"Error response from daemon: client version 1.25 is too old"

[KopfKrieg]

Describe the bug

I have two server (Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and Ubuntu 24.04 LTS), both running Docker v29.0.0.

Both are unable to run watchtower, because the run into a loop with the following error message:

watchtower  | time="2025-11-14T02:39:36+01:00" level=error msg="Error response from daemon: client version 1.25 is too old. Minimum supported API version is 1.44, please upgrade your client to a newer version"
watchtower  | time="2025-11-14T02:39:36+01:00" level=info msg="Waiting for the notification goroutine to finish" notify=no
watchtower exited with code 1 (restarting)

Had to stop both watchtower instances and not sure what to do. Everything is up to date already.

Steps to reproduce

1. Install Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 LTS
2. Install Docker from docker.com
3. Run watchtower from containrrr/watchtower:latest
4. Enjoy the error messages and notification spam (if configured)

Expected behavior

It should work as before, running in the background, updating containers as expected.

Screenshots

No response

Environment

• Platform: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS & Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
• Architecture: x86_64
• Docker Version: 29.0.0

Your logs

[…]
watchtower  | time="2025-11-14T02:44:37+01:00" level=debug msg="Sleeping for a second to ensure the docker api client has been properly initialized."
watchtower  | time="2025-11-14T02:44:38+01:00" level=debug msg="Making sure everything is sane before starting"
watchtower  | time="2025-11-14T02:44:38+01:00" level=debug msg="Retrieving running containers"
watchtower  | time="2025-11-14T02:44:38+01:00" level=error msg="Error response from daemon: client version 1.25 is too old. Minimum supported API version is 1.44, please upgrade your client to a newer version"
watchtower  | time="2025-11-14T02:44:38+01:00" level=info msg="Waiting for the notification goroutine to finish" notify=no
watchtower exited with code 1 (restarting)
watchtower  | time="2025-11-14T02:44:39+01:00" level=debug msg="Sleeping for a second to ensure the docker api client has been properly initialized."
Gracefully Stopping... press Ctrl+C again to force
 Container watchtower  Stopping
 Container watchtower  Stopped

Additional context

No response

[github-actions]

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[willhennegan]

I got this error too.
I believe it it because I updated my Docker which now uses API version 1.52, and Watchtower’s embedded client library likely does not support API v1.52 yet.
The only solution I could find was to temporarily downgrade my Docker Engine to a version whose API version is supported (e.g., API v1.44 or earlier) so that Watchtower (current image) will work.

[dzxx36gyy]

I got this error too. I believe it it because I updated my Docker which now uses API version 1.52, and Watchtower’s embedded client library likely does not support API v1.52 yet. The only solution I could find was to temporarily downgrade my Docker Engine to a version whose API version is supported (e.g., API v1.44 or earlier) so that Watchtower (current image) will work.

Please add the following line: Environment=DOCKER_MIN_API_VERSION=1.24 to the [Service] section of the /lib/systemd/system/docker.service file as a temporary solution. Then reload the daemon and docker service.

[masterwishx]

Is any fix/update is planned?
I see no updates was for a long time here...

[Xav-Pe]

Related to docker v29 https://github.com/moby/moby/releases/tag/docker-v29.0.0

The daemon now requires API version v1.44 or later (Docker v25.0+).

[Xav-Pe]

Modifying this line :

watchtower/internal/flags/flags.go

Line 20 in 76f9cea

const DockerAPIMinVersion string = "1.25"

to
const DockerAPIMinVersion string = "1.44"

fixed the issue. I had to rebuild the go binary (also adding CGO_ENABLED=0 here), the dockerfile and the error is gone.

Edit : after seeing the fork from nfedor https://github.com/nicholas-fedor/watchtower/blob/main/internal/flags/flags.go, I think just a rebuild could fix the error.

[masterwishx]

Related to docker v29

Yep was need to downgrade docker for portainer will work again also watchtower

[masterwishx]

after seeing the fork from nfedor

Why not use the fork? Seems we will not get update here

[palchrb]

I just put in DOCKER_API_VERSION=1.52 in my compose, on docker 29 and it works perfectly. What is the more maintained fork you mentioned?

[masterwishx]

I just put in DOCKER_API_VERSION=1.52 in my compose, on docker 29 and it works perfectly. What is the more maintained fork you mentioned?

#2126 (comment)

[Xav-Pe]

Why not use the fork? Seems we will not get update here

yep I'm now using the fork. Atleast it's maintained