kubernetes-sigs · k8s-ci-robot · Apr 22, 2026 · Apr 18, 2026 · snorwin · Apr 22, 2026
diff --git a/apis/v1/shared_types.go b/apis/v1/shared_types.go
@@ -935,15 +935,6 @@ type SessionPersistence struct {
 	// +optional
 	AbsoluteTimeout *Duration `json:"absoluteTimeout,omitempty"`
 
-	// IdleTimeout defines the idle timeout of the persistent session.
-	// Once the session has been idle for more than the specified
-	// IdleTimeout duration, the session becomes invalid.
-	//
-	// Support: Extended
-	//
-	// +optional
-	IdleTimeout *Duration `json:"idleTimeout,omitempty"`
-
 	// Type defines the type of session persistence such as through
 	// the use of a header or cookie. Defaults to cookie based session
 	// persistence.

diff --git a/apis/v1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/apis/v1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
diff --git a/applyconfiguration/apis/v1/sessionpersistence.go b/applyconfiguration/apis/v1/sessionpersistence.go
diff --git a/applyconfiguration/internal/internal.go b/applyconfiguration/internal/internal.go
diff --git a/config/crd/experimental/gateway.networking.k8s.io_grpcroutes.yaml b/config/crd/experimental/gateway.networking.k8s.io_grpcroutes.yaml
diff --git a/config/crd/experimental/gateway.networking.k8s.io_httproutes.yaml b/config/crd/experimental/gateway.networking.k8s.io_httproutes.yaml
diff --git a/config/crd/experimental/gateway.networking.x-k8s.io_xbackendtrafficpolicies.yaml b/config/crd/experimental/gateway.networking.x-k8s.io_xbackendtrafficpolicies.yaml
diff --git a/geps/gep-1619/index.md b/geps/gep-1619/index.md
@@ -509,15 +509,6 @@ type SessionPersistence struct {
     // +optional
     AbsoluteTimeout *Duration `json:"absoluteTimeout,omitempty"`
 
-    // IdleTimeout defines the idle timeout of the persistent session.
-    // Once the session has been idle for more than the specified
-    // IdleTimeout duration, the session becomes invalid.
-    //
-    // Support: Extended
-    //
-    // +optional
-    IdleTimeout *Duration `json:"idleTimeout,omitempty"`
-
     // Type defines the type of session persistence such as through
     // the use of a header or cookie. Defaults to cookie based session
     // persistence.
@@ -1094,6 +1085,19 @@ configuration via a warning status or log.
 
 ## Alternatives
 
+### IdleTimeout
+
+The `idleTimeout` field was originally included in the SessionPersistence API but
+was removed because no Gateway API implementation has implemented it and no
+implementation has requested it. HTTP cookies have no native idle timeout
+mechanism — `Max-Age`/`Expires` are absolute, not idle-based. Implementing idle
+timeout requires server-side session state tracking (e.g., HAProxy's `maxidle` or
+NGINX's `sticky learn` with `timeout=`), which is additional complexity beyond
+what the current cookie-based model requires. Some dataplanes have no mechanism
+for idle timeout at all, making it unimplementable for those controllers. This
+field could be re-introduced in a future GEP if implementations demonstrate
+viable approaches and express interest.
+
 ### SessionPersistence API Alternative
 
 Taking a different approach, this GEP could design a more specific policy for configuring session persistence. Rather

diff --git a/pkg/generated/openapi/zz_generated.openapi.go b/pkg/generated/openapi/zz_generated.openapi.go