diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/util/consistencydetector/data_consistency_detector.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/util/consistencydetector/data_consistency_detector.go
index 2a5d2098758..b33d08032fa 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/util/consistencydetector/data_consistency_detector.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/util/consistencydetector/data_consistency_detector.go
@@ -46,8 +46,9 @@ func CheckDataConsistency[T runtime.Object, U any](ctx context.Context, identity
 		return
 	}
 	klog.Warningf("data consistency check for %s is enabled, this will result in an additional call to the API server.", identity)
-	listOptions.ResourceVersion = lastSyncedResourceVersion
-	listOptions.ResourceVersionMatch = metav1.ResourceVersionMatchExact
+
+	retrievedItems := toMetaObjectSliceOrDie(retrieveItemsFn())
+	listOptions = prepareListCallOptions(lastSyncedResourceVersion, listOptions, len(retrievedItems))
 	var list runtime.Object
 	err := wait.PollUntilContextCancel(ctx, time.Second, true, func(_ context.Context) (done bool, err error) {
 		list, err = listFn(ctx, listOptions)
@@ -69,9 +70,7 @@ func CheckDataConsistency[T runtime.Object, U any](ctx context.Context, identity
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err) // this should never happen
 	}
-
 	listItems := toMetaObjectSliceOrDie(rawListItems)
-	retrievedItems := toMetaObjectSliceOrDie(retrieveItemsFn())
 
 	sort.Sort(byUID(listItems))
 	sort.Sort(byUID(retrievedItems))
@@ -85,24 +84,49 @@ func CheckDataConsistency[T runtime.Object, U any](ctx context.Context, identity
 
 // canFormAdditionalListCall ensures that we can form a valid LIST requests
 // for checking data consistency.
-func canFormAdditionalListCall(resourceVersion string, options metav1.ListOptions) bool {
+func canFormAdditionalListCall(lastSyncedResourceVersion string, listOptions metav1.ListOptions) bool {
 	// since we are setting ResourceVersionMatch to metav1.ResourceVersionMatchExact
 	// we need to make sure that the continuation hasn't been set
 	// https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/blob/be4afb9ef90b19ccb6f7e595cbdb247e088b2347/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/internalversion/validation/validation.go#L38
-	if len(options.Continue) > 0 {
+	if len(listOptions.Continue) > 0 {
 		return false
 	}
 
 	// since we are setting ResourceVersionMatch to metav1.ResourceVersionMatchExact
 	// we need to make sure that the RV is valid because the validation code forbids RV == "0"
 	// https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/blob/be4afb9ef90b19ccb6f7e595cbdb247e088b2347/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/internalversion/validation/validation.go#L44
-	if resourceVersion == "0" {
+	if lastSyncedResourceVersion == "0" {
 		return false
 	}
 
 	return true
 }
 
+// prepareListCallOptions changes the input list options so that
+// the list call goes directly to etcd
+func prepareListCallOptions(lastSyncedResourceVersion string, listOptions metav1.ListOptions, retrievedItemsCount int) metav1.ListOptions {
+	// this is our legacy case:
+	//
+	// the watch cache skips the Limit if the ResourceVersion was set to "0"
+	// thus, to compare with data retrieved directly from etcd
+	// we need to skip the limit to for the list call as well.
+	//
+	// note that when the number of retrieved items is less than the request limit,
+	// it means either the watch cache is disabled, or there is not enough data.
+	// in both cases, we can use the limit because we will be able to compare
+	// the data with the items retrieved from etcd.
+	if listOptions.ResourceVersion == "0" && listOptions.Limit > 0 && int64(retrievedItemsCount) > listOptions.Limit {
+		listOptions.Limit = 0
+	}
+
+	// set the RV and RVM so that we get the snapshot of data
+	// directly from etcd.
+	listOptions.ResourceVersion = lastSyncedResourceVersion
+	listOptions.ResourceVersionMatch = metav1.ResourceVersionMatchExact
+
+	return listOptions
+}
+
 type byUID []metav1.Object
 
 func (a byUID) Len() int           { return len(a) }
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/util/consistencydetector/data_consistency_detector_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/util/consistencydetector/data_consistency_detector_test.go
index a7c6928996e..59682a68abc 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/util/consistencydetector/data_consistency_detector_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/client-go/util/consistencydetector/data_consistency_detector_test.go
@@ -60,6 +60,59 @@ func TestDataConsistencyChecker(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 
+		{
+			name: "legacy, the limit is removed from the list options when it wasn't honored by the watch cache",
+			listResponse: &v1.PodList{
+				ListMeta: metav1.ListMeta{ResourceVersion: "2"},
+				Items:    []v1.Pod{*makePod("p1", "1"), *makePod("p2", "2"), *makePod("p3", "3")},
+			},
+			requestOptions:       metav1.ListOptions{ResourceVersion: "0", Limit: 2},
+			retrievedItems:       []*v1.Pod{makePod("p1", "1"), makePod("p2", "2"), makePod("p3", "3")},
+			expectedListRequests: 1,
+			expectedRequestOptions: []metav1.ListOptions{
+				{
+					ResourceVersion:      "2",
+					ResourceVersionMatch: metav1.ResourceVersionMatchExact,
+				},
+			},
+		},
+
+		{
+			name: "the limit is NOT removed from the list options for non-legacy request",
+			listResponse: &v1.PodList{
+				ListMeta: metav1.ListMeta{ResourceVersion: "2"},
+				Items:    []v1.Pod{*makePod("p1", "1"), *makePod("p2", "2"), *makePod("p3", "3")},
+			},
+			requestOptions:       metav1.ListOptions{ResourceVersion: "2", Limit: 2},
+			retrievedItems:       []*v1.Pod{makePod("p1", "1"), makePod("p2", "2"), makePod("p3", "3")},
+			expectedListRequests: 1,
+			expectedRequestOptions: []metav1.ListOptions{
+				{
+					Limit:                2,
+					ResourceVersion:      "2",
+					ResourceVersionMatch: metav1.ResourceVersionMatchExact,
+				},
+			},
+		},
+
+		{
+			name: "legacy, the limit is NOT removed from the list options when the watch cache is disabled",
+			listResponse: &v1.PodList{
+				ListMeta: metav1.ListMeta{ResourceVersion: "2"},
+				Items:    []v1.Pod{*makePod("p1", "1"), *makePod("p2", "2"), *makePod("p3", "3")},
+			},
+			requestOptions:       metav1.ListOptions{ResourceVersion: "0", Limit: 5},
+			retrievedItems:       []*v1.Pod{makePod("p1", "1"), makePod("p2", "2"), makePod("p3", "3")},
+			expectedListRequests: 1,
+			expectedRequestOptions: []metav1.ListOptions{
+				{
+					Limit:                5,
+					ResourceVersion:      "2",
+					ResourceVersionMatch: metav1.ResourceVersionMatchExact,
+				},
+			},
+		},
+
 		{
 			name: "data consistency check won't panic when there is no data",
 			listResponse: &v1.PodList{