diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index abe85457f3..0567ba11d4 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -313,19 +313,12 @@ func (cli *Client) ClientVersion() string {
 }
 
 // negotiateAPIVersion updates the version to match the API version from
-// the ping response. It falls back to the lowest version supported if the
-// API version is empty.
+// the ping response.
 //
 // It returns an error if version is invalid, or lower than the minimum
 // supported API version in which case the client's API version is not
 // updated, and negotiation is not marked as completed.
 func (cli *Client) negotiateAPIVersion(pingVersion string) error {
-	pingVersion = strings.TrimPrefix(pingVersion, "v")
-	if pingVersion == "" {
-		// TODO(thaJeztah): consider returning an error on empty value or not falling back; see https://github.com/moby/moby/pull/51119#discussion_r2413148487
-		pingVersion = MinAPIVersion
-	}
-
 	var err error
 	pingVersion, err = parseAPIVersion(pingVersion)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/client/client_test.go b/client/client_test.go
index b7aad6fca9..9b53167eec 100644
--- a/client/client_test.go
+++ b/client/client_test.go
@@ -300,12 +300,10 @@ func TestNegotiateAPIVersion(t *testing.T) {
 			expectedVersion: "1.51",
 		},
 		{
-			// client should downgrade to the last version before version
-			// negotiation was added (1.24) if the daemon does not report
-			// a version.
+			// client should not downgrade if the daemon didn't report a version.
 			doc:             "downgrade legacy",
 			pingVersion:     "",
-			expectedVersion: MinAPIVersion,
+			expectedVersion: MaxAPIVersion,
 		},
 		{
 			// client should not downgrade to the version reported by the daemon
diff --git a/client/ping.go b/client/ping.go
index 5d4b85fe59..d315e4b98b 100644
--- a/client/ping.go
+++ b/client/ping.go
@@ -97,6 +97,11 @@ func (cli *Client) Ping(ctx context.Context, options PingOptions) (PingResult, e
 		return ping, nil
 	}
 
+	if ping.APIVersion == "" {
+		cli.setAPIVersion(MaxAPIVersion)
+		return ping, nil
+	}
+
 	return ping, cli.negotiateAPIVersion(ping.APIVersion)
 }
 
diff --git a/vendor/github.com/moby/moby/client/client.go b/vendor/github.com/moby/moby/client/client.go
index abe85457f3..0567ba11d4 100644
--- a/vendor/github.com/moby/moby/client/client.go
+++ b/vendor/github.com/moby/moby/client/client.go
@@ -313,19 +313,12 @@ func (cli *Client) ClientVersion() string {
 }
 
 // negotiateAPIVersion updates the version to match the API version from
-// the ping response. It falls back to the lowest version supported if the
-// API version is empty.
+// the ping response.
 //
 // It returns an error if version is invalid, or lower than the minimum
 // supported API version in which case the client's API version is not
 // updated, and negotiation is not marked as completed.
 func (cli *Client) negotiateAPIVersion(pingVersion string) error {
-	pingVersion = strings.TrimPrefix(pingVersion, "v")
-	if pingVersion == "" {
-		// TODO(thaJeztah): consider returning an error on empty value or not falling back; see https://github.com/moby/moby/pull/51119#discussion_r2413148487
-		pingVersion = MinAPIVersion
-	}
-
 	var err error
 	pingVersion, err = parseAPIVersion(pingVersion)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/vendor/github.com/moby/moby/client/ping.go b/vendor/github.com/moby/moby/client/ping.go
index 5d4b85fe59..d315e4b98b 100644
--- a/vendor/github.com/moby/moby/client/ping.go
+++ b/vendor/github.com/moby/moby/client/ping.go
@@ -97,6 +97,11 @@ func (cli *Client) Ping(ctx context.Context, options PingOptions) (PingResult, e
 		return ping, nil
 	}
 
+	if ping.APIVersion == "" {
+		cli.setAPIVersion(MaxAPIVersion)
+		return ping, nil
+	}
+
 	return ping, cli.negotiateAPIVersion(ping.APIVersion)
 }