diff --git a/pkg/runtimes/docker/container.go b/pkg/runtimes/docker/container.go
index 25a76075..6124d4e3 100644
--- a/pkg/runtimes/docker/container.go
+++ b/pkg/runtimes/docker/container.go
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func createContainer(ctx context.Context, dockerNode *NodeInDocker, name string)
 
 func startContainer(ctx context.Context, ID string) error {
 	// initialize docker client
-	docker, err := client.NewClientWithOpts(client.FromEnv, client.WithAPIVersionNegotiation())
+	docker, err := GetDockerClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorln("Failed to create docker client")
 		return err
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ func getNodeContainer(ctx context.Context, node *k3d.Node) (*types.Container, er
 // executes an arbitrary command in a container while returning its exit code.
 // useful to check something in docker env
 func executeCheckInContainer(ctx context.Context, image string, cmd []string) (int64, error) {
-	docker, err := client.NewClientWithOpts(client.FromEnv, client.WithAPIVersionNegotiation())
+	docker, err := GetDockerClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorln("Failed to create docker client")
 		return -1, err
diff --git a/pkg/runtimes/docker/network.go b/pkg/runtimes/docker/network.go
index 48c98cd7..7d0fc6a3 100644
--- a/pkg/runtimes/docker/network.go
+++ b/pkg/runtimes/docker/network.go
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/filters"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/network"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/client"
 	"inet.af/netaddr"
 
 	runtimeErr "github.com/rancher/k3d/v4/pkg/runtimes/errors"
@@ -275,7 +274,7 @@ func (d Docker) ConnectNodeToNetwork(ctx context.Context, node *k3d.Node, networ
 	}
 
 	// get docker client
-	docker, err := client.NewClientWithOpts(client.FromEnv, client.WithAPIVersionNegotiation())
+	docker, err := GetDockerClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorln("Failed to create docker client")
 		return err
@@ -303,7 +302,7 @@ func (d Docker) DisconnectNodeFromNetwork(ctx context.Context, node *k3d.Node, n
 	}
 
 	// get docker client
-	docker, err := client.NewClientWithOpts(client.FromEnv, client.WithAPIVersionNegotiation())
+	docker, err := GetDockerClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorln("Failed to create docker client")
 		return err
diff --git a/pkg/runtimes/docker/node.go b/pkg/runtimes/docker/node.go
index 24d0a618..b5e3b39a 100644
--- a/pkg/runtimes/docker/node.go
+++ b/pkg/runtimes/docker/node.go
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/filters"
-	"github.com/docker/docker/client"
 	runtimeErr "github.com/rancher/k3d/v4/pkg/runtimes/errors"
 	k3d "github.com/rancher/k3d/v4/pkg/types"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -251,7 +250,7 @@ func (d Docker) GetNodeStatus(ctx context.Context, node *k3d.Node) (bool, string
 	}
 
 	// create docker client
-	docker, err := client.NewClientWithOpts(client.FromEnv, client.WithAPIVersionNegotiation())
+	docker, err := GetDockerClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorln("Failed to create docker client")
 		return running, stateString, err
@@ -415,7 +414,7 @@ func executeInNode(ctx context.Context, node *k3d.Node, cmd []string) (*types.Hi
 // GetNodesInNetwork returns all the nodes connected to a given network
 func (d Docker) GetNodesInNetwork(ctx context.Context, network string) ([]*k3d.Node, error) {
 	// create docker client
-	docker, err := client.NewClientWithOpts(client.FromEnv, client.WithAPIVersionNegotiation())
+	docker, err := GetDockerClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorln("Failed to create docker client")
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/pkg/runtimes/docker/util.go b/pkg/runtimes/docker/util.go
index e98b51ea..7720c1e5 100644
--- a/pkg/runtimes/docker/util.go
+++ b/pkg/runtimes/docker/util.go
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ func (d Docker) WriteToNode(ctx context.Context, content []byte, dest string, mo
 	}
 
 	// create docker client
-	docker, err := client.NewClientWithOpts(client.FromEnv, client.WithAPIVersionNegotiation())
+	docker, err := GetDockerClient()
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Errorln("Failed to create docker client")
 		return err