diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/timeoututils.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/timeoututils.go
index 6f533d8cd58..7e88fb8300a 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/timeoututils.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/apis/kubeadm/timeoututils.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 package kubeadm
 
 import (
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
@@ -33,3 +34,26 @@ func SetDefaultTimeouts(t **Timeouts) {
 		Discovery:                        &metav1.Duration{Duration: 5 * time.Minute},
 	}
 }
+
+var (
+	activeTimeouts *Timeouts = nil
+	timeoutMutex             = &sync.RWMutex{}
+)
+
+func init() {
+	SetDefaultTimeouts(&activeTimeouts)
+}
+
+// GetActiveTimeouts gets the active timeouts structure.
+func GetActiveTimeouts() *Timeouts {
+	timeoutMutex.RLock()
+	defer timeoutMutex.RUnlock()
+	return activeTimeouts
+}
+
+// SetActiveTimeouts sets the active timeouts structure.
+func SetActiveTimeouts(timeouts *Timeouts) {
+	timeoutMutex.Lock()
+	activeTimeouts = timeouts.DeepCopy()
+	timeoutMutex.Unlock()
+}
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/common.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/common.go
index 0aed1373444..36f445fe4c4 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/common.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/common.go
@@ -384,6 +384,19 @@ func isKubeadmPrereleaseVersion(versionInfo *apimachineryversion.Info, k8sVersio
 	return false
 }
 
+// prepareStaticVariables takes a given config and stores values from it in variables
+// that can be used from multiple packages.
+func prepareStaticVariables(config any) {
+	switch c := config.(type) {
+	case *kubeadmapi.InitConfiguration:
+		kubeadmapi.SetActiveTimeouts(c.Timeouts.DeepCopy())
+	case *kubeadmapi.JoinConfiguration:
+		kubeadmapi.SetActiveTimeouts(c.Timeouts.DeepCopy())
+	case *kubeadmapi.ResetConfiguration:
+		kubeadmapi.SetActiveTimeouts(c.Timeouts.DeepCopy())
+	}
+}
+
 // migrateMutator can be used to mutate a slice of configuration objects.
 // The mutation is applied in-place and no copies are made.
 type migrateMutator struct {
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/initconfiguration.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/initconfiguration.go
index 9ee852cd5f4..e5e4d1944e8 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/initconfiguration.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/initconfiguration.go
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ func DefaultedStaticInitConfiguration() (*kubeadmapi.InitConfiguration, error) {
 }
 
 // DefaultedInitConfiguration takes a versioned init config (often populated by flags), defaults it and converts it into internal InitConfiguration
-func DefaultedInitConfiguration(versionedInitCfg *kubeadmapiv1.InitConfiguration, versionedClusterCfg *kubeadmapiv1.ClusterConfiguration, skipCRIDetect bool) (*kubeadmapi.InitConfiguration, error) {
+func DefaultedInitConfiguration(versionedInitCfg *kubeadmapiv1.InitConfiguration, versionedClusterCfg *kubeadmapiv1.ClusterConfiguration, opts LoadOrDefaultConfigurationOptions) (*kubeadmapi.InitConfiguration, error) {
 	internalcfg := &kubeadmapi.InitConfiguration{}
 
 	// Takes passed flags into account; the defaulting is executed once again enforcing assignment of
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ func DefaultedInitConfiguration(versionedInitCfg *kubeadmapiv1.InitConfiguration
 	}
 
 	// Applies dynamic defaults to settings not provided with flags
-	if err := SetInitDynamicDefaults(internalcfg, skipCRIDetect); err != nil {
+	if err := SetInitDynamicDefaults(internalcfg, opts.SkipCRIDetect); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	// Validates cfg (flags/configs + defaults + dynamic defaults)
@@ -273,13 +273,20 @@ func LoadInitConfigurationFromFile(cfgPath string, opts LoadOrDefaultConfigurati
 // Right thereafter, the configuration is defaulted again with dynamic values (like IP addresses of a machine, etc)
 // Lastly, the internal config is validated and returned.
 func LoadOrDefaultInitConfiguration(cfgPath string, versionedInitCfg *kubeadmapiv1.InitConfiguration, versionedClusterCfg *kubeadmapiv1.ClusterConfiguration, opts LoadOrDefaultConfigurationOptions) (*kubeadmapi.InitConfiguration, error) {
+	var (
+		config *kubeadmapi.InitConfiguration
+		err    error
+	)
 	if cfgPath != "" {
 		// Loads configuration from config file, if provided
-		// Nb. --config overrides command line flags
-		return LoadInitConfigurationFromFile(cfgPath, opts)
+		config, err = LoadInitConfigurationFromFile(cfgPath, opts)
+	} else {
+		config, err = DefaultedInitConfiguration(versionedInitCfg, versionedClusterCfg, opts)
 	}
-
-	return DefaultedInitConfiguration(versionedInitCfg, versionedClusterCfg, opts.SkipCRIDetect)
+	if err == nil {
+		prepareStaticVariables(config)
+	}
+	return config, err
 }
 
 // BytesToInitConfiguration converts a byte slice to an internal, defaulted and validated InitConfiguration object.
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/joinconfiguration.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/joinconfiguration.go
index 09d5848fd61..df7160b1e5d 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/joinconfiguration.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/joinconfiguration.go
@@ -62,13 +62,20 @@ func SetJoinControlPlaneDefaults(cfg *kubeadmapi.JoinControlPlane) error {
 // Right thereafter, the configuration is defaulted again with dynamic values (like IP addresses of a machine, etc)
 // Lastly, the internal config is validated and returned.
 func LoadOrDefaultJoinConfiguration(cfgPath string, defaultversionedcfg *kubeadmapiv1.JoinConfiguration, opts LoadOrDefaultConfigurationOptions) (*kubeadmapi.JoinConfiguration, error) {
+	var (
+		config *kubeadmapi.JoinConfiguration
+		err    error
+	)
 	if cfgPath != "" {
 		// Loads configuration from config file, if provided
-		// Nb. --config overrides command line flags, TODO: fix this
-		return LoadJoinConfigurationFromFile(cfgPath, opts)
+		config, err = LoadJoinConfigurationFromFile(cfgPath, opts)
+	} else {
+		config, err = DefaultedJoinConfiguration(defaultversionedcfg, opts)
 	}
-
-	return DefaultedJoinConfiguration(defaultversionedcfg, opts)
+	if err == nil {
+		prepareStaticVariables(config)
+	}
+	return config, err
 }
 
 // LoadJoinConfigurationFromFile loads versioned JoinConfiguration from file, converts it to internal, defaults and validates it
diff --git a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/resetconfiguration.go b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/resetconfiguration.go
index 9335db9c264..63994ff1939 100644
--- a/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/resetconfiguration.go
+++ b/cmd/kubeadm/app/util/config/resetconfiguration.go
@@ -66,12 +66,20 @@ func SetResetDynamicDefaults(cfg *kubeadmapi.ResetConfiguration, skipCRIDetect b
 // Right thereafter, the configuration is defaulted again with dynamic values
 // Lastly, the internal config is validated and returned.
 func LoadOrDefaultResetConfiguration(cfgPath string, defaultversionedcfg *kubeadmapiv1.ResetConfiguration, opts LoadOrDefaultConfigurationOptions) (*kubeadmapi.ResetConfiguration, error) {
+	var (
+		config *kubeadmapi.ResetConfiguration
+		err    error
+	)
 	if cfgPath != "" {
 		// Loads configuration from config file, if provided
-		return LoadResetConfigurationFromFile(cfgPath, opts)
+		config, err = LoadResetConfigurationFromFile(cfgPath, opts)
+	} else {
+		config, err = DefaultedResetConfiguration(defaultversionedcfg, opts)
 	}
-
-	return DefaultedResetConfiguration(defaultversionedcfg, opts)
+	if err == nil {
+		prepareStaticVariables(config)
+	}
+	return config, err
 }
 
 // LoadResetConfigurationFromFile loads versioned ResetConfiguration from file, converts it to internal, defaults and validates it