diff --git a/backend/src/db/migrations/20250321100157_k8s-self-reviewer-jwt.ts b/backend/src/db/migrations/20250321100157_k8s-self-reviewer-jwt.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6cc3a2696
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/db/migrations/20250321100157_k8s-self-reviewer-jwt.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import { Knex } from "knex";
+
+import { TableName } from "../schemas";
+
+export async function up(knex: Knex): Promise<void> {
+  const hasReviewerJwtCol = await knex.schema.hasColumn(
+    TableName.IdentityKubernetesAuth,
+    "encryptedKubernetesTokenReviewerJwt"
+  );
+  if (hasReviewerJwtCol) {
+    await knex.schema.alterTable(TableName.IdentityKubernetesAuth, (t) => {
+      t.binary("encryptedKubernetesTokenReviewerJwt").nullable().alter();
+    });
+  }
+}
+
+export async function down(): Promise<void> {
+  // we can't make it back to non nullable, it will fail
+}
diff --git a/backend/src/db/schemas/identity-kubernetes-auths.ts b/backend/src/db/schemas/identity-kubernetes-auths.ts
index 85f210ff1..448cec386 100644
--- a/backend/src/db/schemas/identity-kubernetes-auths.ts
+++ b/backend/src/db/schemas/identity-kubernetes-auths.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export const IdentityKubernetesAuthsSchema = z.object({
   allowedNamespaces: z.string(),
   allowedNames: z.string(),
   allowedAudience: z.string(),
-  encryptedKubernetesTokenReviewerJwt: zodBuffer,
+  encryptedKubernetesTokenReviewerJwt: zodBuffer.nullable().optional(),
   encryptedKubernetesCaCertificate: zodBuffer.nullable().optional()
 });
 
diff --git a/backend/src/lib/api-docs/constants.ts b/backend/src/lib/api-docs/constants.ts
index 8338492a4..d48059e1f 100644
--- a/backend/src/lib/api-docs/constants.ts
+++ b/backend/src/lib/api-docs/constants.ts
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ export const KUBERNETES_AUTH = {
     kubernetesHost: "The host string, host:port pair, or URL to the base of the Kubernetes API server.",
     caCert: "The PEM-encoded CA cert for the Kubernetes API server.",
     tokenReviewerJwt:
-      "The long-lived service account JWT token for Infisical to access the TokenReview API to validate other service account JWT tokens submitted by applications/pods.",
+      "Optional JWT token for accessing Kubernetes TokenReview API. If provided, this long-lived token will be used to validate service account tokens during authentication. If omitted, the client's own JWT will be used instead, which requires the client to have the system:auth-delegator ClusterRole binding.",
     allowedNamespaces:
       "The comma-separated list of trusted namespaces that service accounts must belong to authenticate with Infisical.",
     allowedNames: "The comma-separated list of trusted service account names that can authenticate with Infisical.",
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ export const KUBERNETES_AUTH = {
     kubernetesHost: "The new host string, host:port pair, or URL to the base of the Kubernetes API server.",
     caCert: "The new PEM-encoded CA cert for the Kubernetes API server.",
     tokenReviewerJwt:
-      "The new long-lived service account JWT token for Infisical to access the TokenReview API to validate other service account JWT tokens submitted by applications/pods.",
+      "Optional JWT token for accessing Kubernetes TokenReview API. If provided, this long-lived token will be used to validate service account tokens during authentication. If omitted, the client's own JWT will be used instead, which requires the client to have the system:auth-delegator ClusterRole binding.",
     allowedNamespaces:
       "The new comma-separated list of trusted namespaces that service accounts must belong to authenticate with Infisical.",
     allowedNames: "The new comma-separated list of trusted service account names that can authenticate with Infisical.",
diff --git a/backend/src/server/routes/v1/identity-kubernetes-auth-router.ts b/backend/src/server/routes/v1/identity-kubernetes-auth-router.ts
index 952cfcdaf..0105afd76 100644
--- a/backend/src/server/routes/v1/identity-kubernetes-auth-router.ts
+++ b/backend/src/server/routes/v1/identity-kubernetes-auth-router.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ const IdentityKubernetesAuthResponseSchema = IdentityKubernetesAuthsSchema.pick(
   allowedAudience: true
 }).extend({
   caCert: z.string(),
-  tokenReviewerJwt: z.string()
+  tokenReviewerJwt: z.string().optional().nullable()
 });
 
 export const registerIdentityKubernetesRouter = async (server: FastifyZodProvider) => {
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ export const registerIdentityKubernetesRouter = async (server: FastifyZodProvide
         .object({
           kubernetesHost: z.string().trim().min(1).describe(KUBERNETES_AUTH.ATTACH.kubernetesHost),
           caCert: z.string().trim().default("").describe(KUBERNETES_AUTH.ATTACH.caCert),
-          tokenReviewerJwt: z.string().trim().min(1).describe(KUBERNETES_AUTH.ATTACH.tokenReviewerJwt),
+          tokenReviewerJwt: z.string().trim().optional().describe(KUBERNETES_AUTH.ATTACH.tokenReviewerJwt),
           allowedNamespaces: z.string().describe(KUBERNETES_AUTH.ATTACH.allowedNamespaces), // TODO: validation
           allowedNames: z.string().describe(KUBERNETES_AUTH.ATTACH.allowedNames),
           allowedAudience: z.string().describe(KUBERNETES_AUTH.ATTACH.allowedAudience),
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ export const registerIdentityKubernetesRouter = async (server: FastifyZodProvide
         .object({
           kubernetesHost: z.string().trim().min(1).optional().describe(KUBERNETES_AUTH.UPDATE.kubernetesHost),
           caCert: z.string().trim().optional().describe(KUBERNETES_AUTH.UPDATE.caCert),
-          tokenReviewerJwt: z.string().trim().min(1).optional().describe(KUBERNETES_AUTH.UPDATE.tokenReviewerJwt),
+          tokenReviewerJwt: z.string().trim().nullable().optional().describe(KUBERNETES_AUTH.UPDATE.tokenReviewerJwt),
           allowedNamespaces: z.string().optional().describe(KUBERNETES_AUTH.UPDATE.allowedNamespaces), // TODO: validation
           allowedNames: z.string().optional().describe(KUBERNETES_AUTH.UPDATE.allowedNames),
           allowedAudience: z.string().optional().describe(KUBERNETES_AUTH.UPDATE.allowedAudience),
diff --git a/backend/src/services/identity-kubernetes-auth/identity-kubernetes-auth-service.ts b/backend/src/services/identity-kubernetes-auth/identity-kubernetes-auth-service.ts
index 8e4e46bc7..e68e4e309 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/identity-kubernetes-auth/identity-kubernetes-auth-service.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/identity-kubernetes-auth/identity-kubernetes-auth-service.ts
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ export const identityKubernetesAuthServiceFactory = ({
       tokenReviewerJwt = decryptor({
         cipherTextBlob: identityKubernetesAuth.encryptedKubernetesTokenReviewerJwt
       }).toString();
+    } else {
+      // if no token reviewer is provided means the incoming token has to act as reviewer
+      tokenReviewerJwt = serviceAccountJwt;
     }
 
     const { data } = await axios
@@ -291,7 +294,9 @@ export const identityKubernetesAuthServiceFactory = ({
           accessTokenTTL,
           accessTokenNumUsesLimit,
           accessTokenTrustedIps: JSON.stringify(reformattedAccessTokenTrustedIps),
-          encryptedKubernetesTokenReviewerJwt: encryptor({ plainText: Buffer.from(tokenReviewerJwt) }).cipherTextBlob,
+          encryptedKubernetesTokenReviewerJwt: tokenReviewerJwt
+            ? encryptor({ plainText: Buffer.from(tokenReviewerJwt) }).cipherTextBlob
+            : null,
           encryptedKubernetesCaCertificate: encryptor({ plainText: Buffer.from(caCert) }).cipherTextBlob
         },
         tx
@@ -387,10 +392,12 @@ export const identityKubernetesAuthServiceFactory = ({
       updateQuery.encryptedKubernetesCaCertificate = encryptor({ plainText: Buffer.from(caCert) }).cipherTextBlob;
     }
 
-    if (tokenReviewerJwt !== undefined) {
+    if (tokenReviewerJwt) {
       updateQuery.encryptedKubernetesTokenReviewerJwt = encryptor({
         plainText: Buffer.from(tokenReviewerJwt)
       }).cipherTextBlob;
+    } else if (tokenReviewerJwt === null) {
+      updateQuery.encryptedKubernetesTokenReviewerJwt = null;
     }
 
     const updatedKubernetesAuth = await identityKubernetesAuthDAL.updateById(identityKubernetesAuth.id, updateQuery);
diff --git a/backend/src/services/identity-kubernetes-auth/identity-kubernetes-auth-types.ts b/backend/src/services/identity-kubernetes-auth/identity-kubernetes-auth-types.ts
index c66ec8480..b3bbcb49e 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/identity-kubernetes-auth/identity-kubernetes-auth-types.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/identity-kubernetes-auth/identity-kubernetes-auth-types.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ export type TAttachKubernetesAuthDTO = {
   identityId: string;
   kubernetesHost: string;
   caCert: string;
-  tokenReviewerJwt: string;
+  tokenReviewerJwt?: string;
   allowedNamespaces: string;
   allowedNames: string;
   allowedAudience: string;
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export type TUpdateKubernetesAuthDTO = {
   identityId: string;
   kubernetesHost?: string;
   caCert?: string;
-  tokenReviewerJwt?: string;
+  tokenReviewerJwt?: string | null;
   allowedNamespaces?: string;
   allowedNames?: string;
   allowedAudience?: string;