diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-providers.yml b/.github/workflows/test-providers.yml
index db1f31f2453aa..671497af234dd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-providers.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-providers.yml
@@ -128,6 +128,10 @@ jobs:
         run: >
           breeze release-management prepare-task-sdk-distributions
           --distribution-format ${{ matrix.package-format }}
+      - name: "Prepare airflow-ctl package: ${{ matrix.package-format }}"
+        run: >
+          breeze release-management prepare-airflow-ctl-distributions
+          --distribution-format ${{ matrix.package-format }}
       - name: "Verify ${{ matrix.package-format }} packages with twine"
         run: |
           uv tool uninstall twine || true
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 1afcd7320525b..9d4e63d74ceb8 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1048,8 +1048,11 @@ function install_airflow_and_providers_from_docker_context_files(){
         install_airflow_core_distribution=("apache-airflow-core==${AIRFLOW_VERSION}")
     fi
 
-    # Find Provider/TaskSDK/CTL distributions in docker-context files
-    readarray -t airflow_distributions< <(python /scripts/docker/get_distribution_specs.py /docker-context-files/apache?airflow?{providers,task?sdk,airflowctl}*.{whl,tar.gz} 2>/dev/null || true)
+    # Find Provider/TaskSDK/CTL distributions in docker-context files.
+    # NOTE: the ctl wheel is named ``apache_airflow_ctl-*.whl`` (distribution
+    # ``apache-airflow-ctl``), not ``apache_airflow_airflowctl-*.whl`` — the
+    # glob must say ``ctl``, not ``airflowctl``.
+    readarray -t airflow_distributions< <(python /scripts/docker/get_distribution_specs.py /docker-context-files/apache?airflow?{providers,task?sdk,ctl}*.{whl,tar.gz} 2>/dev/null || true)
     echo
     echo "${COLOR_BLUE}Found provider distributions in docker-context-files folder: ${airflow_distributions[*]}${COLOR_RESET}"
     echo
diff --git a/airflow-core/pyproject.toml b/airflow-core/pyproject.toml
index 3158a36124675..783ac958fa57b 100644
--- a/airflow-core/pyproject.toml
+++ b/airflow-core/pyproject.toml
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "universal-pathlib>=0.3.8",
     "uuid6>=2024.7.10",
     "apache-airflow-task-sdk<1.4.0,>=1.3.0",
-    "apache-airflow-ctl<0.1.5,>=0.1.4",
+    "apache-airflow-ctl<0.1.6,>=0.1.5",
     # pre-installed providers
     "apache-airflow-providers-common-compat>=1.7.4",
     "apache-airflow-providers-common-io>=1.6.3",
diff --git a/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/__init__.py b/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/__init__.py
index d2dd19e81e26f..a085e738d8394 100644
--- a/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/__init__.py
+++ b/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/__init__.py
@@ -19,4 +19,4 @@
 
 __path__ = __import__("pkgutil").extend_path(__path__, __name__)
 
-__version__ = "0.1.4"
+__version__ = "0.1.5"
diff --git a/scripts/docker/install_from_docker_context_files.sh b/scripts/docker/install_from_docker_context_files.sh
index 5ce45267f8fbd..089b0f2d74bd4 100644
--- a/scripts/docker/install_from_docker_context_files.sh
+++ b/scripts/docker/install_from_docker_context_files.sh
@@ -85,8 +85,11 @@ function install_airflow_and_providers_from_docker_context_files(){
         install_airflow_core_distribution=("apache-airflow-core==${AIRFLOW_VERSION}")
     fi
 
-    # Find Provider/TaskSDK/CTL distributions in docker-context files
-    readarray -t airflow_distributions< <(python /scripts/docker/get_distribution_specs.py /docker-context-files/apache?airflow?{providers,task?sdk,airflowctl}*.{whl,tar.gz} 2>/dev/null || true)
+    # Find Provider/TaskSDK/CTL distributions in docker-context files.
+    # NOTE: the ctl wheel is named ``apache_airflow_ctl-*.whl`` (distribution
+    # ``apache-airflow-ctl``), not ``apache_airflow_airflowctl-*.whl`` — the
+    # glob must say ``ctl``, not ``airflowctl``.
+    readarray -t airflow_distributions< <(python /scripts/docker/get_distribution_specs.py /docker-context-files/apache?airflow?{providers,task?sdk,ctl}*.{whl,tar.gz} 2>/dev/null || true)
     echo
     echo "${COLOR_BLUE}Found provider distributions in docker-context-files folder: ${airflow_distributions[*]}${COLOR_RESET}"
     echo
diff --git a/scripts/in_container/install_airflow_and_providers.py b/scripts/in_container/install_airflow_and_providers.py
index c8223f3eeff10..4f203e8c6c3f0 100755
--- a/scripts/in_container/install_airflow_and_providers.py
+++ b/scripts/in_container/install_airflow_and_providers.py
@@ -1183,9 +1183,11 @@ def _install_airflow_ctl_with_constraints(installation_spec: InstallationSpec, g
         "pip",
         "install",
     ]
-    # if airflow is also being installed we should add airflow to the base_install_providers_cmd
-    # to avoid accidentally upgrading airflow to a version that is different from installed in the
-    # previous step
+    # Install the ctl distribution itself, plus pin airflow alongside (if it's being
+    # installed) so the resolver does not accidentally upgrade airflow to a version
+    # different from the one installed in the previous step.
+    if installation_spec.airflow_ctl_distribution:
+        base_install_airflow_ctl_cmd.append(installation_spec.airflow_ctl_distribution)
     if installation_spec.airflow_distribution:
         base_install_airflow_ctl_cmd.append(installation_spec.airflow_distribution)
     install_airflow_ctl_cmd = base_install_airflow_ctl_cmd.copy()
@@ -1246,6 +1248,13 @@ def _install_only_airflow_airflow_core_task_sdk_with_constraints(
             f"{installation_spec.airflow_task_sdk_distribution} with constraints"
         )
         console.print()
+    if installation_spec.airflow_ctl_distribution:
+        base_install_airflow_cmd.append(installation_spec.airflow_ctl_distribution)
+        console.print(
+            f"\n[bright_blue]Installing airflow ctl distribution alongside core: "
+            f"{installation_spec.airflow_ctl_distribution}"
+        )
+        console.print()
     install_airflow_cmd = base_install_airflow_cmd.copy()
     if installation_spec.airflow_constraints_location:
         console.print(f"[bright_blue]Use constraints: {installation_spec.airflow_constraints_location}")