diff --git a/samcli/lib/constants.py b/samcli/lib/constants.py
index ec9dd1d3f57..3deabfed085 100644
--- a/samcli/lib/constants.py
+++ b/samcli/lib/constants.py
@@ -1 +1 @@
-DOCKER_MIN_API_VERSION = "1.35"
+DOCKER_MIN_API_VERSION = "1.44"
diff --git a/samcli/local/docker/container_client.py b/samcli/local/docker/container_client.py
index 00e33ae4c38..5a1bebc468f 100644
--- a/samcli/local/docker/container_client.py
+++ b/samcli/local/docker/container_client.py
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class ContainerClient(docker.DockerClient, ABC):
     # Initialize socket_path
     socket_path: Optional[str] = None
 
-    def __init__(self, base_url=None):
+    def __init__(self, client_version, base_url=None):
         """
         Initialize the container client with environment variable processing and overrides.
 
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ def __init__(self, base_url=None):
             client_params["base_url"] = base_url
 
         # Specify minimum version
-        client_params["version"] = DOCKER_MIN_API_VERSION
+        client_params["version"] = client_version
 
         # Initialize DockerClient with processed parameters
         LOG.debug(f"Creating container client with parameters: {client_params}")
@@ -292,10 +292,10 @@ def __init__(self):
 
         if socket_path:
             LOG.debug(f"Creating Docker container client with base_url={socket_path}.")
-            super().__init__(base_url=socket_path)
+            super().__init__(base_url=socket_path, client_version=DOCKER_MIN_API_VERSION)
         else:
             LOG.debug("Creating Docker container client from environment variable.")
-            super().__init__()
+            super().__init__(client_version=DOCKER_MIN_API_VERSION)
 
     def get_runtime_type(self) -> str:
         """
@@ -504,7 +504,9 @@ def __init__(self):
             return None
 
         LOG.debug(f"Creating Finch container client with base_url={socket_path}")
-        super().__init__(base_url=socket_path)
+        super().__init__(
+            base_url=socket_path, client_version="1.35"
+        )  # TODO: Placeholder until Finch updates to Docker's min latest version
 
     def get_socket_path(self) -> str:
         """
diff --git a/tests/unit/local/docker/test_container_client.py b/tests/unit/local/docker/test_container_client.py
index 501670a291d..7f47723ce45 100644
--- a/tests/unit/local/docker/test_container_client.py
+++ b/tests/unit/local/docker/test_container_client.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
     ContainerArchiveImageLoadFailedException,
     ContainerInvalidSocketPathException,
 )
+from samcli.lib.constants import DOCKER_MIN_API_VERSION
 
 
 class BaseContainerClientTestCase(TestCase):
@@ -31,7 +32,8 @@ def setUp(self):
         """Set up common test fixtures"""
         self.finch_socket = "unix:///tmp/finch.sock"
         self.docker_socket = "unix:///var/run/docker.sock"
-        self.default_version = "1.35"
+        self.docker_version = DOCKER_MIN_API_VERSION
+        self.finch_version = "1.35"  # TODO: Update when Finch updates to latest Docker API version
 
     def create_mock_container_client(self, client_class, methods_to_bind=None):
         """Create a mock container client with bound methods for testing."""
@@ -163,7 +165,7 @@ def test_init_success_no_docker_host(self, mock_docker_init):
         # Verify DockerClient.__init__ was called with expected parameters
         mock_docker_init.assert_called_once()
         call_kwargs = mock_docker_init.call_args.kwargs
-        self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["version"], self.default_version)
+        self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["version"], self.docker_version)
 
     @patch("docker.DockerClient.__init__", return_value=None)
     def test_init_success_with_docker_host(self, mock_docker_init):
@@ -176,7 +178,7 @@ def test_init_success_with_docker_host(self, mock_docker_init):
         # Verify DockerClient.__init__ was called with expected parameters
         mock_docker_init.assert_called_once()
         call_kwargs = mock_docker_init.call_args.kwargs
-        self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["version"], self.default_version)
+        self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["version"], self.docker_version)
         self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["base_url"], self.docker_socket)
 
     def test_init_raises_exception_when_docker_host_points_to_finch(self):
@@ -208,7 +210,7 @@ def test_init_with_various_docker_host_values(self, docker_host, mock_log, mock_
         # Verify DockerClient.__init__ was called with expected parameters
         mock_docker_init.assert_called_once()
         call_kwargs = mock_docker_init.call_args.kwargs
-        self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["version"], self.default_version)
+        self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["version"], self.docker_version)
         self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["base_url"], docker_host)
 
         # Verify log call
@@ -678,7 +680,7 @@ def test_init_with_socket_path_success(self, mock_log, mock_docker_init):
         # Verify DockerClient.__init__ was called with expected parameters
         mock_docker_init.assert_called_once()
         call_kwargs = mock_docker_init.call_args.kwargs
-        self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["version"], self.default_version)
+        self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["version"], self.finch_version)
         self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["base_url"], self.finch_socket)
 
         # Verify log call
@@ -719,12 +721,12 @@ class TestContainerClientBaseInit(BaseContainerClientTestCase):
     def test_init_no_overrides(self, mock_log, mock_docker_init):
         """Test ContainerClient init with no environment overrides"""
         with patch.dict("os.environ", {}, clear=True):
-            client = ConcreteContainerClient()
+            client = ConcreteContainerClient(client_version=self.docker_version)
 
         # Verify DockerClient.__init__ was called with expected parameters
         mock_docker_init.assert_called_once()
         call_kwargs = mock_docker_init.call_args.kwargs
-        self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["version"], self.default_version)
+        self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["version"], self.docker_version)
         self.assertTrue(mock_log.debug.called)
 
     @patch("docker.DockerClient.__init__", return_value=None)
@@ -734,12 +736,12 @@ def test_init_with_base_url_override(self, mock_log, mock_docker_init):
         override_url = "unix:///tmp/finch.sock"
 
         with patch.dict("os.environ", {}, clear=True):
-            client = ConcreteContainerClient(base_url=override_url)
+            client = ConcreteContainerClient(client_version=self.docker_version, base_url=override_url)
 
         # Verify DockerClient.__init__ was called with expected parameters
         mock_docker_init.assert_called_once()
         call_kwargs = mock_docker_init.call_args.kwargs
-        self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["version"], self.default_version)
+        self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["version"], self.docker_version)
         self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["base_url"], override_url)
         self.assertTrue(mock_log.debug.called)