diff --git a/scripts/check-builder-rust-version.sh b/scripts/check-builder-rust-version.sh
index fcfbd7d189d..3ca7acf9f84 100755
--- a/scripts/check-builder-rust-version.sh
+++ b/scripts/check-builder-rust-version.sh
@@ -16,26 +16,50 @@ function check_rust_toolchain_version() {
 
   DEV_BUILDER_UBUNTU_IMAGE="$DEV_BUILDER_UBUNTU_REGISTRY/$DEV_BUILDER_UBUNTU_NAMESPACE/$DEV_BUILDER_UBUNTU_NAME:$DEV_BUILDER_IMAGE_TAG"
 
-  CURRENT_VERSION=$(grep -Eo '[0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}' "$RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION_FILE")
-  if [ -z "$CURRENT_VERSION" ]; then
-    echo "Error: No rust toolchain version found in $RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION_FILE"
+  # The pinned channel, e.g. "1.96.1" or "nightly-2026-03-21".
+  RUST_TOOLCHAIN=$(grep -E '^channel' "$RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION_FILE" | cut -d'"' -f2)
+  if [ -z "$RUST_TOOLCHAIN" ]; then
+    echo "Error: No rust toolchain channel found in $RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION_FILE"
     exit 1
   fi
 
-  RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION_IN_BUILDER=$(docker run "$DEV_BUILDER_UBUNTU_IMAGE" rustc --version | grep  -Eo '[0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}')
-  if [ -z "$RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION_IN_BUILDER" ]; then
+  RUSTC_VERSION_OUTPUT=$(docker run "$DEV_BUILDER_UBUNTU_IMAGE" rustc --version)
+  RUSTC_VERSION=$(echo "$RUSTC_VERSION_OUTPUT" | awk '{print $2}')
+  if [ -z "$RUSTC_VERSION" ]; then
     echo "Error: No rustc version found in $DEV_BUILDER_UBUNTU_IMAGE"
     exit 1
   fi
 
-  # Compare the version and the difference should be less than 1 day.
-  current_rust_toolchain_seconds=$(date -d "$CURRENT_VERSION" +%s)
-  rust_toolchain_in_dev_builder_ubuntu_seconds=$(date -d "$RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION_IN_BUILDER" +%s)
-  date_diff=$(( (current_rust_toolchain_seconds - rust_toolchain_in_dev_builder_ubuntu_seconds) / 86400 ))
+  if [[ "$RUST_TOOLCHAIN" =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+ ]]; then
+    # Stable channel: the builder image must ship exactly the pinned version.
+    if [ "$RUSTC_VERSION" != "$RUST_TOOLCHAIN" ]; then
+      echo "Error: The rust toolchain '$RUSTC_VERSION' in builder '$DEV_BUILDER_UBUNTU_IMAGE' doesn't match the pinned '$RUST_TOOLCHAIN', please rebuild the dev-builder image"
+      exit 1
+    fi
+  else
+    # Nightly channel: keep the legacy date-based check. The difference
+    # between the pinned nightly date and the rustc build date shipped in
+    # the builder should be less than 1 day.
+    CURRENT_VERSION=$(echo "$RUST_TOOLCHAIN" | grep -Eo '[0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}')
+    if [ -z "$CURRENT_VERSION" ]; then
+      echo "Error: Unsupported toolchain channel '$RUST_TOOLCHAIN' in $RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION_FILE"
+      exit 1
+    fi
 
-  if [ $date_diff -gt 1 ]; then
-    echo "Error: The rust toolchain '$RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION_IN_BUILDER' in builder '$DEV_BUILDER_UBUNTU_IMAGE' maybe outdated, please update it to '$CURRENT_VERSION'"
-    exit 1
+    RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION_IN_BUILDER=$(echo "$RUSTC_VERSION_OUTPUT" | grep -Eo '[0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}')
+    if [ -z "$RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION_IN_BUILDER" ]; then
+      echo "Error: No rustc version found in $DEV_BUILDER_UBUNTU_IMAGE"
+      exit 1
+    fi
+
+    current_rust_toolchain_seconds=$(date -d "$CURRENT_VERSION" +%s)
+    rust_toolchain_in_dev_builder_ubuntu_seconds=$(date -d "$RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION_IN_BUILDER" +%s)
+    date_diff=$(( (current_rust_toolchain_seconds - rust_toolchain_in_dev_builder_ubuntu_seconds) / 86400 ))
+
+    if [ $date_diff -gt 1 ]; then
+      echo "Error: The rust toolchain '$RUST_TOOLCHAIN_VERSION_IN_BUILDER' in builder '$DEV_BUILDER_UBUNTU_IMAGE' maybe outdated, please update it to '$CURRENT_VERSION'"
+      exit 1
+    fi
   fi
 }