diff --git a/internal/flink/command_statement_create.go b/internal/flink/command_statement_create.go
index ae9254f5e3..f57189b8aa 100644
--- a/internal/flink/command_statement_create.go
+++ b/internal/flink/command_statement_create.go
@@ -28,10 +28,14 @@ var (
 	flinkStatementFailedPhases  = []string{"FAILED"}
 )
 
-// statementsAPICreateTimeout aligns with terraform-provider-confluent's
-// statementsAPICreateTimeout in internal/provider/constants.go. CLI users can
-// shorten it with --wait-timeout; TF has no equivalent override.
-const flinkStatementCreateWaitTimeout = 6 * time.Hour
+// flinkStatementCreateWaitTimeout is the default for --wait-timeout. It is kept
+// at 1 minute to match the pre-framework `--wait` behavior (a hardcoded
+// retry.Retry(time.Second, time.Minute, ...) poll), so customers who scripted
+// around that 1-minute timer are not affected by the --wait refactor. Bump to
+// 6h in the next major version (aligning with terraform-provider-confluent's
+// statementsAPICreateTimeout in internal/provider/constants.go); CLI users can
+// already lengthen it with --wait-timeout in the meantime. (APIE-1040)
+const flinkStatementCreateWaitTimeout = time.Minute
 
 func (c *command) newStatementCreateCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
diff --git a/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-help-onprem.golden b/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-help-onprem.golden
index de2ed822e9..d056abc3ae 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-help-onprem.golden
+++ b/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-help-onprem.golden
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Flags:
       --database string                     The name of the default database.
       --flink-configuration string          The file path to hold the Flink configuration for the statement.
       --wait                                Block until the statement reaches a terminal state.
-      --wait-timeout duration               Maximum time to wait when --wait is set. (default 6h0m0s)
+      --wait-timeout duration               Maximum time to wait when --wait is set. (default 1m0s)
       --url string                          Base URL of the Confluent Manager for Apache Flink (CMF). Environment variable "CONFLUENT_CMF_URL" may be set in place of this flag.
       --client-key-path string              Path to client private key for mTLS authentication. Environment variable "CONFLUENT_CMF_CLIENT_KEY_PATH" may be set in place of this flag.
       --client-cert-path string             Path to client cert to be verified by Confluent Manager for Apache Flink. Include for mTLS authentication. Environment variable "CONFLUENT_CMF_CLIENT_CERT_PATH" may be set in place of this flag.
diff --git a/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-help.golden b/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-help.golden
index f3c983c9ce..72fb58ff3e 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-help.golden
+++ b/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-help.golden
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ Flags:
       --service-account string   Service account ID.
       --database string          The database which will be used as the default database. When using Kafka, this is the cluster ID.
       --wait                     Block until the statement reaches a terminal state.
-      --wait-timeout duration    Maximum time to wait when --wait is set. (default 6h0m0s)
+      --wait-timeout duration    Maximum time to wait when --wait is set. (default 1m0s)
       --property strings         A mechanism to pass properties in the form key=value when creating a Flink statement.
       --environment string       Environment ID.
       --context string           CLI context name.
diff --git a/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-missing-compute-pool-failure.golden b/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-missing-compute-pool-failure.golden
index e330fbfa86..1e7db7b5ab 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-missing-compute-pool-failure.golden
+++ b/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-missing-compute-pool-failure.golden
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ Flags:
       --database string                     The name of the default database.
       --flink-configuration string          The file path to hold the Flink configuration for the statement.
       --wait                                Block until the statement reaches a terminal state.
-      --wait-timeout duration               Maximum time to wait when --wait is set. (default 6h0m0s)
+      --wait-timeout duration               Maximum time to wait when --wait is set. (default 1m0s)
       --url string                          Base URL of the Confluent Manager for Apache Flink (CMF). Environment variable "CONFLUENT_CMF_URL" may be set in place of this flag.
       --client-key-path string              Path to client private key for mTLS authentication. Environment variable "CONFLUENT_CMF_CLIENT_KEY_PATH" may be set in place of this flag.
       --client-cert-path string             Path to client cert to be verified by Confluent Manager for Apache Flink. Include for mTLS authentication. Environment variable "CONFLUENT_CMF_CLIENT_CERT_PATH" may be set in place of this flag.
diff --git a/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-missing-sql-failure.golden b/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-missing-sql-failure.golden
index 51aae81f04..3e9d92bf8d 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-missing-sql-failure.golden
+++ b/test/fixtures/output/flink/statement/create-missing-sql-failure.golden
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ Flags:
       --database string                     The name of the default database.
       --flink-configuration string          The file path to hold the Flink configuration for the statement.
       --wait                                Block until the statement reaches a terminal state.
-      --wait-timeout duration               Maximum time to wait when --wait is set. (default 6h0m0s)
+      --wait-timeout duration               Maximum time to wait when --wait is set. (default 1m0s)
       --url string                          Base URL of the Confluent Manager for Apache Flink (CMF). Environment variable "CONFLUENT_CMF_URL" may be set in place of this flag.
       --client-key-path string              Path to client private key for mTLS authentication. Environment variable "CONFLUENT_CMF_CLIENT_KEY_PATH" may be set in place of this flag.
       --client-cert-path string             Path to client cert to be verified by Confluent Manager for Apache Flink. Include for mTLS authentication. Environment variable "CONFLUENT_CMF_CLIENT_CERT_PATH" may be set in place of this flag.