diff --git a/changelog.d/724.bugfix b/changelog.d/724.bugfix
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..36ff0f14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/724.bugfix
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Hotfix for timeout=DEFAULT_TIMEOUT in expire and pexpire
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/django_redis/client/default.py b/django_redis/client/default.py
index 7850d3c7..b9a5c1b0 100644
--- a/django_redis/client/default.py
+++ b/django_redis/client/default.py
@@ -299,6 +299,9 @@ def expire(
         version: Optional[int] = None,
         client: Optional[Redis] = None,
     ) -> bool:
+        if timeout is DEFAULT_TIMEOUT:
+            timeout = self._backend.default_timeout  # type: ignore
+
         if client is None:
             client = self.get_client(write=True)
 
@@ -315,6 +318,9 @@ def pexpire(
         version: Optional[int] = None,
         client: Optional[Redis] = None,
     ) -> bool:
+        if timeout is DEFAULT_TIMEOUT:
+            timeout = self._backend.default_timeout  # type: ignore
+
         if client is None:
             client = self.get_client(write=True)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_backend.py b/tests/test_backend.py
index 550ce79c..4ff60983 100644
--- a/tests/test_backend.py
+++ b/tests/test_backend.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 from django.core.cache import caches
+from django.core.cache.backends.base import DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
 from django.test import override_settings
 from pytest_django.fixtures import SettingsWrapper
 from pytest_mock import MockerFixture
@@ -606,6 +607,11 @@ def test_expire(self, cache: RedisCache):
         assert pytest.approx(ttl) == 20
         assert cache.expire("not-existent-key", 20) is False
 
+    def test_expire_with_default_timeout(self, cache: RedisCache):
+        cache.set("foo", "bar", timeout=None)
+        assert cache.expire("foo", DEFAULT_TIMEOUT) is True
+        assert cache.expire("not-existent-key", DEFAULT_TIMEOUT) is False
+
     def test_pexpire(self, cache: RedisCache):
         cache.set("foo", "bar", timeout=None)
         assert cache.pexpire("foo", 20500) is True
@@ -614,6 +620,11 @@ def test_pexpire(self, cache: RedisCache):
         assert pytest.approx(ttl, 10) == 20500
         assert cache.pexpire("not-existent-key", 20500) is False
 
+    def test_pexpire_with_default_timeout(self, cache: RedisCache):
+        cache.set("foo", "bar", timeout=None)
+        assert cache.pexpire("foo", DEFAULT_TIMEOUT) is True
+        assert cache.pexpire("not-existent-key", DEFAULT_TIMEOUT) is False
+
     def test_pexpire_at(self, cache: RedisCache):
         # Test settings expiration time 1 hour ahead by datetime.
         cache.set("foo", "bar", timeout=None)