diff --git a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/api/python/PythonRDD.scala b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/api/python/PythonRDD.scala
index b775e4036760..a280e2225e81 100644
--- a/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/api/python/PythonRDD.scala
+++ b/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/api/python/PythonRDD.scala
@@ -878,6 +878,9 @@ private[spark] abstract class PythonServer[T](
 
 private[spark] object PythonServer {
 
+  // visible for testing
+  private[spark] var timeout = 15000
+
   /**
    * Create a socket server and run user function on the socket in a background thread.
    *
@@ -896,7 +899,7 @@ private[spark] object PythonServer {
       (func: Socket => Unit): (Int, String) = {
     val serverSocket = new ServerSocket(0, 1, InetAddress.getByAddress(Array(127, 0, 0, 1)))
     // Close the socket if no connection in 15 seconds
-    serverSocket.setSoTimeout(15000)
+    serverSocket.setSoTimeout(timeout)
 
     new Thread(threadName) {
       setDaemon(true)
diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/Dataset.scala b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/Dataset.scala
index 6e4577591dab..bfa49a8d81a4 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/Dataset.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/Dataset.scala
@@ -3257,12 +3257,11 @@ class Dataset[T] private[sql](
 
   private[sql] def collectToPython(): Array[Any] = {
     EvaluatePython.registerPicklers()
-    withAction("collectToPython", queryExecution) { plan =>
+    val iter = withAction("collectToPython", queryExecution) { plan =>
       val toJava: (Any) => Any = EvaluatePython.toJava(_, schema)
-      val iter: Iterator[Array[Byte]] = new SerDeUtil.AutoBatchedPickler(
-        plan.executeCollect().iterator.map(toJava))
-      PythonRDD.serveIterator(iter, "serve-DataFrame")
+      new SerDeUtil.AutoBatchedPickler(plan.executeCollect().iterator.map(toJava))
     }
+    PythonRDD.serveIterator(iter, "serve-DataFrame")
   }
 
   private[sql] def getRowsToPython(
diff --git a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/DatasetSuite.scala b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/DatasetSuite.scala
index 08ebf8b10fef..aa33f79e2191 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/DatasetSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/DatasetSuite.scala
@@ -18,19 +18,25 @@
 package org.apache.spark.sql
 
 import java.io.{Externalizable, ObjectInput, ObjectOutput}
+import java.net.{InetAddress, Socket}
 import java.sql.{Date, Timestamp}
 
-import org.apache.spark.SparkException
+import scala.io.Source
+
+import org.apache.spark.{SparkConf, SparkException}
+import org.apache.spark.api.python.PythonServer
+import org.apache.spark.security.SocketAuthHelper
 import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.encoders.{OuterScopes, RowEncoder}
 import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.plans.{LeftAnti, LeftSemi}
 import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.util.sideBySide
-import org.apache.spark.sql.execution.{LogicalRDD, RDDScanExec}
+import org.apache.spark.sql.execution.{LogicalRDD, QueryExecution, RDDScanExec}
 import org.apache.spark.sql.execution.exchange.{BroadcastExchangeExec, ShuffleExchangeExec}
 import org.apache.spark.sql.execution.streaming.MemoryStream
 import org.apache.spark.sql.functions._
 import org.apache.spark.sql.internal.SQLConf
 import org.apache.spark.sql.test.SharedSQLContext
 import org.apache.spark.sql.types._
+import org.apache.spark.sql.util.QueryExecutionListener
 
 case class TestDataPoint(x: Int, y: Double, s: String, t: TestDataPoint2)
 case class TestDataPoint2(x: Int, s: String)
@@ -1586,6 +1592,37 @@ class DatasetSuite extends QueryTest with SharedSQLContext {
       }
     }
   }
+
+  test("SPARK-34726: Fix collectToPython timeouts") {
+    // Lower `PythonServer.setupOneConnectionServer` timeout for this test
+    val oldTimeout = PythonServer.timeout
+    PythonServer.timeout = 1000
+
+    val listener = new QueryExecutionListener {
+      override def onFailure(funcName: String, qe: QueryExecution, exception: Exception): Unit = {}
+
+      override def onSuccess(funcName: String, qe: QueryExecution, duration: Long): Unit = {
+        // Wait longer than `PythonServer.setupOneConnectionServer` timeout
+        Thread.sleep(PythonServer.timeout + 1000)
+      }
+    }
+    try {
+      spark.listenerManager.register(listener)
+
+      val Array(port: Int, secretToPython: String) = spark.range(5).toDF().collectToPython()
+
+      // Mimic Python side
+      val socket = new Socket(InetAddress.getByAddress(Array(127, 0, 0, 1)), port)
+      val authHelper = new SocketAuthHelper(new SparkConf()) {
+        override val secret: String = secretToPython
+      }
+      authHelper.authToServer(socket)
+      Source.fromInputStream(socket.getInputStream)
+    } finally {
+      spark.listenerManager.unregister(listener)
+      PythonServer.timeout = oldTimeout
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 case class TestDataUnion(x: Int, y: Int, z: Int)