diff --git a/.gitlab/ci/host-test.yml b/.gitlab/ci/host-test.yml
index 10141c01ba..33d6174eb8 100644
--- a/.gitlab/ci/host-test.yml
+++ b/.gitlab/ci/host-test.yml
@@ -125,7 +125,9 @@ test_idf_tools:
     entrypoint: [""]  # use system python3. no extra pip package installed
   script:
     # Tools must be downloaded for testing
-    - python3 ${IDF_PATH}/tools/idf_tools.py download required qemu-riscv32 qemu-xtensa
+    # We could use "idf_tools.py download all", but we don't want to install clang because of its huge size
+    #                                                                      cmake@version that is supported
+    - python3 ${IDF_PATH}/tools/idf_tools.py download required qemu-riscv32 qemu-xtensa cmake cmake@3.16.3
     - cd ${IDF_PATH}/tools/test_idf_tools
     - python3 -m pip install jsonschema
     - python3 ./test_idf_tools.py -v
diff --git a/tools/idf_tools.py b/tools/idf_tools.py
index a83e026391..fba60c82b3 100755
--- a/tools/idf_tools.py
+++ b/tools/idf_tools.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 # coding=utf-8
 #
-# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019-2024 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019-2025 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 #
@@ -793,13 +793,36 @@ class IDFTool(object):
             return recommended_versions[0]
         return None
 
-    def get_preferred_installed_version(self):  # type: () -> Optional[str]
-        recommended_versions = [k for k in self.versions_installed
-                                if self.versions[k].status == IDFToolVersion.STATUS_RECOMMENDED
-                                and self.versions[k].compatible_with_platform(self._platform)]
-        assert len(recommended_versions) <= 1
-        if recommended_versions:
-            return recommended_versions[0]
+    def get_preferred_installed_version(self) -> Optional[str]:
+        """
+        Get the preferred installed version of the tool.
+        If more versions installed, return recommended version if exists, otherwise return the highest supported version
+        """
+
+        self.find_installed_versions()
+
+        if self.get_recommended_version() in self.versions_installed:
+            return self.get_recommended_version()
+
+        supported_installed_versions = [
+            k
+            for k in self.versions_installed
+            if self.versions[k].status == IDFToolVersion.STATUS_SUPPORTED
+            and self.versions[k].compatible_with_platform(self._platform)
+        ]
+        sorted_supported_installed_versions = sorted(
+            supported_installed_versions, key=lambda x: self.versions[x], reverse=True
+        )
+        if sorted_supported_installed_versions:
+            warn(
+                ''.join(
+                    [
+                        f'Using supported version {sorted_supported_installed_versions[0]} for tool {self.name} ',
+                        f'as recommended version {self.get_recommended_version()} is not installed.',
+                    ]
+                )
+            )
+            return sorted_supported_installed_versions[0]
         return None
 
     def find_installed_versions(self):  # type: () -> None
@@ -845,8 +868,7 @@ class IDFTool(object):
                 if ver_str != version:
                     warn('tool {} version {} is installed, but has reported version {}'.format(
                         self.name, version, ver_str))
-                else:
-                    self.versions_installed.append(version)
+                self.versions_installed.append(version)
 
     def latest_installed_version(self):  # type: () -> Optional[str]
         """
@@ -1502,6 +1524,9 @@ def expand_tools_arg(tools_spec, overall_tools, targets):  # type: (list[str], O
 
     # Filtering by ESP_targets
     tools = [k for k in tools if overall_tools[k].is_supported_for_any_of_targets(targets)]
+
+    # Processing specific version of tool - defined with '@'
+    tools.extend([tool_pattern for tool_pattern in tools_spec if '@' in tool_pattern])
     return tools
 
 
@@ -1795,7 +1820,6 @@ def process_tool(
     tool_export_paths: List[str] = []
     tool_export_vars: Dict[str, str] = {}
 
-    tool.find_installed_versions()
     recommended_version_to_use = tool.get_preferred_installed_version()
 
     if not tool.is_executable and recommended_version_to_use:
@@ -2531,8 +2555,10 @@ def action_uninstall(args):  # type: (Any) -> None
     for tool in installed_tools:
         tool_versions = os.listdir(os.path.join(tools_path, tool)) if os.path.isdir(os.path.join(tools_path, tool)) else []
         try:
-            unused_versions = ([x for x in tool_versions if x != tools_info[tool].get_recommended_version()])
-        except KeyError:  # When tool that is not supported by tools_info (tools.json) anymore, remove the whole tool file
+            unused_versions = [x for x in tool_versions if x != tools_info[tool].get_preferred_installed_version()]
+        except (
+            KeyError
+        ):  # When tool that is not supported by tools_info (tools.json) anymore, remove the whole tool file
             unused_versions = ['']
         if unused_versions:
             unused_tools_versions[tool] = unused_versions
@@ -2577,7 +2603,7 @@ def action_uninstall(args):  # type: (Any) -> None
                 tool_name, tool_version = tool_spec.split('@', 1)
             tool_obj = tools_info_for_platform[tool_name]
             if tool_version is None:
-                tool_version = tool_obj.get_recommended_version()
+                tool_version = tool_obj.get_preferred_installed_version()
             # mypy-checks
             if tool_version is not None:
                 archive_version = tool_obj.versions[tool_version].get_download_for_platform(CURRENT_PLATFORM)
diff --git a/tools/test_idf_tools/test_idf_tools.py b/tools/test_idf_tools/test_idf_tools.py
index a719059d8f..6c113f52cd 100755
--- a/tools/test_idf_tools/test_idf_tools.py
+++ b/tools/test_idf_tools/test_idf_tools.py
@@ -502,10 +502,29 @@ class TestUsage(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_export_supported_version_cmake(self):
         tool_to_test = 'cmake'
-        self.run_idf_tools_with_action(['install'])
-        output = self.run_idf_tools_with_action(['export'])
+        supported_version = ''
+        recommended_version = ''
+        for tool in self.tools_dict['tools']:
+            if tool['name'] != tool_to_test:
+                continue
+            for version in tool['versions']:
+                if version['status'] == 'supported':
+                    supported_version = version['name']
+                elif version['status'] == 'recommended':
+                    recommended_version = version['name']
 
-        self.assertNotIn(tool_to_test, output)
+        self.run_idf_tools_with_action(['install'])
+        output = self.run_idf_tools_with_action(['install', f'{tool_to_test}@{supported_version}'])
+        self.assert_tool_installed(output, tool_to_test, supported_version)
+
+        # Remove the recommended version folder installed by install command (in case of Windows)
+        recommended_version_folder = os.path.join(self.temp_tools_dir, 'tools', tool_to_test, recommended_version)
+        if os.path.exists(recommended_version_folder):
+            shutil.rmtree(recommended_version_folder)
+
+        output = self.run_idf_tools_with_action(['export'])
+        self.assertIn(os.path.join(tool_to_test, supported_version), output)
+        self.assertNotIn(os.path.join(tool_to_test, recommended_version), output)
 
 
 class TestMaintainer(unittest.TestCase):