diff --git a/packages/components/timepicker/e2e.playwright-spec.ts b/packages/components/timepicker/e2e.playwright-spec.ts
index f78e94f10..5b7e0464c 100644
--- a/packages/components/timepicker/e2e.playwright-spec.ts
+++ b/packages/components/timepicker/e2e.playwright-spec.ts
@@ -11,5 +11,22 @@ test.describe('KbqTimepickerModule', () => {
             await e2eEnableDarkTheme(page);
             await expect(getComponent(page)).toHaveScreenshot('01-dark.png');
         });
+
+        test('should not let digits grow beyond the mask on incomplete value', async ({ page }) => {
+            await page.goto('/E2eTimepickerStates');
+
+            const input = page.getByTestId('e2eTimepickerShort');
+
+            // an incomplete value: the minutes part has a single digit, so it never parses as time
+            await input.fill('11:1');
+            // place the caret at the very beginning, as a mouse click would
+            await input.evaluate((element: HTMLInputElement) => element.setSelectionRange(0, 0));
+
+            for (let index = 0; index < 10; index++) {
+                await input.press('9');
+            }
+
+            await expect(input).toHaveValue(/^\d{1,2}:\d{1,2}$/);
+        });
     });
 });
diff --git a/packages/components/timepicker/e2e.ts b/packages/components/timepicker/e2e.ts
index 8e6d670ff..f35da9911 100644
--- a/packages/components/timepicker/e2e.ts
+++ b/packages/components/timepicker/e2e.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import { DateTime } from 'luxon';
         <!-- empty state -->
         <kbq-form-field>
             <i kbq-icon="kbq-clock_16" kbqPrefix></i>
-            <input kbqTimepicker [format]="timeFormats.HHmm" />
+            <input data-testid="e2eTimepickerShort" kbqTimepicker [format]="timeFormats.HHmm" />
             <kbq-hint>HH:mm</kbq-hint>
         </kbq-form-field>
 
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import { DateTime } from 'luxon';
         </kbq-form-field>
         <kbq-form-field>
             <i kbq-icon="kbq-clock_16" kbqPrefix></i>
-            <input kbqTimepicker [format]="timeFormats.HHmmss" [(ngModel)]="value" />
+            <input data-testid="e2eTimepickerFull" kbqTimepicker [format]="timeFormats.HHmmss" [(ngModel)]="value" />
             <kbq-hint>HH:mm:ss</kbq-hint>
         </kbq-form-field>
 
diff --git a/packages/components/timepicker/timepicker.directive.ts b/packages/components/timepicker/timepicker.directive.ts
index a05f4e0f5..dc970aacf 100644
--- a/packages/components/timepicker/timepicker.directive.ts
+++ b/packages/components/timepicker/timepicker.directive.ts
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ let uniqueComponentIdSuffix: number = 0;
 const shortFormatSize: number = 5;
 const fullFormatSize: number = 8;
 
+/** Maximum number of digits in a single time part */
+const timePartLength: number = 2;
+
 @Directive({
     selector: 'input[kbqTimepicker]',
     providers: [
@@ -494,6 +497,25 @@ export class KbqTimepicker<D>
 
         this.lastValueValid = !!newTimeObj;
 
+        const selectionStart = this.selectionStart;
+        const selectionEnd = this.selectionEnd;
+        const nextViewValue = newTimeObj ? this.getTimeStringFromDate(newTimeObj, this.format) : formattedValue;
+        // A complete time is always rewritten, so that the caret keeps walking between the time parts.
+        // An incomplete one (e.g. `23:1`) is rewritten only when normalization trimmed it — otherwise
+        // the extra digits stay in the input and the value grows unbounded.
+        const shouldUpdateView = !!newTimeObj || nextViewValue !== this.viewValue;
+
+        if (shouldUpdateView) {
+            this.setViewValue(nextViewValue);
+
+            if (selectionStart !== null) {
+                this.selectionStart = selectionStart;
+                this.selectionEnd = newTimeObj ? selectionEnd : selectionStart;
+
+                this.createSelectionOfTimeComponentInInput(selectionStart + 1);
+            }
+        }
+
         if (!newTimeObj) {
             if (!this.viewValue) {
                 this.onChange(null);
@@ -502,16 +524,6 @@ export class KbqTimepicker<D>
             return;
         }
 
-        const selectionStart = this.selectionStart;
-        const selectionEnd = this.selectionEnd;
-
-        this.setViewValue(this.getTimeStringFromDate(newTimeObj, this.format));
-
-        this.selectionStart = selectionStart;
-        this.selectionEnd = selectionEnd;
-
-        this.createSelectionOfTimeComponentInInput((selectionStart as number) + 1);
-
         this.value = newTimeObj;
         this.onChange(newTimeObj);
         this.stateChanges.next();
@@ -640,29 +652,36 @@ export class KbqTimepicker<D>
     private replaceNumbers(value: string): string {
         let formattedValue: string = value;
 
-        const match: RegExpMatchArray | null = value.match(
-            /^(?<hours>\d{0,4}):?(?<minutes>\d{0,4}):?(?<seconds>\d{0,4})$/
-        );
+        const match: RegExpMatchArray | null = value.match(/^(?<hours>\d*):?(?<minutes>\d*):?(?<seconds>\d*)$/);
 
         if (match?.groups) {
             const { hours, minutes, seconds } = match.groups;
 
-            if (hours.length && parseInt(hours) > HOURS_PER_DAY) {
-                formattedValue = formattedValue.replace(hours, HOURS_PER_DAY.toString());
+            if (hours.length) {
+                formattedValue = formattedValue.replace(hours, this.normalizeTimePart(hours, HOURS_PER_DAY));
             }
 
-            if (minutes.length && parseInt(minutes) > MINUTES_PER_HOUR) {
-                formattedValue = formattedValue.replace(minutes, MINUTES_PER_HOUR.toString());
+            if (minutes.length) {
+                formattedValue = formattedValue.replace(minutes, this.normalizeTimePart(minutes, MINUTES_PER_HOUR));
             }
 
-            if (seconds.length && parseInt(seconds) > SECONDS_PER_MINUTE) {
-                formattedValue = formattedValue.replace(seconds, SECONDS_PER_MINUTE.toString());
+            if (seconds.length) {
+                formattedValue = formattedValue.replace(seconds, this.normalizeTimePart(seconds, SECONDS_PER_MINUTE));
             }
         }
 
         return formattedValue;
     }
 
+    /** Clamps a time part to the allowed maximum and trims it to two digits */
+    private normalizeTimePart(part: string, maxValue: number): string {
+        if (part.length <= timePartLength && parseInt(part) <= maxValue) {
+            return part;
+        }
+
+        return `${Math.min(parseInt(part), maxValue)}`.padStart(timePartLength, '0');
+    }
+
     /** Checks whether the input is invalid based on the native validation. */
     private isBadInput(): boolean {
         const validity = (<HTMLInputElement>this.elementRef.nativeElement).validity;
diff --git a/packages/components/timepicker/timepicker.spec.ts b/packages/components/timepicker/timepicker.spec.ts
index 4d210e181..37bcc7801 100644
--- a/packages/components/timepicker/timepicker.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/components/timepicker/timepicker.spec.ts
@@ -580,6 +580,44 @@ describe(KbqTimepicker.name, () => {
             expect(inputElementDebug.nativeElement.value).toBe('23:00:59');
         }));
 
+        it('Should normalize incomplete value instead of letting it grow', fakeAsync(() => {
+            inputElementDebug.nativeElement.value = '911:1';
+            dispatchFakeEvent(inputElementDebug.nativeElement, 'keydown');
+            tick(1);
+
+            expect(inputElementDebug.nativeElement.value).toBe('23:1');
+        }));
+
+        it('Should trim time part longer than two digits', fakeAsync(() => {
+            inputElementDebug.nativeElement.value = '0001:1';
+            dispatchFakeEvent(inputElementDebug.nativeElement, 'keydown');
+            tick(1);
+
+            expect(inputElementDebug.nativeElement.value).toBe('01:1');
+        }));
+
+        it('Should normalize time part with more than four digits', fakeAsync(() => {
+            inputElementDebug.nativeElement.value = '123456';
+            dispatchFakeEvent(inputElementDebug.nativeElement, 'keydown');
+            tick(1);
+
+            expect(inputElementDebug.nativeElement.value).toBe('23:00:00');
+        }));
+
+        it('Should keep intermediate value untouched while typing', fakeAsync(() => {
+            inputElementDebug.nativeElement.value = '12:3';
+            dispatchFakeEvent(inputElementDebug.nativeElement, 'keydown');
+            tick(1);
+
+            expect(inputElementDebug.nativeElement.value).toBe('12:3');
+
+            inputElementDebug.nativeElement.value = '1';
+            dispatchFakeEvent(inputElementDebug.nativeElement, 'keydown');
+            tick(1);
+
+            expect(inputElementDebug.nativeElement.value).toBe('1');
+        }));
+
         it('Increase hours by ArrowUp key and cycle from max to min', fakeAsync(() => {
             expect(inputElementDebug.nativeElement.value).toBe('23:00:00');