diff --git a/client/client.go b/client/client.go
index 46832d8a44..97dbbf70b9 100644
--- a/client/client.go
+++ b/client/client.go
@@ -304,8 +304,7 @@ func (cli *Client) getAPIPath(ctx context.Context, p string, query url.Values) s
 	var apiPath string
 	_ = cli.checkVersion(ctx)
 	if cli.version != "" {
-		v := strings.TrimPrefix(cli.version, "v")
-		apiPath = path.Join(cli.basePath, "/v"+v, p)
+		apiPath = path.Join(cli.basePath, "/v"+strings.TrimPrefix(cli.version, "v"), p)
 	} else {
 		apiPath = path.Join(cli.basePath, p)
 	}
diff --git a/client/client_test.go b/client/client_test.go
index 4322ff0c84..e1712010b0 100644
--- a/client/client_test.go
+++ b/client/client_test.go
@@ -420,6 +420,58 @@ func TestNegotiateAPIVersionWithFixedVersion(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, client.ClientVersion(), customVersion)
 }
 
+// TestCustomAPIVersion tests initializing the client with a custom
+// version.
+func TestCustomAPIVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		version  string
+		expected string
+	}{
+		{
+			version:  "",
+			expected: api.DefaultVersion,
+		},
+		{
+			version:  "1.0",
+			expected: "1.0",
+		},
+		{
+			version:  "9.99",
+			expected: "9.99",
+		},
+		{
+			version:  "v",
+			expected: api.DefaultVersion,
+		},
+		{
+			version:  "v1.0",
+			expected: "1.0",
+		},
+		{
+			version:  "v9.99",
+			expected: "9.99",
+		},
+		{
+			// When manually setting a version, no validation happens.
+			// so anything is accepted.
+			version:  "something-weird",
+			expected: "something-weird",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.version, func(t *testing.T) {
+			client, err := NewClientWithOpts(WithVersion(tc.version))
+			assert.NilError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, client.ClientVersion(), tc.expected)
+
+			t.Setenv(EnvOverrideAPIVersion, tc.expected)
+			client, err = NewClientWithOpts(WithVersionFromEnv())
+			assert.NilError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, client.ClientVersion(), tc.expected)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 type roundTripFunc func(*http.Request) (*http.Response, error)
 
 func (rtf roundTripFunc) RoundTrip(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
diff --git a/client/options.go b/client/options.go
index ddb0ca3991..85b12447d5 100644
--- a/client/options.go
+++ b/client/options.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/docker/go-connections/sockets"
@@ -194,8 +195,8 @@ func WithTLSClientConfigFromEnv() Opt {
 // (see [WithAPIVersionNegotiation]).
 func WithVersion(version string) Opt {
 	return func(c *Client) error {
-		if version != "" {
-			c.version = version
+		if v := strings.TrimPrefix(version, "v"); v != "" {
+			c.version = v
 			c.manualOverride = true
 		}
 		return nil