diff --git a/cosmos/operators/kubernetes.py b/cosmos/operators/kubernetes.py
index f86925fde..091a49c58 100644
--- a/cosmos/operators/kubernetes.py
+++ b/cosmos/operators/kubernetes.py
@@ -165,6 +165,9 @@ def __init__(self, on_warning_callback: Callable[..., Any] | None = None, **kwar
         if not on_warning_callback:
             super().__init__(**kwargs)
         else:
+            # Make the following code independent of arguments being defaulted or not.
+            if "default_args" in kwargs.keys():
+                kwargs.update(kwargs.pop("default_args"))
             self.on_warning_callback = on_warning_callback
             self.is_delete_operator_pod_original = kwargs.get("is_delete_operator_pod", None)
             if self.is_delete_operator_pod_original is not None:
diff --git a/tests/operators/test_kubernetes.py b/tests/operators/test_kubernetes.py
index e6ccdc4d7..a827ad2c0 100644
--- a/tests/operators/test_kubernetes.py
+++ b/tests/operators/test_kubernetes.py
@@ -186,6 +186,26 @@ def test_dbt_kubernetes_build_command():
         ),
         ({"is_delete_operator_pod": None, "on_finish_action": "keep_pod"}, (1, 1, False, "keep_pod")),
         ({}, (1, 1, True, "delete_pod")),
+        (
+            {
+                "default_args": {
+                    "on_failure_callback": (lambda **kwargs: None),
+                    "is_delete_operator_pod": None,
+                },
+                "on_finish_action": "delete_pod",
+            },
+            (1, 2, True, "delete_pod"),
+        ),
+        (
+            {
+                "default_args": {
+                    "on_failure_callback": [(lambda **kwargs: None), (lambda **kwargs: None)],
+                    "is_delete_operator_pod": None,
+                },
+                "on_finish_action": "delete_succeeded_pod",
+            },
+            (1, 3, False, "delete_succeeded_pod"),
+        ),
     ],
 )
 @pytest.mark.skipif(