diff --git a/.buildkite/pipeline.yml b/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
index df3e5f0c778..8300559ba33 100644
--- a/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
+++ b/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ env:
   SETUP_GVM_VERSION: "v0.5.2"
   LINUX_AGENT_IMAGE: "golang:${GO_VERSION}"
   DOCKER_COMPOSE_VERSION: "v2.24.1"
-  DOCKER_VERSION: "false"
+  DOCKER_VERSION: "26.1.0"
   KIND_VERSION: 'v0.20.0'
   K8S_VERSION: 'v1.29.0'
   YQ_VERSION: 'v4.35.2'
diff --git a/.buildkite/scripts/common.sh b/.buildkite/scripts/common.sh
index deccf8aaac8..299b96c03e8 100755
--- a/.buildkite/scripts/common.sh
+++ b/.buildkite/scripts/common.sh
@@ -162,9 +162,14 @@ with_docker() {
     fi
     echo "deb [arch=${architecture} signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu ${ubuntu_codename} stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
     sudo apt-get update
-    sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install --allow-downgrades -y "docker-ce=${debian_version}"
-    sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install --allow-downgrades -y "docker-ce-cli=${debian_version}"
+    sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install --allow-change-held-packages --allow-downgrades -y "docker-ce=${debian_version}"
+    sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install --allow-change-held-packages --allow-downgrades -y "docker-ce-cli=${debian_version}"
     sudo systemctl start docker
+
+    echo "- Installed docker client version:"
+    docker version -f json  | jq -r '.Client.Version'
+    echo "- Installed docker server version:"
+    docker version -f json  | jq -r '.Server.Version'
 }
 
 with_docker_compose_plugin() {