diff --git a/cyberpanel_upgrade.sh b/cyberpanel_upgrade.sh
index 19d667cba..e09daba9c 100644
--- a/cyberpanel_upgrade.sh
+++ b/cyberpanel_upgrade.sh
@@ -325,6 +325,8 @@ done
 Git_User_Override=""
 # Skip full system package update (yum/dnf update -y) to speed up upgrade; use when system is already updated
 Skip_System_Update=""
+# MariaDB version for repo setup: 11.8 (LTS, default) or 12.1
+MARIADB_VER="11.8"
 
 Check_Argument() {
 # Parse --branch / -b (extract first word after -b or --branch)
@@ -347,6 +349,14 @@ if [[ "$*" = *"--no-system-update"* ]]; then
   Skip_System_Update="yes"
   echo -e "\nUsing --no-system-update: skipping full system package update.\n"
 fi
+# Parse --mariadb-version 11.8|12.1 (default 11.8)
+if [[ "$*" = *"--mariadb-version "* ]]; then
+  MARIADB_VER=$(echo "$*" | sed -n 's/.*--mariadb-version \([^ ]*\).*/\1/p' | head -1)
+  MARIADB_VER="${MARIADB_VER:-11.8}"
+fi
+if [[ "$MARIADB_VER" != "11.8" ]] && [[ "$MARIADB_VER" != "12.1" ]]; then
+  MARIADB_VER="11.8"
+fi
 }
 
 Pre_Upgrade_Setup_Git_URL() {
@@ -461,11 +471,11 @@ if [[ "$Server_OS" = "CentOS" ]] || [[ "$Server_OS" = "AlmaLinux9" ]] ; then
     fi
     
     cat << EOF > /etc/yum.repos.d/MariaDB.repo
-# MariaDB 11.8 LTS repository list - updated 2026-02
+# MariaDB $MARIADB_VER repository list - updated 2026-02
 # https://downloads.mariadb.org/mariadb/repositories/
 [mariadb]
 name = MariaDB
-baseurl = https://mirror.mariadb.org/yum/11.8/$MARIADB_REPO
+baseurl = https://mirror.mariadb.org/yum/$MARIADB_VER/$MARIADB_REPO
 gpgkey=https://yum.mariadb.org/RPM-GPG-KEY-MariaDB
 gpgcheck=1
 EOF
@@ -1661,6 +1671,26 @@ if [[ "$*" != *"--branch "* ]] && [[ "$*" != *"-b "* ]] ; then
   Pre_Upgrade_Branch_Input
 fi
 
+# Prompt for MariaDB version if not set via --mariadb-version (default 11.8)
+if [[ "$*" != *"--mariadb-version "* ]]; then
+  echo -e "\nMariaDB version: use \e[31m11.8\e[39m LTS (default) or \e[31m12.1\e[39m."
+  echo -e "Press Enter for 11.8 LTS, or type \e[31m12.1\e[39m and Enter for 12.1 (5 sec timeout): "
+  read -r -t 5 Tmp_MariaDB_Ver || true
+  if [[ "$Tmp_MariaDB_Ver" = "12.1" ]]; then
+    MARIADB_VER="12.1"
+    echo -e "MariaDB 12.1 selected.\n"
+  else
+    MARIADB_VER="11.8"
+    echo -e "MariaDB 11.8 LTS (default).\n"
+  fi
+fi
+
+# Write chosen MariaDB version for upgrade.py (e.g. fix_almalinux9_mariadb)
+mkdir -p /etc/cyberpanel
+echo "$MARIADB_VER" > /etc/cyberpanel/mariadb_version
+chmod 644 /etc/cyberpanel/mariadb_version
+echo -e "[$(date +"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")] MariaDB version set to: $MARIADB_VER" | tee -a /var/log/cyberpanel_upgrade_debug.log
+
 Pre_Upgrade_Setup_Repository
 
 Pre_Upgrade_Setup_Git_URL
diff --git a/install/install.py b/install/install.py
index 09d6046bd..071cff5cf 100644
--- a/install/install.py
+++ b/install/install.py
@@ -1902,8 +1902,9 @@ module cyberpanel_ols {
                         except (ValueError, TypeError):
                             pass
                 
-                # Set up MariaDB 11.8 LTS repository only if not already installed
-                command = 'curl -LsS https://downloads.mariadb.com/MariaDB/mariadb_repo_setup | bash -s -- --mariadb-server-version=11.8'
+                # Set up MariaDB repository only if not already installed (version from --mariadb-version, default 11.8)
+                mariadb_ver = getattr(preFlightsChecks, 'mariadb_version', '11.8')
+                command = f'curl -LsS https://downloads.mariadb.com/MariaDB/mariadb_repo_setup | bash -s -- --mariadb-server-version={mariadb_ver}'
                 self.call(command, self.distro, command, command, 1, 1, os.EX_OSERR, True)
                 
                 command = 'dnf install mariadb-server mariadb-devel mariadb-client-utils -y'
@@ -6470,8 +6471,14 @@ def main():
     parser.add_argument('--mysqluser', help='MySQL user if remote is chosen.')
     parser.add_argument('--mysqlpassword', help='MySQL password if remote is chosen.')
     parser.add_argument('--mysqlport', help='MySQL port if remote is chosen.')
+    parser.add_argument('--mariadb-version', default='11.8', help='MariaDB version: 11.8 (LTS, default) or 12.1')
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
+    # Normalize and validate MariaDB version choice (default 11.8)
+    mariadb_ver = (getattr(args, 'mariadb_version', None) or '11.8').strip()
+    if mariadb_ver not in ('11.8', '12.1'):
+        mariadb_ver = '11.8'
+    preFlightsChecks.mariadb_version = mariadb_ver
 
     logging.InstallLog.ServerIP = args.publicip
     logging.InstallLog.writeToFile("Starting CyberPanel installation..,10")
diff --git a/install/venvsetup.sh b/install/venvsetup.sh
index a2422a71e..ad892ad2e 100644
--- a/install/venvsetup.sh
+++ b/install/venvsetup.sh
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ KEY_SIZE=""
 ADMIN_PASS="1234567"
 MEMCACHED="ON"
 REDIS="ON"
+MARIADB_VER="11.8"
 TOTAL_RAM=$(free -m | awk '/Mem\:/ { print $2 }')
 
 # Robust pip install function to handle broken pipe errors
@@ -873,6 +874,17 @@ if [[ $TMP_YN =~ ^(no|n|N) ]] ; then
 else
 	REDIS="ON"
 fi
+
+echo -e "\nWhich MariaDB version do you want to install? \e[31m11.8\e[39m (LTS, default) or \e[31m12.1\e[39m?"
+printf "%s" "Choose [1] for 11.8 LTS (recommended), [2] for 12.1, or press Enter for default [1]: "
+read TMP_YN
+if [[ $TMP_YN =~ ^(2|12\.1) ]] ; then
+	MARIADB_VER="12.1"
+	echo -e "\nMariaDB 12.1 will be installed.\n"
+else
+	MARIADB_VER="11.8"
+	echo -e "\nMariaDB 11.8 LTS will be installed (default).\n"
+fi
 }
 
 main_install() {
@@ -909,9 +921,9 @@ fi
 
 if [[ $debug == "1" ]] ; then
 	if [[ $DEV == "ON" ]] ; then
-	/usr/local/CyberPanel/bin/python install.py $SERVER_IP $SERIAL_NO $LICENSE_KEY
+	/usr/local/CyberPanel/bin/python install.py $SERVER_IP $SERIAL_NO $LICENSE_KEY --mariadb-version "${MARIADB_VER:-11.8}"
 	else
-	/usr/local/CyberPanel/bin/python2 install.py $SERVER_IP $SERIAL_NO $LICENSE_KEY
+	/usr/local/CyberPanel/bin/python2 install.py $SERVER_IP $SERIAL_NO $LICENSE_KEY --mariadb-version "${MARIADB_VER:-11.8}"
 	fi
 	
 	if grep "CyberPanel installation successfully completed" /var/log/installLogs.txt > /dev/null; then 
diff --git a/plogical/upgrade.py b/plogical/upgrade.py
index ee4defcea..731877b1a 100644
--- a/plogical/upgrade.py
+++ b/plogical/upgrade.py
@@ -4376,9 +4376,19 @@ echo $oConfig->Save() ? 'Done' : 'Error';
             command = "dnf clean all"
             subprocess.run(command, shell=True, capture_output=True)
             
-            # Install MariaDB 11.8 LTS from official repository
-            Upgrade.stdOut("Setting up official MariaDB 11.8 LTS repository...", 1)
-            command = "curl -sS https://downloads.mariadb.com/MariaDB/mariadb_repo_setup | bash -s -- --mariadb-server-version='11.8'"
+            # Install MariaDB from official repository (version from /etc/cyberpanel/mariadb_version or default 11.8)
+            mariadb_ver = "11.8"
+            try:
+                mariadb_version_file = "/etc/cyberpanel/mariadb_version"
+                if os.path.isfile(mariadb_version_file):
+                    with open(mariadb_version_file, "r") as f:
+                        raw = f.read().strip()
+                        if raw in ("11.8", "12.1"):
+                            mariadb_ver = raw
+            except Exception:
+                pass
+            Upgrade.stdOut("Setting up official MariaDB %s repository..." % mariadb_ver, 1)
+            command = "curl -sS https://downloads.mariadb.com/MariaDB/mariadb_repo_setup | bash -s -- --mariadb-server-version='%s'" % mariadb_ver
             result = subprocess.run(command, shell=True, capture_output=True, text=True)
             if result.returncode != 0:
                 Upgrade.stdOut(f"Warning: MariaDB repo setup failed: {result.stderr}", 0)