docker-mac-net-connect stopped working with Docker Desktop 4.52.0

[krooyh]

Hey, after updating docker desktop to 4.52.0 I started getting those in logs:

Setting up Wireguard on Docker Desktop VM
Image doesn't exist locally. Pulling...
ERROR: (utun5) 2025/11/24 22:41:29 Failed to setup VM: failed to pull setup image: Error response from daemon: client version 1.41 is too old. Minimum supported API version is 1.44, please upgrade your client to a newer version

Downgraded to 4.51.0 and started working again so 4.52.0 is the issue

[ruzampl]

Same issue with Docker Desktop 4.52.0

[marcelovilla]

Seeing the same error, even after upgrading docker-mac-net-connect to v0.1.4.

[anadion]

Same problem after Docker update.

[tkareine]

Try running the tool manually with:

sudo env DOCKER_API_VERSION=1.44 /opt/homebrew/opt/docker-mac-net-connect/bin/docker-mac-net-connect

[mclang]

Worked after I updated Docker Desktop using brew to 4.53.0.

[HarryVasanth]

I am running into the same issue even after upgrading to Docker Desktop 4.53.0

I was able to run it using the following workaround manually:

sudo env DOCKER_API_VERSION=1.44 /opt/homebrew/opt/docker-mac-net-connect/bin/docker-mac-net-connect

However, I am still not able to run the automated service. Still getting:

Image doesn't exist locally. Pulling...
ERROR: (utun6) 2025/12/04 13:53:09 Failed to setup VM: failed to pull setup image: Error response from daemon: client version 1.41 is too old. Minimum supported API version is 1.44, please upgrade your client to a newer version
DEBUG: (utun6) 2025/12/04 13:53:14 Setting up Wireguard on Docker Desktop VM

Here is my detailed output for docker version:

Client:
 Version:           29.0.1
 API version:       1.52
 Go version:        go1.25.4
 Git commit:        eedd969
 Built:             Fri Nov 14 16:16:57 2025
 OS/Arch:           darwin/arm64
 Context:           desktop-linux

Server: Docker Desktop 4.53.0 (211793)
 Engine:
  Version:          29.0.1
  API version:      1.52 (minimum version 1.44)
  Go version:       go1.25.4
  Git commit:       198b5e3
  Built:            Fri Nov 14 16:18:20 2025
  OS/Arch:          linux/arm64
  Experimental:     false
 containerd:
  Version:          v2.1.5
  GitCommit:        fcd43222d6b07379a4be9786bda52438f0dd16a1
 runc:
  Version:          1.3.3
  GitCommit:        v1.3.3-0-gd842d771
 docker-init:
  Version:          0.19.0
  GitCommit:        de40ad0

[HarryVasanth]

I am running into the same issue even after upgrading to Docker Desktop 4.53.0

I was able to run it using the following workaround manually:

sudo env DOCKER_API_VERSION=1.44 /opt/homebrew/opt/docker-mac-net-connect/bin/docker-mac-net-connect However, I am still not able to run the automated service. Still getting:

Image doesn't exist locally. Pulling... ERROR: (utun6) 2025/12/04 13:53:09 Failed to setup VM: failed to pull setup image: Error response from daemon: client version 1.41 is too old. Minimum supported API version is 1.44, please upgrade your client to a newer version DEBUG: (utun6) 2025/12/04 13:53:14 Setting up Wireguard on Docker Desktop VM

I managed to fix it by editing the service plist file located at:

/opt/homebrew/Cellar/docker-mac-net-connect/v0.1.4/homebrew.mxcl.docker-mac-net-connect.plist

and added the following:

<key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
<dict>
    <key>DOCKER_API_VERSION</key>
    <string>1.44</string>
</dict>

So the file homebrew.mxcl.docker-mac-net-connect.plist looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>KeepAlive</key>
	<true/>
	<key>Label</key>
	<string>homebrew.mxcl.docker-mac-net-connect</string>
	<key>LimitLoadToSessionType</key>
	<array>
		<string>Aqua</string>
		<string>Background</string>
		<string>LoginWindow</string>
		<string>StandardIO</string>
		<string>System</string>
	</array>
	<key>ProgramArguments</key>
	<array>
		<string>/opt/homebrew/opt/docker-mac-net-connect/bin/docker-mac-net-connect</string>
	</array>
    <key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
    <dict>
        <key>DOCKER_API_VERSION</key>
        <string>1.44</string>
    </dict>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
	<true/>
	<key>StandardErrorPath</key>
	<string>/opt/homebrew/var/log/docker-mac-net-connect/std_error.log</string>
	<key>StandardOutPath</key>
	<string>/opt/homebrew/var/log/docker-mac-net-connect/std_out.log</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Then it's just the matter of stopping and re-running the service to reflect the changes:

sudo brew services stop docker-mac-net-connect
sudo brew services start docker-mac-net-connect

[vincentjorgensen]

After upgrading Docker to 4.54.0, I ran into this error. The above fix didn't work for me in 4.54.0. However, downgrading to 4.51.0 did.