diff --git a/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/container/ApptainerConfig.groovy b/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/container/ApptainerConfig.groovy
index 4bb967b2f4..44eb82fa19 100644
--- a/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/container/ApptainerConfig.groovy
+++ b/modules/nextflow/src/main/groovy/nextflow/container/ApptainerConfig.groovy
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class ApptainerConfig implements ConfigScope, ContainerConfig {
         libraryDir = opts.libraryDir
         noHttps = opts.noHttps as boolean
         ociAutoPull = opts.ociAutoPull as boolean
-        pullTimeout = opts.pullTimeout as Duration
+        pullTimeout = opts.pullTimeout as Duration ?: Duration.of('20min')
         registry = opts.registry
         runOptions = opts.runOptions
     }
diff --git a/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/container/ApptainerConfigTest.groovy b/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/container/ApptainerConfigTest.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b8847e42b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/container/ApptainerConfigTest.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+package nextflow.container
+
+import nextflow.util.Duration
+import spock.lang.Specification
+
+/**
+ * Apptainer config tests
+ *
+ * @author Jorge Ejarque <jorge.ejarque@seqera.io>
+ */
+class ApptainerConfigTest extends Specification {
+
+    def 'should set default values empty map'() {
+        given:
+        def config = new ApptainerConfig([:])
+
+        expect:
+        config.envWhitelist == []
+        config.pullTimeout.toMillis() == 20 * 60 * 1000 //20 min
+    }
+
+    def 'should create config with full map'(){
+        given:
+        def configMap = [
+            autoMounts: false,
+            cacheDir: 'cacheDir',
+            enabled: true,
+            engineOptions: '-q -v',
+            envWhitelist: 'ENV_1,ENV_2',
+            libraryDir: 'libraryDir',
+            noHttps: false,
+            ociAutoPull: false,
+            pullTimeout: '50s',
+            registry: 'http://registry.com',
+            runOptions: '--contain --writable'
+        ]
+        def config = new ApptainerConfig(configMap)
+
+        expect:
+        config.autoMounts == false
+        config.cacheDir == 'cacheDir'
+        config.enabled == true
+        config.engineOptions == '-q -v'
+        config.envWhitelist == ['ENV_1','ENV_2']
+        config.libraryDir == 'libraryDir'
+        config.noHttps == false
+        config.ociAutoPull == false
+        config.registry == 'http://registry.com'
+        config.runOptions == '--contain --writable'
+        config.pullTimeout.toMillis() == 50_000 // 50s
+
+    }
+}
diff --git a/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/container/SingularityConfigTest.groovy b/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/container/SingularityConfigTest.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a60043ad68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/nextflow/src/test/groovy/nextflow/container/SingularityConfigTest.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+package nextflow.container
+
+
+import spock.lang.Specification
+
+/**
+ * Apptainer config tests
+ *
+ * @author Jorge Ejarque <jorge.ejarque@seqera.io>
+ */
+class SingularityConfigTest extends Specification {
+
+    def 'should set default values empty map'() {
+        given:
+        def config = new SingularityConfig([:])
+
+        expect:
+        config.envWhitelist == []
+        config.pullTimeout.toMillis() == 20 * 60 * 1000 //20 min
+    }
+
+    def 'should create config with full map'(){
+        given:
+        def configMap = [
+            autoMounts: false,
+            cacheDir: 'cacheDir',
+            enabled: true,
+            engineOptions: '-q -v',
+            envWhitelist: 'ENV_1,ENV_2',
+            libraryDir: 'libraryDir',
+            noHttps: false,
+            ociAutoPull: false,
+            pullTimeout: '50s',
+            registry: 'http://registry.com',
+            runOptions: '--contain --writable'
+        ]
+        def config = new SingularityConfig(configMap)
+
+        expect:
+        config.autoMounts == false
+        config.cacheDir == 'cacheDir'
+        config.enabled == true
+        config.engineOptions == '-q -v'
+        config.envWhitelist == ['ENV_1','ENV_2']
+        config.libraryDir == 'libraryDir'
+        config.noHttps == false
+        config.ociAutoPull == false
+        config.registry == 'http://registry.com'
+        config.runOptions == '--contain --writable'
+        config.pullTimeout.toMillis() == 50_000 // 50s
+
+    }
+}