Docker Engine v29: Fixing "API Version Mismatch" Error

If you’ve recently upgraded to Docker Engine - Community Version 29, you might have hit a frustrating API version mismatch error.

Specifically, you might see an error indicating that a minimum API version >= 1.44 is required. This often happens when your tools or CI/CD agents are trying to communicate with the updated daemon using an older API protocol, and the new Docker default policies are too strict.

As an Automation Engineer, I encounter this when legacy scripts or older docker-compose binaries clash with the bleeding-edge runtime. We need a way to bridge that gap without downgrading the entire engine.

Here is the quick fix to force Docker to accept a lower minimum API version.

The Fix: Configure daemon.json#

The solution is to explicitly tell the Docker daemon to support an older API version. We do this by modifying (or creating) the /etc/docker/daemon.json file.

We are going to set the min-api-version to 1.32. This is a robust baseline that supports most tools while still allowing the daemon to run its latest core.

Step 1: Edit the Configuration #

Open the daemon configuration file in your text editor:

sudo nano /etc/docker/daemon.json

Add (or merge) the following configuration object:

{
  "min-api-version": "1.32"
}

Warning: If your daemon.json already contains other settings (like insecure registries or log drivers), make sure you append this key correctly to the existing JSON object. Invalid JSON will prevent Docker from starting.

Step 2: Restart Docker Service #

Configuration changes only apply after a service restart. Reload the daemon:

sudo systemctl restart docker

Step 3: Verify the Fix #

Ensure the service is back up and verify the API negotiation:

docker version

You should now see that the daemon is willing to speak with older clients.

Why this works #

Docker v29 pushes the envelope on API standards. By default, it may deprecate older API versions to encourage security and feature parity. However, in the real world of enterprise automation, we don’t always control the client version (e.g., a Jenkins plugin or a vendor-locked utility).

Setting "min-api-version": "1.32" effectively lowers the “minimum height requirement” for this ride, letting your existing automation suite continue to function with the modern engine.

Keep automating. 🫡