diff --git a/stackit/internal/services/ske/cluster/resource.go b/stackit/internal/services/ske/cluster/resource.go
index 05c8cb74..997302a0 100644
--- a/stackit/internal/services/ske/cluster/resource.go
+++ b/stackit/internal/services/ske/cluster/resource.go
@@ -1522,30 +1522,28 @@ func getMaintenanceTimes(ctx context.Context, cl *ske.Cluster, m *Model) (startT
 		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("converting maintenance object %w", core.DiagsToError(diags.Errors()))
 	}
 
-	if maintenance.Start.IsNull() || maintenance.Start.IsUnknown() {
-		startTime = startTimeAPI.Format("15:04:05Z07:00")
-	} else {
+	startTime = startTimeAPI.Format("15:04:05Z07:00")
+	if !(maintenance.Start.IsNull() || maintenance.Start.IsUnknown()) {
 		startTimeTF, err := time.Parse("15:04:05Z07:00", maintenance.Start.ValueString())
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", "", fmt.Errorf("parsing start time '%s' from TF config as RFC time: %w", maintenance.Start.ValueString(), err)
 		}
-		if startTimeAPI.Format("15:04:05Z07:00") != startTimeTF.Format("15:04:05Z07:00") {
-			return "", "", fmt.Errorf("start time '%v' from API response doesn't match start time '%v' from TF config", *cl.Maintenance.TimeWindow.Start, maintenance.Start.ValueString())
+		// If the start times from the API and the TF model just differ in format, we keep the current TF model value
+		if startTimeAPI.Format("15:04:05Z07:00") == startTimeTF.Format("15:04:05Z07:00") {
+			startTime = maintenance.Start.ValueString()
 		}
-		startTime = maintenance.Start.ValueString()
 	}
 
-	if maintenance.End.IsNull() || maintenance.End.IsUnknown() {
-		endTime = endTimeAPI.Format("15:04:05Z07:00")
-	} else {
+	endTime = endTimeAPI.Format("15:04:05Z07:00")
+	if !(maintenance.End.IsNull() || maintenance.End.IsUnknown()) {
 		endTimeTF, err := time.Parse("15:04:05Z07:00", maintenance.End.ValueString())
 		if err != nil {
 			return "", "", fmt.Errorf("parsing end time '%s' from TF config as RFC time: %w", maintenance.End.ValueString(), err)
 		}
-		if endTimeAPI.Format("15:04:05Z07:00") != endTimeTF.Format("15:04:05Z07:00") {
-			return "", "", fmt.Errorf("end time '%v' from API response doesn't match end time '%v' from TF config", *cl.Maintenance.TimeWindow.End, maintenance.End.ValueString())
+		// If the end times from the API and the TF model just differ in format, we keep the current TF model value
+		if endTimeAPI.Format("15:04:05Z07:00") == endTimeTF.Format("15:04:05Z07:00") {
+			endTime = maintenance.End.ValueString()
 		}
-		endTime = maintenance.End.ValueString()
 	}
 
 	return startTime, endTime, nil
diff --git a/stackit/internal/services/ske/cluster/resource_test.go b/stackit/internal/services/ske/cluster/resource_test.go
index c9002dcb..62bba568 100644
--- a/stackit/internal/services/ske/cluster/resource_test.go
+++ b/stackit/internal/services/ske/cluster/resource_test.go
@@ -1461,36 +1461,44 @@ func TestGetMaintenanceTimes(t *testing.T) {
 			endExpected:   "14:15:16Z",
 		},
 		{
-			description: "tf_state_doesnt_match_1",
-			startAPI:    "0001-02-03T04:05:06+07:08",
-			startTF:     utils.Ptr("00:00:00+07:08"),
-			endAPI:      "0011-12-13T14:15:16+17:18",
-			endTF:       utils.Ptr("14:15:16+17:18"),
-			isValid:     false,
+			description:   "api_takes_precedence_if_different_1",
+			startAPI:      "0001-02-03T04:05:06+07:08",
+			startTF:       utils.Ptr("00:00:00+07:08"),
+			endAPI:        "0011-12-13T14:15:16+17:18",
+			endTF:         utils.Ptr("14:15:16+17:18"),
+			isValid:       true,
+			startExpected: "04:05:06+07:08",
+			endExpected:   "14:15:16+17:18",
 		},
 		{
-			description: "tf_state_doesnt_match_2",
-			startAPI:    "0001-02-03T04:05:06+07:08",
-			startTF:     utils.Ptr("04:05:06+07:08"),
-			endAPI:      "0011-12-13T14:15:16+17:18",
-			endTF:       utils.Ptr("00:00:00+17:18"),
-			isValid:     false,
+			description:   "api_takes_precedence_if_different_2",
+			startAPI:      "0001-02-03T04:05:06+07:08",
+			startTF:       utils.Ptr("04:05:06+07:08"),
+			endAPI:        "0011-12-13T14:15:16+17:18",
+			endTF:         utils.Ptr("00:00:00+17:18"),
+			isValid:       true,
+			startExpected: "04:05:06+07:08",
+			endExpected:   "14:15:16+17:18",
 		},
 		{
-			description: "tf_state_doesnt_match_3",
-			startAPI:    "0001-02-03T04:05:06+07:08",
-			startTF:     utils.Ptr("04:05:06Z"),
-			endAPI:      "0011-12-13T14:15:16+17:18",
-			endTF:       utils.Ptr("14:15:16+17:18"),
-			isValid:     false,
+			description:   "api_takes_precedence_if_different_3",
+			startAPI:      "0001-02-03T04:05:06+07:08",
+			startTF:       utils.Ptr("04:05:06Z"),
+			endAPI:        "0011-12-13T14:15:16+17:18",
+			endTF:         utils.Ptr("14:15:16+17:18"),
+			isValid:       true,
+			startExpected: "04:05:06+07:08",
+			endExpected:   "14:15:16+17:18",
 		},
 		{
-			description: "tf_state_doesnt_match_4",
-			startAPI:    "0001-02-03T04:05:06+07:08",
-			startTF:     utils.Ptr("04:05:06+07:08"),
-			endAPI:      "0011-12-13T14:15:16+17:18",
-			endTF:       utils.Ptr("14:15:16Z"),
-			isValid:     false,
+			description:   "api_takes_precedence_if_different_3",
+			startAPI:      "0001-02-03T04:05:06+07:08",
+			startTF:       utils.Ptr("04:05:06+07:08"),
+			endAPI:        "0011-12-13T14:15:16+17:18",
+			endTF:         utils.Ptr("14:15:16Z"),
+			isValid:       true,
+			startExpected: "04:05:06+07:08",
+			endExpected:   "14:15:16+17:18",
 		},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -1530,10 +1538,10 @@ func TestGetMaintenanceTimes(t *testing.T) {
 				t.Fatalf("getMaintenanceTimes didn't fail on invalid input")
 			}
 			if tt.startExpected != start {
-				t.Errorf("extected start '%s', got '%s'", tt.startExpected, start)
+				t.Errorf("expected start '%s', got '%s'", tt.startExpected, start)
 			}
 			if tt.endExpected != end {
-				t.Errorf("extected end '%s', got '%s'", tt.endExpected, end)
+				t.Errorf("expected end '%s', got '%s'", tt.endExpected, end)
 			}
 		})
 	}