diff --git a/samcli/cli/global_config.py b/samcli/cli/global_config.py
index f628091ffbd..f4bc3e0d7d7 100644
--- a/samcli/cli/global_config.py
+++ b/samcli/cli/global_config.py
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ class GlobalConfig(metaclass=Singleton):
     # Env var used by docker client to specify which socket to use
     DOCKER_HOST_ENV_VAR: str = "DOCKER_HOST"
 
+    # Env var used to override docker API version to use
+    DOCKER_API_ENV_VAR: str = "SAM_DOCKER_API_VERSION"
+
     # Static singleton instance
 
     _access_lock: threading.RLock
diff --git a/samcli/local/docker/container_client.py b/samcli/local/docker/container_client.py
index a8388d47c08..6b127802d7c 100644
--- a/samcli/local/docker/container_client.py
+++ b/samcli/local/docker/container_client.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 import docker
 from docker.utils import kwargs_from_env
 
+from samcli.cli.global_config import GlobalConfig
 from samcli.lib.constants import DOCKER_MIN_API_VERSION, DOCKER_MIN_API_VERSION_FALLBACK
 from samcli.local.docker.exceptions import ContainerArchiveImageLoadFailedException, ContainerInvalidSocketPathException
 from samcli.local.docker.platform_config import get_finch_socket_path
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ def __init__(self, base_url=None):
             self.client_params["base_url"] = base_url
 
         # Specify minimum version
-        self.client_params["version"] = DOCKER_MIN_API_VERSION
+        self.client_params["version"] = os.environ.get(GlobalConfig.DOCKER_API_ENV_VAR, DOCKER_MIN_API_VERSION)
 
         # Initialize DockerClient with processed parameters
         LOG.debug(f"Creating container client with parameters: {self.client_params}")
diff --git a/tests/unit/local/docker/test_container_client.py b/tests/unit/local/docker/test_container_client.py
index 1b1e4b73f4d..a4e757818fa 100644
--- a/tests/unit/local/docker/test_container_client.py
+++ b/tests/unit/local/docker/test_container_client.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import docker
 from parameterized import parameterized
 
+from samcli.cli.global_config import GlobalConfig
 from samcli.local.docker.container_client import (
     ContainerClient,
     DockerContainerClient,
@@ -749,6 +750,19 @@ def test_init_with_base_url_override(self, mock_log, mock_docker_init):
         self.assertEqual(call_kwargs["base_url"], override_url)
         self.assertTrue(mock_log.debug.called)
 
+    @patch("docker.DockerClient.__init__", return_value=None)
+    def test_init_with_api_override(self, mock_docker_init):
+        """Test ContainerClient init with api override"""
+        override_api = "1.51"
+
+        with patch.dict("os.environ", {GlobalConfig.DOCKER_API_ENV_VAR: override_api}, clear=True):
+            client = ConcreteContainerClient()
+
+        # 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"], override_api)
+
 
 class TestContainerClientBaseClass(TestCase):
     """Test the ContainerClient base class methods"""