diff --git a/api/server/router/system/system_routes.go b/api/server/router/system/system_routes.go
index 8213780aac..9324a8e643 100644
--- a/api/server/router/system/system_routes.go
+++ b/api/server/router/system/system_routes.go
@@ -106,6 +106,10 @@ func (s *systemRouter) getInfo(ctx context.Context, w http.ResponseWriter, r *ht
 			info.RegistryConfig.AllowNondistributableArtifactsCIDRs = []*registry.NetIPNet{}
 			info.RegistryConfig.AllowNondistributableArtifactsHostnames = []string{}
 		}
+		if versions.LessThan(version, "1.49") {
+			// FirewallBackend field introduced in API v1.49.
+			info.FirewallBackend = nil
+		}
 
 		// TODO(thaJeztah): Expected commits are deprecated, and should no longer be set in API 1.49.
 		info.ContainerdCommit.Expected = info.ContainerdCommit.ID //nolint:staticcheck // ignore SA1019: field is deprecated, but still used on API < v1.49.
diff --git a/api/swagger.yaml b/api/swagger.yaml
index b5f9eaf210..00e2ab5885 100644
--- a/api/swagger.yaml
+++ b/api/swagger.yaml
@@ -6856,6 +6856,8 @@ definitions:
               description: "The network pool size"
               type: "integer"
               example: "24"
+      FirewallBackend:
+        $ref: "#/definitions/FirewallInfo"
       Warnings:
         description: |
           List of warnings / informational messages about missing features, or
@@ -6939,6 +6941,37 @@ definitions:
             default: "plugins.moby"
             example: "plugins.moby"
 
+  FirewallInfo:
+    description: |
+      Information about the daemon's firewalling configuration.
+
+      This field is currently only used on Linux, and omitted on other platforms.
+    type: "object"
+    x-nullable: true
+    properties:
+      Driver:
+        description: |
+          The name of the firewall backend driver.
+        type: "string"
+        example: "nftables"
+      Info:
+        description: |
+          Information about the firewall backend, provided as
+          "label" / "value" pairs.
+
+          <p><br /></p>
+
+          > **Note**: The information returned in this field, including the
+          > formatting of values and labels, should not be considered stable,
+          > and may change without notice.
+        type: "array"
+        items:
+          type: "array"
+          items:
+            type: "string"
+        example:
+          - ["ReloadedAt", "2025-01-01T00:00:00Z"]
+
   # PluginsInfo is a temp struct holding Plugins name
   # registered with docker daemon. It is used by Info struct
   PluginsInfo:
diff --git a/api/types/system/info.go b/api/types/system/info.go
index 8a2444da28..7320582950 100644
--- a/api/types/system/info.go
+++ b/api/types/system/info.go
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ type Info struct {
 	SecurityOptions     []string
 	ProductLicense      string               `json:",omitempty"`
 	DefaultAddressPools []NetworkAddressPool `json:",omitempty"`
+	FirewallBackend     *FirewallInfo        `json:"FirewallBackend,omitempty"`
 	CDISpecDirs         []string
 
 	Containerd *ContainerdInfo `json:",omitempty"`
@@ -151,3 +152,11 @@ type NetworkAddressPool struct {
 	Base string
 	Size int
 }
+
+// FirewallInfo describes the firewall backend.
+type FirewallInfo struct {
+	// Driver is the name of the firewall backend driver.
+	Driver string `json:"Driver"`
+	// Info is a list of label/value pairs, containing information related to the firewall.
+	Info [][2]string `json:"Info,omitempty"`
+}
diff --git a/daemon/info.go b/daemon/info.go
index ebc3fa280c..3c38c49afb 100644
--- a/daemon/info.go
+++ b/daemon/info.go
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) SystemInfo(ctx context.Context) (*system.Info, error) {
 	daemon.fillSecurityOptions(v, sysInfo, &cfg.Config)
 	daemon.fillLicense(v)
 	daemon.fillDefaultAddressPools(ctx, v, &cfg.Config)
+	daemon.fillFirewallInfo(v)
 
 	return v, nil
 }
@@ -284,6 +285,13 @@ func (daemon *Daemon) fillDefaultAddressPools(ctx context.Context, v *system.Inf
 	}
 }
 
+func (daemon *Daemon) fillFirewallInfo(v *system.Info) {
+	if daemon.netController == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	v.FirewallBackend = daemon.netController.FirewallBackend()
+}
+
 func hostName(ctx context.Context) string {
 	ctx, span := tracing.StartSpan(ctx, "hostName")
 	defer span.End()
diff --git a/docs/api/version-history.md b/docs/api/version-history.md
index a78bba88ee..45cc07e10a 100644
--- a/docs/api/version-history.md
+++ b/docs/api/version-history.md
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ keywords: "API, Docker, rcli, REST, documentation"
   encoded OCI Platform type) allowing to specify a platform of the multi-platform
   image to inspect.
   This option is mutually exclusive with the `manifests` option.
+* `GET /info` now returns a `FirewallBackend` containing information about
+  the daemon's firewalling configuration.
 
 ## v1.48 API changes
 
diff --git a/integration/networking/firewall_linux_test.go b/integration/networking/firewall_linux_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9820a5ffbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/networking/firewall_linux_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package networking
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/docker/docker/client"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/internal/testutils/networking"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/testutil/request"
+	"gotest.tools/v3/assert"
+	is "gotest.tools/v3/assert/cmp"
+)
+
+func TestInfoFirewallBackend(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := setupTest(t)
+	c := testEnv.APIClient()
+
+	expDriver := "iptables"
+	if !testEnv.IsRootless() && networking.FirewalldRunning() {
+		expDriver = "iptables+firewalld"
+	}
+	info, err := c.Info(ctx)
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+	assert.Assert(t, info.FirewallBackend != nil, "expected firewall backend in info response")
+	t.Log("FirewallBackend: Driver:", info.FirewallBackend.Driver)
+	for _, kv := range info.FirewallBackend.Info {
+		t.Logf("FirewallBackend: %s: %s", kv[0], kv[1])
+	}
+	assert.Check(t, is.Equal(info.FirewallBackend.Driver, expDriver))
+
+	// Check FirewallBackend is omitted for API <= 1.48.
+	t.Run("api 1.48", func(t *testing.T) {
+		c148 := request.NewAPIClient(t, client.WithVersion("1.48"))
+		info148, err := c148.Info(ctx)
+		assert.NilError(t, err)
+		assert.Check(t, is.Nil(info148.FirewallBackend))
+	})
+}
diff --git a/libnetwork/controller_linux.go b/libnetwork/controller_linux.go
index 502c9c22d1..45c5dcd9c3 100644
--- a/libnetwork/controller_linux.go
+++ b/libnetwork/controller_linux.go
@@ -6,12 +6,25 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/log"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/system"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/libnetwork/iptables"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/libnetwork/netlabel"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/libnetwork/options"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/libnetwork/osl"
 )
 
+// FirewallBackend returns the name of the firewall backend for "docker info".
+func (c *Controller) FirewallBackend() *system.FirewallInfo {
+	usingFirewalld, err := iptables.UsingFirewalld()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if usingFirewalld {
+		return &system.FirewallInfo{Driver: "iptables+firewalld"}
+	}
+	return &system.FirewallInfo{Driver: "iptables"}
+}
+
 // enabledIptablesVersions returns the iptables versions that are enabled
 // for the controller.
 func (c *Controller) enabledIptablesVersions() []iptables.IPVersion {
diff --git a/libnetwork/controller_others.go b/libnetwork/controller_others.go
index d837c7cf3d..c8c8cc9ed2 100644
--- a/libnetwork/controller_others.go
+++ b/libnetwork/controller_others.go
@@ -2,6 +2,13 @@
 
 package libnetwork
 
+import "github.com/docker/docker/api/types/system"
+
+// FirewallBackend returns the name of the firewall backend for "docker info".
+func (c *Controller) FirewallBackend() *system.FirewallInfo {
+	return nil
+}
+
 // enabledIptablesVersions is a no-op on non-Linux systems.
 func (c *Controller) enabledIptablesVersions() []any {
 	return nil
diff --git a/libnetwork/iptables/firewalld.go b/libnetwork/iptables/firewalld.go
index 54ee975ddd..aa11a34897 100644
--- a/libnetwork/iptables/firewalld.go
+++ b/libnetwork/iptables/firewalld.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/containerd/log"
+	"github.com/docker/docker/pkg/rootless"
 	dbus "github.com/godbus/dbus/v5"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
@@ -40,7 +41,10 @@ var (
 // passthrough interface. The error return is non-nil if the status cannot be
 // determined because the initialisation function has not been called.
 func UsingFirewalld() (bool, error) {
-	if !firewalldInitCalled {
+	// If called before startup has completed, the firewall backend is unknown.
+	// But, if running rootless, the init function is not called because
+	// firewalld will be running in the host's netns, not in rootlesskit's.
+	if !firewalldInitCalled && !rootless.RunningWithRootlessKit() {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("iptables.firewalld is not initialised")
 	}
 	return firewalldRunning, nil
diff --git a/testutil/daemon/daemon.go b/testutil/daemon/daemon.go
index d24e4b329f..d83f62556c 100644
--- a/testutil/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/testutil/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -982,6 +982,13 @@ func (d *Daemon) Info(t testing.TB) system.Info {
 	return info
 }
 
+func (d *Daemon) FirewallBackendDriver(t testing.TB) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	info := d.Info(t)
+	assert.Assert(t, info.FirewallBackend != nil, "no firewall backend reported")
+	return info.FirewallBackend.Driver
+}
+
 // TamperWithContainerConfig modifies the on-disk config of a container.
 func (d *Daemon) TamperWithContainerConfig(t testing.TB, containerID string, tamper func(*container.Container)) {
 	t.Helper()