary(self, continuation, client_call_details, request):
-        # If a specific timeout is not set, create a new ClientCallDetails with the default timeout
-        if client_call_details.timeout is None:
+        # Only apply a deadline when DAPR_API_TIMEOUT_SECONDS is explicitly configured.
+        # Without an explicit setting there is no SDK-level default deadline: Dapr's own
+        # resiliency policies and component timeouts act as the authoritative bounds for
+        # long-running operations such as LLM calls and workflow activities.
+        if settings.DAPR_API_TIMEOUT_SECONDS is not None and client_call_details.timeout is None:
             new_client_call_details = _ClientCallDetails(
                 client_call_details.method,
-                settings.DAPR_API_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
+                float(settings.DAPR_API_TIMEOUT_SECONDS),
                 client_call_details.metadata,
                 client_call_details.credentials,
                 client_call_details.wait_for_ready,
diff --git a/dapr/conf/global_settings.py b/dapr/conf/global_settings.py
index 5a64e5d4..5179f6a3 100644
--- a/dapr/conf/global_settings.py
+++ b/dapr/conf/global_settings.py
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@
 DAPR_HEALTH_TIMEOUT = 60  # seconds
 
 DAPR_API_MAX_RETRIES = 0
-DAPR_API_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 60
+DAPR_API_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = (
+    None  # No default deadline — set DAPR_API_TIMEOUT_SECONDS env var to impose one
+)
 
 DAPR_API_METHOD_INVOCATION_PROTOCOL = 'http'
 
diff --git a/tests/clients/test_timeout_interceptor.py b/tests/clients/test_timeout_interceptor.py
index c60331be..bddec8da 100644
--- a/tests/clients/test_timeout_interceptor.py
+++ b/tests/clients/test_timeout_interceptor.py
@@ -54,3 +54,20 @@ def test_intercept_unary_unary_without_timeout(self):
         )
         called_client_call_details = continuation.call_args[0][0]
         self.assertEqual(7, called_client_call_details.timeout)
+
+    @patch.object(settings, 'DAPR_API_TIMEOUT_SECONDS', None)
+    def test_intercept_unary_unary_no_global_timeout_no_per_call_timeout(self):
+        continuation = Mock()
+        request = Mock()
+        client_call_details = Mock()
+        client_call_details.method = 'method'
+        client_call_details.timeout = None
+        client_call_details.metadata = 'metadata'
+        client_call_details.credentials = 'credentials'
+        client_call_details.wait_for_ready = 'wait_for_ready'
+        client_call_details.compression = 'compression'
+
+        DaprClientTimeoutInterceptor().intercept_unary_unary(
+            continuation, client_call_details, request
+        )
+        continuation.assert_called_once_with(client_call_details, request)
diff --git a/tests/clients/test_timeout_interceptor_async.py b/tests/clients/test_timeout_interceptor_async.py
index 88b5831d..0e0651f1 100644
--- a/tests/clients/test_timeout_interceptor_async.py
+++ b/tests/clients/test_timeout_interceptor_async.py
@@ -52,3 +52,19 @@ def test_intercept_unary_unary_without_timeout(self):
         )
         called_client_call_details = continuation.call_args[0][0]
         self.assertEqual(7, called_client_call_details.timeout)
+
+    @patch.object(settings, 'DAPR_API_TIMEOUT_SECONDS', None)
+    def test_intercept_unary_unary_no_global_timeout_no_per_call_timeout(self):
+        continuation = Mock()
+        request = Mock()
+        client_call_details = Mock()
+        client_call_details.method = 'method'
+        client_call_details.timeout = None
+        client_call_details.metadata = 'metadata'
+        client_call_details.credentials = 'credentials'
+        client_call_details.wait_for_ready = 'wait_for_ready'
+
+        DaprClientTimeoutInterceptorAsync().intercept_unary_unary(
+            continuation, client_call_details, request
+        )
+        continuation.assert_called_once_with(client_call_details, request)