diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
index cc4dee3744..1000265340 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e.yml
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ jobs:
           - alpine
           - debian
         engine-version:
-          - 25.0  # latest
-          - 24.0  # latest - 1
+          - 26.1  # latest
+          - 25.0  # latest - 1
           - 23.0  # mirantis lts
           # TODO(krissetto) 19.03 needs a look, doesn't work ubuntu 22.04 (cgroup errors). 
           # we could have a separate job that tests it against ubuntu 20.04
diff --git a/e2e/compose-env.yaml b/e2e/compose-env.yaml
index 2a30e1040e..7feb2a0a70 100644
--- a/e2e/compose-env.yaml
+++ b/e2e/compose-env.yaml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ services:
     image: 'registry:2'
 
   engine:
-      image: 'docker:${ENGINE_VERSION:-25.0}-dind'
+      image: 'docker:${ENGINE_VERSION:-26.1}-dind'
       privileged: true
       command: ['--insecure-registry=registry:5000']
       environment:
diff --git a/e2e/testdata/Dockerfile.connhelper-ssh b/e2e/testdata/Dockerfile.connhelper-ssh
index 3771f3e62f..12d5c69b7f 100644
--- a/e2e/testdata/Dockerfile.connhelper-ssh
+++ b/e2e/testdata/Dockerfile.connhelper-ssh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # ENGINE_VERSION is the version of the (docker-in-docker) Docker Engine to
 # test against.
-ARG ENGINE_VERSION=25.0
+ARG ENGINE_VERSION=26.1
 
 FROM docker:${ENGINE_VERSION}-dind