diff --git a/internal/docker/docker.go b/internal/docker/docker.go
index 524d7276..a4504e25 100644
--- a/internal/docker/docker.go
+++ b/internal/docker/docker.go
@@ -12,11 +12,14 @@ func initClient() (cli *client.Client, err error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
-	// Optionally ping the server to ensure the connection is valid
-	_, err = cli.Ping(context.Background())
+	// Ping the server to ensure the connection is valid and negotiate API version
+	ping, err := cli.Ping(context.Background())
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
+	// Explicitly negotiate API version based on the ping response
+	// This ensures the client uses a compatible API version with the Docker daemon
+	cli.NegotiateAPIVersionPing(ping)
 
 	return
 }