diff --git a/src/cli/install-tool/index.ts b/src/cli/install-tool/index.ts
index b50763dfe..c2d7367b9 100644
--- a/src/cli/install-tool/index.ts
+++ b/src/cli/install-tool/index.ts
@@ -50,8 +50,14 @@ import {
 } from '../tools/python/conan';
 import { PipVersionResolver } from '../tools/python/pip';
 import { PipBaseInstallService } from '../tools/python/utils';
-import { CocoapodsInstallService } from '../tools/ruby/gem';
-import { RubyBaseInstallService } from '../tools/ruby/utils';
+import {
+  CocoapodsInstallService,
+  CocoapodsVersionResolver,
+} from '../tools/ruby/cocoapods';
+import {
+  RubyBaseInstallService,
+  RubyGemVersionResolver,
+} from '../tools/ruby/utils';
 import { SkopeoInstallService } from '../tools/skopeo';
 import { SopsInstallService } from '../tools/sops';
 import { logger } from '../utils';
@@ -112,6 +118,7 @@ function prepareResolveContainer(): Container {
   container.bind(ToolVersionResolverService).toSelf();
 
   // tool version resolver
+  container.bind(TOOL_VERSION_RESOLVER).to(CocoapodsVersionResolver);
   container.bind(TOOL_VERSION_RESOLVER).to(ConanVersionResolver);
   container.bind(TOOL_VERSION_RESOLVER).to(ComposerVersionResolver);
   container.bind(TOOL_VERSION_RESOLVER).to(GradleVersionResolver);
@@ -216,27 +223,14 @@ export async function resolveVersion(
 
   if (type) {
     switch (type) {
-      // case 'gem': {
-      //   @injectable()
-      //   class InstallGenericGemService extends InstallRubyBaseService {
-      //     override readonly name: string = tool;
-
-      //     override needsPrepare(): boolean {
-      //       return false;
-      //     }
-
-      //     override async test(version: string): Promise<void> {
-      //       try {
-      //         // some npm packages may not have a `--version` flag
-      //         await super.test(version);
-      //       } catch (err) {
-      //         logger.debug(err);
-      //       }
-      //     }
-      //   }
-      //   container.bind(INSTALL_TOOL_TOKEN).to(InstallGenericGemService);
-      //   break;
-      // }
+      case 'gem': {
+        @injectable()
+        class GenericRubyGemVersionResolver extends RubyGemVersionResolver {
+          override readonly tool: string = tool;
+        }
+        container.bind(TOOL_VERSION_RESOLVER).to(GenericRubyGemVersionResolver);
+        break;
+      }
       case 'npm': {
         @injectable()
         class GenericNpmVersionResolver extends NpmVersionResolver {
diff --git a/src/cli/tools/ruby/gem.ts b/src/cli/tools/ruby/cocoapods.ts
similarity index 86%
rename from src/cli/tools/ruby/gem.ts
rename to src/cli/tools/ruby/cocoapods.ts
index 385cc0491..998dc2fe9 100644
--- a/src/cli/tools/ruby/gem.ts
+++ b/src/cli/tools/ruby/cocoapods.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { join } from 'node:path';
 import { execa } from 'execa';
 import { injectable } from 'inversify';
 import { semverSatisfies } from '../../utils';
-import { RubyBaseInstallService } from './utils';
+import { RubyBaseInstallService, RubyGemVersionResolver } from './utils';
 
 @injectable()
 export class CocoapodsInstallService extends RubyBaseInstallService {
@@ -54,3 +54,8 @@ export class CocoapodsInstallService extends RubyBaseInstallService {
     );
   }
 }
+
+@injectable()
+export class CocoapodsVersionResolver extends RubyGemVersionResolver {
+  override readonly tool: string = 'cocoapods';
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/tools/ruby/schema.ts b/src/cli/tools/ruby/schema.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7ee4e7e52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/tools/ruby/schema.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import { z } from 'zod';
+
+export const RubyGemJson = z.object({
+  version: z.string(),
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/tools/ruby/utils.ts b/src/cli/tools/ruby/utils.ts
index 58d877fdf..e5a2dae4c 100644
--- a/src/cli/tools/ruby/utils.ts
+++ b/src/cli/tools/ruby/utils.ts
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ import { isNonEmptyStringAndNotWhitespace } from '@sindresorhus/is';
 import { execa } from 'execa';
 import { inject, injectable } from 'inversify';
 import { BaseInstallService } from '../../install-tool/base-install.service';
+import { ToolVersionResolver } from '../../install-tool/tool-version-resolver';
 import { EnvService, PathService, VersionService } from '../../services';
 import { logger } from '../../utils';
+import { RubyGemJson } from './schema';
 
 const defaultRegistry = 'https://rubygems.org/';
 
@@ -150,3 +152,18 @@ export abstract class RubyBaseInstallService extends BaseInstallService {
     );
   }
 }
+
+@injectable()
+export abstract class RubyGemVersionResolver extends ToolVersionResolver {
+  async resolve(version: string | undefined): Promise<string | undefined> {
+    if (version === undefined || version === 'latest') {
+      const meta = RubyGemJson.parse(
+        await this.http.getJson(
+          `https://rubygems.org/api/v1/gems/${this.tool}.json`,
+        ),
+      );
+      return meta.version;
+    }
+    return version;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/ruby/Dockerfile b/test/ruby/Dockerfile
index 60b3e5a66..747f791fa 100644
--- a/test/ruby/Dockerfile
+++ b/test/ruby/Dockerfile
@@ -128,16 +128,17 @@ RUN set -ex; \
   true
 
 #--------------------------------------
-# test: install-gem
+# test: install-gem, no version
 #--------------------------------------
 FROM build AS test-gem
 
 USER 1000
 
-# renovate: datasource=rubygems
-RUN install-gem rake 13.2.1
+RUN install-tool cocoapods
+
+RUN install-gem rake
 
-RUN rake --help
+RUN rake --version
 
 
 #--------------------------------------