diff --git a/src/sources/kubernetes_logs/mod.rs b/src/sources/kubernetes_logs/mod.rs
index f59bc7b236d0a..11e6fb554b692 100644
--- a/src/sources/kubernetes_logs/mod.rs
+++ b/src/sources/kubernetes_logs/mod.rs
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@ pub struct Config {
     #[serde(default = "default_max_read_bytes")]
     max_read_bytes: usize,
 
+    /// The maximum number of a bytes a line can contain before being discarded. This protects
+    /// against malformed lines or tailing incorrect files.
+    #[serde(default = "default_max_line_bytes")]
+    max_line_bytes: usize,
+
     /// This value specifies not exactly the globbing, but interval
     /// between the polling the files to watch from the `paths_provider`.
     /// This is quite efficient, yet might still create some load of the
@@ -154,6 +159,7 @@ struct Source {
     label_selector: String,
     exclude_paths: Vec<glob::Pattern>,
     max_read_bytes: usize,
+    max_line_bytes: usize,
     glob_minimum_cooldown: Duration,
     ingestion_timestamp_field: Option<String>,
     timezone: TimeZone,
@@ -198,6 +204,7 @@ impl Source {
             label_selector,
             exclude_paths,
             max_read_bytes: config.max_read_bytes,
+            max_line_bytes: config.max_line_bytes,
             glob_minimum_cooldown,
             ingestion_timestamp_field: config.ingestion_timestamp_field.clone(),
             timezone,
@@ -218,6 +225,7 @@ impl Source {
             label_selector,
             exclude_paths,
             max_read_bytes,
+            max_line_bytes,
             glob_minimum_cooldown,
             ingestion_timestamp_field,
             timezone,
@@ -246,12 +254,6 @@ impl Source {
 
         // TODO: maybe more of the parameters have to be configurable.
 
-        // The 16KB is the maximum size of the payload at single line for both
-        // docker and CRI log formats.
-        // We take a double of that to account for metadata and padding, and to
-        // have a power of two rounding. Line splitting is countered at the
-        // parsers, see the `partial_events_merger` logic.
-        let max_line_bytes = 32 * 1024; // 32 KiB
         let file_server = FileServer {
             // Use our special paths provider.
             paths_provider,
@@ -271,8 +273,8 @@ impl Source {
             // be other, more sound ways for users considering the use of this
             // option to solve their use case, so take consideration.
             ignore_before: None,
-            // Max line length to expect during regular log reads, see the
-            // explanation above.
+            // The maximum number of a bytes a line can contain before being discarded. This
+            // protects against malformed lines or tailing incorrect files.
             max_line_bytes,
             // Delimiter bytes that is used to read the file line-by-line
             line_delimiter: Bytes::from("\n"),
@@ -426,6 +428,19 @@ fn default_max_read_bytes() -> usize {
     2048
 }
 
+fn default_max_line_bytes() -> usize {
+    // NOTE: The below comment documents an incorrect assumption, see
+    // https://github.com/timberio/vector/issues/6967
+    //
+    // The 16KB is the maximum size of the payload at single line for both
+    // docker and CRI log formats.
+    // We take a double of that to account for metadata and padding, and to
+    // have a power of two rounding. Line splitting is countered at the
+    // parsers, see the `partial_events_merger` logic.
+
+    32 * 1024 // 32 KiB
+}
+
 fn default_glob_minimum_cooldown_ms() -> usize {
     60000
 }