diff --git a/internal/commands/agenthooks/guardrails/kics/kics.go b/internal/commands/agenthooks/guardrails/kics/kics.go
index 10048f77..c73740c1 100644
--- a/internal/commands/agenthooks/guardrails/kics/kics.go
+++ b/internal/commands/agenthooks/guardrails/kics/kics.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	agenthooks "github.com/Checkmarx/ast-cx-hooks"
+	"github.com/checkmarx/ast-cli/internal/logger"
 	"github.com/checkmarx/ast-cli/internal/params"
 	"github.com/checkmarx/ast-cli/internal/services/realtimeengine/ignore"
 )
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ func isSupportedByKICS(filePath string) bool {
 func ScanFileEdit(ev agenthooks.FileEditEvent, svc *Scanner) (blocked bool, reason, context string) {
 	defer func() {
 		if r := recover(); r != nil {
+			logger.PrintfIfVerbose("kics guardrail: recovered from panic, failing open: %v", r)
 			blocked = false
 			reason = ""
 			context = ""
@@ -70,6 +72,7 @@ func ScanFileEdit(ev agenthooks.FileEditEvent, svc *Scanner) (blocked bool, reas
 	newResults, err := svc.scan(stagedNew)
 	if err != nil {
 		// Fail open: Docker unavailable, image pull failure, feature flag disabled, etc.
+		logger.PrintfIfVerbose("kics guardrail: scan of proposed content failed, failing open: %v", err)
 		return false, "", ""
 	}
 	if len(newResults) == 0 {
@@ -92,6 +95,7 @@ func ScanFileEdit(ev agenthooks.FileEditEvent, svc *Scanner) (blocked bool, reas
 	origResults, err := svc.scan(stagedOrig)
 	if err != nil {
 		// Fail open on original scan error
+		logger.PrintfIfVerbose("kics guardrail: scan of original content failed, failing open: %v", err)
 		return false, "", ""
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/commands/agenthooks/guardrails/kics/scanner.go b/internal/commands/agenthooks/guardrails/kics/scanner.go
index e1e99a12..c539775c 100644
--- a/internal/commands/agenthooks/guardrails/kics/scanner.go
+++ b/internal/commands/agenthooks/guardrails/kics/scanner.go
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 package kics
 
 import (
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+
+	"github.com/checkmarx/ast-cli/internal/params"
 	"github.com/checkmarx/ast-cli/internal/services/realtimeengine/iacrealtime"
 	"github.com/checkmarx/ast-cli/internal/wrappers"
 )
@@ -27,7 +31,33 @@ func NewScannerWithFunc(f func(path string) ([]iacrealtime.IacRealtimeResult, er
 	return &Scanner{scan: f}
 }
 
+// defaultContainerEngine mirrors the "docker" default of the --engine flag on
+// the manual `cx scan iac-realtime` command (internal/commands/scan.go), used
+// when neither an override nor auto-detection finds a usable engine.
+const defaultContainerEngine = "docker"
+
+// resolveContainerEngine picks the container engine name to pass to
+// RunIacRealtimeScan. The guardrail is invoked as `cx hooks <route>` with only
+// stdin JSON (no --engine flag like the manual `cx scan iac-realtime`
+// command), so it resolves the engine itself:
+//  1. HooksContainerEngineEnv, if set — lets a Podman/Colima-only user (or the
+//     agent plugin's own hook environment) override the choice explicitly.
+//  2. Auto-detect via PATH lookup: try "docker" then "podman", first one found wins.
+//  3. defaultContainerEngine, if neither resolves — preserves prior behavior
+//     and existing error messaging when no engine is installed at all.
+func resolveContainerEngine() string {
+	if engine := os.Getenv(params.HooksContainerEngineEnv); engine != "" {
+		return engine
+	}
+	for _, engine := range []string{"docker", "podman"} {
+		if _, err := exec.LookPath(engine); err == nil {
+			return engine
+		}
+	}
+	return defaultContainerEngine
+}
+
 func (s *Scanner) runRealScan(path string) ([]iacrealtime.IacRealtimeResult, error) {
 	svc := iacrealtime.NewIacRealtimeService(s.jwt, s.ff, iacrealtime.NewContainerManager())
-	return svc.RunIacRealtimeScan(path, "", existingIgnoreFilePath())
+	return svc.RunIacRealtimeScan(path, resolveContainerEngine(), existingIgnoreFilePath())
 }
diff --git a/internal/commands/agenthooks/guardrails/kics/scanner_test.go b/internal/commands/agenthooks/guardrails/kics/scanner_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..efadcb9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/commands/agenthooks/guardrails/kics/scanner_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+//go:build !integration
+
+package kics
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/checkmarx/ast-cli/internal/params"
+)
+
+// ── resolveContainerEngine ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+func TestResolveContainerEngine_EnvOverrideWins(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv(params.HooksContainerEngineEnv, "podman")
+	if got := resolveContainerEngine(); got != "podman" {
+		t.Errorf("expected env override %q, got %q", "podman", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestResolveContainerEngine_EnvOverrideArbitraryValue(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv(params.HooksContainerEngineEnv, "nerdctl")
+	if got := resolveContainerEngine(); got != "nerdctl" {
+		t.Errorf("expected env override %q, got %q", "nerdctl", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestResolveContainerEngine_FallsBackToDefaultWhenNothingResolves(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv(params.HooksContainerEngineEnv, "")
+	// Point PATH somewhere with no docker/podman binaries so auto-detection
+	// finds nothing and falls back to the default.
+	emptyDir := t.TempDir()
+	t.Setenv("PATH", emptyDir)
+
+	if got := resolveContainerEngine(); got != defaultContainerEngine {
+		t.Errorf("expected fallback default %q, got %q", defaultContainerEngine, got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestResolveContainerEngine_AutoDetectsFromPath(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv(params.HooksContainerEngineEnv, "")
+
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	podmanPath := dir + string(os.PathSeparator) + "podman"
+	if err := os.WriteFile(podmanPath, []byte("#!/bin/sh\n"), 0o700); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create fake podman binary: %v", err)
+	}
+	t.Setenv("PATH", dir)
+
+	if got := resolveContainerEngine(); got != "podman" {
+		t.Errorf("expected auto-detected %q, got %q", "podman", got)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/params/envs.go b/internal/params/envs.go
index 44134a69..42982dd7 100644
--- a/internal/params/envs.go
+++ b/internal/params/envs.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ const (
 	CodeBashingPathEnv                  = "CX_CODEBASHING_PATH"
 	GroupsPathEnv                       = "CX_GROUPS_PATH"
 	AgentNameEnv                        = "CX_AGENT_NAME"
+	HooksContainerEngineEnv             = "CX_HOOKS_CONTAINER_ENGINE"
 	OriginEnv                           = "CX_ORIGIN"
 	ProjectsPathEnv                     = "CX_PROJECTS_PATH"
 	ApplicationsPathEnv                 = "CX_APPLICATIONS_PATH"