diff --git a/gobblin-data-management/src/main/java/org/apache/gobblin/data/management/copy/iceberg/IcebergSource.java b/gobblin-data-management/src/main/java/org/apache/gobblin/data/management/copy/iceberg/IcebergSource.java
index 50d817e8092..840cdc35ca0 100644
--- a/gobblin-data-management/src/main/java/org/apache/gobblin/data/management/copy/iceberg/IcebergSource.java
+++ b/gobblin-data-management/src/main/java/org/apache/gobblin/data/management/copy/iceberg/IcebergSource.java
@@ -96,9 +96,15 @@
  * # --- Recommended: configurable partition value format ---
  * # iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format is a DateTimeFormatter pattern applied to the output
  * # partition value used in the filter expression.
- * # When CURRENT_DATE is used, the reference datetime is LocalDateTime.now(), so a pattern
- * # with HH will embed the current hour automatically — no separate hour config needed.
  * # When set, it supersedes iceberg.hourly.partition.enabled.
+ * #
+ * # CURRENT_DATE behaviour:
+ * #   - iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format set (recommended):
+ * #       LocalDateTime.now() — HH embeds the live clock-hour (e.g. 2025-04-01-14).
+ * #   - iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format absent — falls back to the legacy flag
+ * #     iceberg.hourly.partition.enabled (kept for backward compat only, superseded by the above):
+ * #       hourly.partition.enabled=true  (default) → LocalDate.now() at midnight → -00 suffix preserved.
+ * #       hourly.partition.enabled=false            → LocalDate.now() at midnight → yyyy-MM-dd, no hour.
  *
  * # Standard hourly partitions (yyyy-MM-dd-HH) — CURRENT_DATE picks up live hour
  * iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format=yyyy-MM-dd-HH   # → "2025-04-01-14" (current hour)
@@ -152,10 +158,26 @@ public class IcebergSource extends FileBasedSource<String, FileAwareInputStream>
   /**
    * Optional {@link DateTimeFormatter} pattern controlling how the partition value is rendered.
    *
-   * <p>When {@code iceberg.filter.date=CURRENT_DATE} the reference datetime is
-   * {@link java.time.LocalDateTime#now()}, so a pattern that includes {@code HH} will embed
-   * the current clock-hour automatically — no separate hour config is needed.
-   * For a specific date (e.g. {@code 2025-04-03}), the time defaults to midnight (00:00).
+   * <p><b>CURRENT_DATE resolution — two paths:</b>
+   * <ul>
+   *   <li><b>Recommended:</b> when {@code iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format} is set,
+   *       {@code CURRENT_DATE} resolves to {@link java.time.LocalDateTime#now()}, embedding the live
+   *       clock-hour when the pattern includes {@code HH} (e.g. {@code 2025-04-01-14}).</li>
+   *   <li><b>Legacy fallback:</b> when {@code iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format} is absent,
+   *       behaviour is controlled by the legacy flag {@code iceberg.hourly.partition.enabled}
+   *       (superseded by this property; kept only for backward compatibility):
+   *       <ul>
+   *         <li>{@code iceberg.hourly.partition.enabled=true} (default) — {@code CURRENT_DATE}
+   *             resolves to {@link java.time.LocalDate#now()} at midnight, so the
+   *             {@code yyyy-MM-dd-HH} pattern always produces a {@code -00} suffix.</li>
+   *         <li>{@code iceberg.hourly.partition.enabled=false} — {@code CURRENT_DATE} resolves to
+   *             {@link java.time.LocalDate#now()} at midnight with a {@code yyyy-MM-dd} pattern;
+   *             no hour is rendered.</li>
+   *       </ul>
+   *   </li>
+   * </ul>
+   * For a static date value (e.g. {@code 2025-04-03}), the time always defaults to midnight (00:00)
+   * regardless of which path is used.
    *
    * <p>Examples:
    * <ul>
@@ -284,28 +306,28 @@ public Extractor<String, FileAwareInputStream> getExtractor(WorkUnitState state)
    * (defaults to {@value #DEFAULT_DATE_PARTITION_COLUMN}). The date value is specified separately via
    * {@code iceberg.filter.date} in standard format ({@code yyyy-MM-dd}).
    *
-   * <p><b>Partition Value Format:</b> Both the input date ({@code iceberg.filter.date}) and the output
-   * partition value use the pattern specified by {@code iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format}
-   * (a standard {@link java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter} pattern).  Use {@code CURRENT_DATE} as the
-   * date value to resolve the reference datetime to {@link java.time.LocalDateTime#now()} automatically,
-   * embedding the current hour when the pattern includes {@code HH}. Examples:
+   * <p><b>Partition Value Format:</b> The output partition value format is controlled by
+   * {@code iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format} (a standard {@link java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter}
+   * pattern). When absent, the legacy {@code iceberg.hourly.partition.enabled} flag drives the format.
+   *
+   * <p><b>{@code CURRENT_DATE} resolution:</b>
    * <ul>
-   *   <li>{@code yyyy-MM-dd-HH} with date {@code 2025-04-01-05} → {@code 2025-04-01-05}</li>
-   *   <li>{@code dd-MM-yyyy-HH} with date {@code 01-04-2025-00} → {@code 01-04-2025-00}</li>
-   *   <li>{@code yyyyMMdd}      with date {@code 20250401}       → {@code 20250401} (compact daily)</li>
+   *   <li>With {@code iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format} set → {@link java.time.LocalDateTime#now()},
+   *       so a pattern including {@code HH} embeds the live clock-hour (e.g. {@code 2025-04-08-14}).</li>
+   *   <li>Without that property (legacy) → {@link java.time.LocalDate#now()} at midnight, so the
+   *       hour is always {@code 00} (e.g. {@code 2025-04-08-00}).  This preserves the pre-PR
+   *       behaviour for tables that store daily data in {@code yyyy-MM-dd-00} partitions.</li>
    * </ul>
-   * When {@code iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format} is set it supersedes
-   * {@code iceberg.hourly.partition.enabled}. When absent, the legacy
-   * {@code iceberg.hourly.partition.enabled} behaviour is preserved for backward compatibility.
+   * Static date values always default to midnight regardless of which path is used.
    *
    * <p><b>Configuration Examples:</b>
    * <ul>
    * <li>Standard daily: {@code iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format=yyyy-MM-dd, iceberg.filter.date=2025-04-03,
    *     iceberg.lookback.days=3} → partitions: {@code 2025-04-03, 2025-04-02, 2025-04-01}</li>
-   * <li>Reversed-date hourly: {@code iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format=dd-MM-yyyy-HH,
-   *     iceberg.filter.date=CURRENT_DATE} → {@code 03-04-2025-14, 02-04-2025-14, 01-04-2025-14}</li>
-   * <li>Dynamic daily: {@code iceberg.filter.date=CURRENT_DATE, iceberg.lookback.days=1}
-   *     → today's partition only (resolved at runtime)</li>
+   * <li>Truly-hourly (live hour): {@code iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format=yyyy-MM-dd-HH,
+   *     iceberg.filter.date=CURRENT_DATE} → {@code 2025-04-08-14, 2025-04-07-14, 2025-04-06-14}</li>
+   * <li>Daily-at-midnight (legacy default): {@code iceberg.filter.date=CURRENT_DATE, iceberg.lookback.days=1}
+   *     → {@code 2025-04-08-00} (hour always 00, backward compat)</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * @param state source state containing filter configuration
@@ -337,13 +359,35 @@ private List<IcebergTable.FilePathWithPartition> discoverPartitionFilePaths(Sour
     DateTimeFormatter partitionFormatter = resolvePartitionFormatter(state);
 
     // Resolve the reference datetime for the filter.
-    // CURRENT_DATE uses LocalDateTime.now() so a formatter pattern that includes HH will
-    // embed the current clock-hour automatically.  For a specific date (yyyy-MM-dd) the time
-    // defaults to midnight (00:00).
+    // For a specific date (yyyy-MM-dd) the time always defaults to midnight (00:00).
+    // For CURRENT_DATE:
+    //   - Custom format path (iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format set): LocalDateTime.now() so
+    //     a pattern that includes HH will embed the live clock-hour automatically.
+    //   - Legacy hourly path (no custom format, hourly.partition.enabled=true): LocalDate.now().atStartOfDay()
+    //     to preserve the pre-PR behavior where CURRENT_DATE always produced a -00 suffix.
+    //   - Legacy daily path (no custom format, hourly.partition.enabled=false): LocalDate.now().atStartOfDay()
+    //     with yyyy-MM-dd pattern; hour is not rendered.
     LocalDateTime startDateTime;
     if (CURRENT_DATE_PLACEHOLDER.equalsIgnoreCase(dateValue)) {
-      startDateTime = LocalDateTime.now();
-      log.info("Resolved {} placeholder to current datetime: {}", CURRENT_DATE_PLACEHOLDER, startDateTime);
+      boolean isCustomFormat = state.contains(ICEBERG_PARTITION_VALUE_DATETIME_FORMAT);
+      if (isCustomFormat) {
+        startDateTime = LocalDateTime.now();
+        log.info("Resolved {} to current datetime with live hour (custom format='{}'):  {}",
+          CURRENT_DATE_PLACEHOLDER, state.getProp(ICEBERG_PARTITION_VALUE_DATETIME_FORMAT), startDateTime);
+      } else {
+        boolean isHourly = state.getPropAsBoolean(ICEBERG_HOURLY_PARTITION_ENABLED, DEFAULT_HOURLY_PARTITION_ENABLED);
+        startDateTime = LocalDate.now().atStartOfDay();
+        if (isHourly) {
+          // Legacy hourly backward-compat: midnight ensures yyyy-MM-dd-HH pattern keeps the old -00 suffix.
+          log.info("Resolved {} to current date at midnight (legacy hourly mode, -00 preserved): {}. "
+            + "Set {} to use the live hour.",
+            CURRENT_DATE_PLACEHOLDER, startDateTime, ICEBERG_PARTITION_VALUE_DATETIME_FORMAT);
+        } else {
+          // Legacy daily: pattern is yyyy-MM-dd, hour is not rendered.
+          log.info("Resolved {} to current date at midnight (legacy daily mode): {}.",
+            CURRENT_DATE_PLACEHOLDER, startDateTime);
+        }
+      }
     } else {
       // When iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format is explicitly set, the input date must match
       // that pattern (consistent input/output format).  Legacy path keeps accepting yyyy-MM-dd for
diff --git a/gobblin-data-management/src/test/java/org/apache/gobblin/data/management/copy/iceberg/IcebergSourceTest.java b/gobblin-data-management/src/test/java/org/apache/gobblin/data/management/copy/iceberg/IcebergSourceTest.java
index 91ac175a706..8ef3f8c21bc 100644
--- a/gobblin-data-management/src/test/java/org/apache/gobblin/data/management/copy/iceberg/IcebergSourceTest.java
+++ b/gobblin-data-management/src/test/java/org/apache/gobblin/data/management/copy/iceberg/IcebergSourceTest.java
@@ -334,8 +334,9 @@ public void testLookbackPeriodLogic() throws Exception {
 
   @Test
   public void testCurrentDatePlaceholder() throws Exception {
-    // CURRENT_DATE resolves to LocalDateTime.now() so the current hour is embedded automatically.
-    // The default legacy format (hourly.partition.enabled=true) produces yyyy-MM-dd-HH.
+    // Legacy path (no iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format set):
+    // CURRENT_DATE resolves to LocalDate.now() at midnight, so the default yyyy-MM-dd-HH
+    // pattern always produces a -00 suffix — preserving pre-PR backward compat.
     properties.setProperty(IcebergSource.ICEBERG_FILTER_ENABLED, "true");
     properties.setProperty(IcebergSource.ICEBERG_FILTER_DATE, "CURRENT_DATE");
     properties.setProperty(IcebergSource.ICEBERG_LOOKBACK_DAYS, "1");
@@ -351,11 +352,38 @@ public void testCurrentDatePlaceholder() throws Exception {
     m.setAccessible(true);
     m.invoke(icebergSource, sourceState, mockTable);
 
+    String partitionValues = sourceState.getProp(IcebergSource.ICEBERG_PARTITION_VALUES);
+    Assert.assertNotNull(partitionValues, "Partition values should be set");
+    String expectedToday = java.time.LocalDate.now().toString() + "-00";
+    Assert.assertEquals(partitionValues, expectedToday,
+        "Legacy CURRENT_DATE should produce today's date with -00 suffix (backward compat)");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testCurrentDatePlaceholderWithCustomFormat() throws Exception {
+    // New path (iceberg.partition.value.datetime.format set to yyyy-MM-dd-HH):
+    // CURRENT_DATE resolves to LocalDateTime.now() so the live clock-hour is embedded.
+    properties.setProperty(IcebergSource.ICEBERG_FILTER_ENABLED, "true");
+    properties.setProperty(IcebergSource.ICEBERG_FILTER_DATE, "CURRENT_DATE");
+    properties.setProperty(IcebergSource.ICEBERG_PARTITION_VALUE_DATETIME_FORMAT, "yyyy-MM-dd-HH");
+    properties.setProperty(IcebergSource.ICEBERG_LOOKBACK_DAYS, "1");
+    sourceState = new SourceState(new State(properties));
+
+    TableIdentifier tableId = TableIdentifier.of("test_db", "test_table");
+    when(mockTable.getTableId()).thenReturn(tableId);
+    when(mockTable.getFilePathsWithPartitionsForFilter(any(Expression.class)))
+      .thenReturn(new java.util.ArrayList<>());
+
+    Method m = IcebergSource.class.getDeclaredMethod("discoverPartitionFilePaths",
+      SourceState.class, IcebergTable.class);
+    m.setAccessible(true);
+    m.invoke(icebergSource, sourceState, mockTable);
+
     // Assert format rather than exact value to avoid clock-dependent flakiness
     String partitionValues = sourceState.getProp(IcebergSource.ICEBERG_PARTITION_VALUES);
     Assert.assertNotNull(partitionValues, "Partition values should be set");
     Assert.assertTrue(partitionValues.matches("\\d{4}-\\d{2}-\\d{2}-\\d{2}"),
-        "Should resolve to yyyy-MM-dd-HH format, got: " + partitionValues);
+        "Custom format CURRENT_DATE should produce yyyy-MM-dd-HH with live hour, got: " + partitionValues);
   }
 
   @Test