diff --git a/eng/common/dotnet-install.ps1 b/eng/common/dotnet-install.ps1
index 811f0f717f7..82c37530754 100644
--- a/eng/common/dotnet-install.ps1
+++ b/eng/common/dotnet-install.ps1
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ Param(
   [string] $verbosity = 'minimal',
   [string] $architecture = '',
   [string] $version = 'Latest',
+  [string] $channel = '',
   [string] $runtime = 'dotnet',
   [string] $RuntimeSourceFeed = '',
   [string] $RuntimeSourceFeedKey = ''
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ try {
     if ($architecture -and $architecture.Trim() -eq 'x86') {
         $installdir = Join-Path $installdir 'x86'
     }
-    InstallDotNet $installdir $version $architecture $runtime $true -RuntimeSourceFeed $RuntimeSourceFeed -RuntimeSourceFeedKey $RuntimeSourceFeedKey
+    InstallDotNet $installdir $version $architecture $runtime $true -RuntimeSourceFeed $RuntimeSourceFeed -RuntimeSourceFeedKey $RuntimeSourceFeedKey -Channel $channel
 }
 catch {
   Write-Host $_.ScriptStackTrace
diff --git a/eng/common/dotnet-install.sh b/eng/common/dotnet-install.sh
index 61f302bb677..d6fd3e956f1 100755
--- a/eng/common/dotnet-install.sh
+++ b/eng/common/dotnet-install.sh
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ scriptroot="$( cd -P "$( dirname "$source" )" && pwd )"
 . "$scriptroot/tools.sh"
 
 version='Latest'
+channel=''
 architecture=''
 runtime='dotnet'
 runtimeSourceFeed=''
@@ -25,6 +26,10 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
       shift
       version="$1"
       ;;
+    -channel|-c)
+      shift
+      channel="$1"
+      ;;
     -architecture|-a)
       shift
       architecture="$1"
@@ -85,7 +90,7 @@ if [[ $architecture != "" ]] && [[ $architecture != $buildarch ]]; then
   dotnetRoot="$dotnetRoot/$architecture"
 fi
 
-InstallDotNet "$dotnetRoot" $version "$architecture" $runtime true $runtimeSourceFeed $runtimeSourceFeedKey || {
+InstallDotNet "$dotnetRoot" $version "$architecture" $runtime true $runtimeSourceFeed $runtimeSourceFeedKey "$channel" || {
   local exit_code=$?
   Write-PipelineTelemetryError -Category 'InitializeToolset' -Message "dotnet-install.sh failed (exit code '$exit_code')." >&2
   ExitWithExitCode $exit_code
diff --git a/eng/common/tools.ps1 b/eng/common/tools.ps1
index f6bde268379..8376b5baace 100644
--- a/eng/common/tools.ps1
+++ b/eng/common/tools.ps1
@@ -291,6 +291,7 @@ function InstallDotNet([string] $dotnetRoot,
   [bool] $skipNonVersionedFiles = $false,
   [string] $runtimeSourceFeed = '',
   [string] $runtimeSourceFeedKey = '',
+  [string] $channel = '',
   [switch] $noPath) {
 
   $dotnetVersionLabel = "'sdk v$version'"
@@ -301,21 +302,36 @@ function InstallDotNet([string] $dotnetRoot,
     if ($runtime -eq "dotnet") { $runtimePath = $runtimePath + "\Microsoft.NETCore.App" }
     if ($runtime -eq "aspnetcore") { $runtimePath = $runtimePath + "\Microsoft.AspNetCore.App" }
     if ($runtime -eq "windowsdesktop") { $runtimePath = $runtimePath + "\Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App" }
-    $runtimePath = $runtimePath + "\" + $version
-  
-    $dotnetVersionLabel = "runtime toolset '$runtime/$architecture v$version'"
-
-    if (Test-Path $runtimePath) {
-      Write-Host "  Runtime toolset '$runtime/$architecture v$version' already installed."
-      $installSuccess = $true
-      Exit
+    
+    # When using channel, we can't check for an existing installation by version
+    # since we don't know which version will be installed
+    if (-not $channel) {
+      $runtimePath = $runtimePath + "\" + $version
+      $dotnetVersionLabel = "runtime toolset '$runtime/$architecture v$version'"
+
+      if (Test-Path $runtimePath) {
+        Write-Host "  Runtime toolset '$runtime/$architecture v$version' already installed."
+        $installSuccess = $true
+        return
+      }
+    } else {
+      $dotnetVersionLabel = "runtime toolset '$runtime/$architecture channel $channel'"
     }
   }
 
   $installScript = GetDotNetInstallScript $dotnetRoot
-  $installParameters = @{
-    Version = $version
-    InstallDir = $dotnetRoot
+  
+  # Use -Channel if specified, otherwise use -Version
+  if ($channel) {
+    $installParameters = @{
+      Channel = $channel
+      InstallDir = $dotnetRoot
+    }
+  } else {
+    $installParameters = @{
+      Version = $version
+      InstallDir = $dotnetRoot
+    }
   }
 
   if ($architecture) { $installParameters.Architecture = $architecture }
diff --git a/eng/common/tools.sh b/eng/common/tools.sh
index 6c121300ac7..ed0e8d0b507 100755
--- a/eng/common/tools.sh
+++ b/eng/common/tools.sh
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ function InstallDotNet {
   local root=$1
   local version=$2
   local runtime=$4
+  local channel="${8:-}"
 
   local dotnetVersionLabel="'$runtime v$version'"
   if [[ -n "${4:-}" ]] && [ "$4" != 'sdk' ]; then
@@ -201,21 +202,32 @@ function InstallDotNet {
       *)
         ;;
     esac
-    runtimePath="$runtimePath/$version"
-
-    dotnetVersionLabel="runtime toolset '$runtime/$architecture v$version'"
-
-    if [ -d "$runtimePath" ]; then
-      echo "  Runtime toolset '$runtime/$architecture v$version' already installed."
-      local installSuccess=1
-      return
+    
+    # When using channel, we can't check for an existing installation by version
+    # since we don't know which version will be installed
+    if [[ -z "$channel" ]]; then
+      runtimePath="$runtimePath/$version"
+      dotnetVersionLabel="runtime toolset '$runtime/$architecture v$version'"
+
+      if [ -d "$runtimePath" ]; then
+        echo "  Runtime toolset '$runtime/$architecture v$version' already installed."
+        local installSuccess=1
+        return
+      fi
+    else
+      dotnetVersionLabel="runtime toolset '$runtime/$architecture channel $channel'"
     fi
   fi
 
   GetDotNetInstallScript "$root"
   local install_script=$_GetDotNetInstallScript
 
-  local installParameters=(--version $version --install-dir "$root")
+  # Use --channel if specified, otherwise use --version
+  if [[ -n "$channel" ]]; then
+    local installParameters=(--channel $channel --install-dir "$root")
+  else
+    local installParameters=(--version $version --install-dir "$root")
+  fi
 
   if [[ -n "${3:-}" ]] && [ "$3" != 'unset' ]; then
     installParameters+=(--architecture $3)
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Arcade.Sdk.Tests/InstallDotNetCoreTests.cs b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Arcade.Sdk.Tests/InstallDotNetCoreTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6a83ab04dab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Arcade.Sdk.Tests/InstallDotNetCoreTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+// Licensed to the .NET Foundation under one or more agreements.
+// The .NET Foundation licenses this file to you under the MIT license.
+
+using System;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Reflection;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace Microsoft.DotNet.Arcade.Sdk.Tests
+{
+    public class InstallDotNetCoreTests
+    {
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData("8.0", true)]
+        [InlineData("10.0", true)]
+        [InlineData("3.1", true)]
+        [InlineData("8.0.22", false)]
+        [InlineData("10.0.1", false)]
+        [InlineData("8.0.0-preview.1", false)]
+        [InlineData("", false)]
+        [InlineData(null, false)]
+        [InlineData("8", false)]
+        [InlineData("8.0.1.2", false)]
+        [InlineData("v8.0", false)]
+        [InlineData("8.x", false)]
+        public void IsTwoPartVersion_DetectsCorrectFormat(string versionString, bool expected)
+        {
+            // Use reflection to call the private method
+            var task = new InstallDotNetCore();
+            var method = typeof(InstallDotNetCore).GetMethod("IsTwoPartVersion", BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Instance);
+            
+            var result = (bool)method.Invoke(task, new object[] { versionString });
+            
+            Assert.Equal(expected, result);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Arcade.Sdk/src/InstallDotNetCore.cs b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Arcade.Sdk/src/InstallDotNetCore.cs
index d3ff77edbb5..d2a144df656 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Arcade.Sdk/src/InstallDotNetCore.cs
+++ b/src/Microsoft.DotNet.Arcade.Sdk/src/InstallDotNetCore.cs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
 using System.Text;
 using System.Text.Json;
+using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
 
 namespace Microsoft.DotNet.Arcade.Sdk
 {
@@ -106,8 +107,16 @@ public override bool Execute()
                                     }
 
                                     SemanticVersion version = null;
+                                    string channel = null;
+                                    
+                                    // Check if the version is in major.minor format (e.g., "8.0", "10.0")
+                                    // This format should use the -channel parameter instead of -version
+                                    if (IsTwoPartVersion(item.Key))
+                                    {
+                                        channel = item.Key;
+                                    }
                                     // Try to parse version
-                                    if (!SemanticVersion.TryParse(item.Key, out version))
+                                    else if (!SemanticVersion.TryParse(item.Key, out version))
                                     {
                                         var propertyName = item.Key.Trim(s_keyTrimChars);
 
@@ -123,9 +132,12 @@ public override bool Execute()
                                         }
                                     }
 
-                                    if (version != null)
+                                    if (version != null || channel != null)
                                     {
-                                        string arguments = $"-runtime \"{runtimeItem.Key}\" -version \"{version.ToNormalizedString()}\"";
+                                        string arguments = channel != null 
+                                            ? $"-runtime \"{runtimeItem.Key}\" -channel \"{channel}\"" 
+                                            : $"-runtime \"{runtimeItem.Key}\" -version \"{version.ToNormalizedString()}\"";
+                                        
                                         if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(architecture))
                                         {
                                             arguments += $" -architecture {architecture}";
@@ -204,6 +216,21 @@ private string GetArchitecture(string architecture)
             return null;
         }
 
+        /*
+         * Checks if a version string is in major.minor format (e.g., "8.0", "10.0").
+         * Returns true if the version has exactly two numeric parts separated by a dot.
+         */
+        private bool IsTwoPartVersion(string versionString)
+        {
+            if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(versionString))
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            // Match exactly two numeric parts separated by a dot
+            return Regex.IsMatch(versionString, @"^\d+\.\d+$");
+        }
+
         /*
          * Parses a json token of this format
          * { (runtime): [(version), ..., (version)] }