diff --git a/eng/pipelines/common/templates/jobs/ci-code-coverage-job.yml b/eng/pipelines/common/templates/jobs/ci-code-coverage-job.yml
index 833f2da39c..c5e6118731 100644
--- a/eng/pipelines/common/templates/jobs/ci-code-coverage-job.yml
+++ b/eng/pipelines/common/templates/jobs/ci-code-coverage-job.yml
@@ -44,10 +44,10 @@ jobs:
   - task: NuGetAuthenticate@1
     displayName: 'NuGet Authenticate'
 
-  - task: UseDotNet@2
-    displayName: 'Use .NET SDK 8.0.x'
-    inputs:
-      version: 8.0.x
+  - template: ../steps/ensure-dotnet-version.yml@self
+    parameters:
+        packageType: 'sdk'
+        version: '8.0.x'
 
   - ${{ parameters.downloadArtifactsSteps }}
 
diff --git a/eng/pipelines/common/templates/jobs/ci-run-tests-job.yml b/eng/pipelines/common/templates/jobs/ci-run-tests-job.yml
index dcd3166c88..9ce139f113 100644
--- a/eng/pipelines/common/templates/jobs/ci-run-tests-job.yml
+++ b/eng/pipelines/common/templates/jobs/ci-run-tests-job.yml
@@ -231,26 +231,20 @@ jobs:
         referenceType: ${{ parameters.buildType }}
         testSet: ${{ parameters.testSet }}
         operatingSystem: ${{ parameters.operatingSystem }}
-  
-  - ${{ if and(eq(parameters.enableX86Test, true), eq(parameters.operatingSystem, 'Windows')) }}: # run x86 tests
-    - powershell: |
-        dotnet --info
-        
-        Invoke-WebRequest https://dot.net/v1/dotnet-install.ps1 -OutFile dotnet-install.ps1
-        
-        # install .net x86
-        $version = "LTS"
-        if (!"${{parameters.targetFramework }}".StartsWith("net4"))
-        {
-            $version = "${{parameters.targetFramework }}".Substring(3, "${{parameters.targetFramework }}".Length-3)
-        }
-        
-        .\dotnet-install.ps1 -Channel $version -Architecture x86 -InstallDir "$(dotnetx86RootPath)"
-        
-        $(dotnetx86RootPath)dotnet.exe --info
-      displayName: 'Install .NET x86 '
-      condition: ne(variables['dotnetx86RootPath'], '')
-  
+
+  - ${{ if and(eq(parameters.enableX86Test, true), eq(parameters.operatingSystem, 'Windows')) }}:
+    # Set up for x86 tests by manually installing dotnet for x86 to an alternative location. This
+    # is only used to execute the test runtime (framework to test is specified in build params), so
+    # it should be acceptable to just install a specific version in all cases.
+    - ${{ if ne(variables['dotnetx86RootPath'], '') }}:
+      - template: ../steps/ensure-dotnet-version.yml
+        parameters:
+          installDir: $(dotnetx86RootPath)
+          packageType: sdk
+          usePreview: false
+          version: 9.x
+          windowsArchitecture: x86
+
     - template: ../steps/run-all-tests-step.yml@self
       parameters:
         debug: ${{ parameters.debug }}
diff --git a/eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/ci-prebuild-step.yml b/eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/ci-prebuild-step.yml
index b8771702dd..2bbaa5d15a 100644
--- a/eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/ci-prebuild-step.yml
+++ b/eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/ci-prebuild-step.yml
@@ -20,17 +20,17 @@ parameters:
       - Package
 
 steps:
-- task: UseDotNet@2
-  displayName: 'Use .NET 9.x sdk'
-  inputs:
+- template: ensure-dotnet-version.yml
+  parameters:
     packageType: sdk
-    version: '9.x'
+    usePreview: false
+    version: 9.x
 
-- task: UseDotNet@2
-  displayName: 'Install .NET 8.x runtime'
-  inputs:
+- template: ensure-dotnet-version.yml
+  parameters:
     packageType: runtime
-    version: '8.x'
+    usePreview: false
+    version: 8.x
 
 - ${{if eq(parameters.debug, true)}}:
   - powershell: |
diff --git a/eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/ci-project-build-step.yml b/eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/ci-project-build-step.yml
index 9f0d7ad863..7bbea49032 100644
--- a/eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/ci-project-build-step.yml
+++ b/eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/ci-project-build-step.yml
@@ -34,17 +34,15 @@ parameters:
       - all
 
 steps:
-- task: UseDotNet@2
-  displayName: 'Use .NET 9.x sdk'
-  inputs:
-    packageType: sdk
-    version: '9.x'
+- template: ./ensure-dotnet-version.yml@self
+  parameters:
+      packageType: 'sdk'
+      version: '9.x'
 
-- task: UseDotNet@2
-  displayName: 'Install .NET 8.x runtime'
-  inputs:
-    packageType: runtime
-    version: '8.x'
+- template: ./ensure-dotnet-version.yml@self
+  parameters:
+      packageType: 'runtime'
+      version: '8.x'
 
 - ${{ if or(eq(parameters.operatingSystem, 'Windows'), eq(parameters.operatingSystem, 'deferedToRuntime')) }}:
   - ${{ if or(eq(parameters.build, 'MDS'), eq(parameters.build, 'all')) }}:
diff --git a/eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/ensure-dotnet-version.yml b/eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/ensure-dotnet-version.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e4185b74c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/ensure-dotnet-version.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+#################################################################################
+# Licensed to the .NET Foundation under one or more agreements.                 #
+# The .NET Foundation licenses this file to you under the MIT license.          #
+# See the LICENSE file in the project root for more information.                #
+#################################################################################
+
+# Installs dotnet sdk/runtime using UseDotNet on non-windows agents, but uses a custom ps script
+# for installation on Windows.
+# 
+# Reason for not using UseDotNet task:
+#   [BUG]: UseDotNet task installs x86 build on Windows arm64
+#   https://github.com/microsoft/azure-pipelines-tasks/issues/20300
+
+parameters:
+    - # Directory where dotnet binaries should be installed. If not specified, defaults to the
+      # agent's tools directory.
+      name: installDir
+      type: string
+      default: ''
+
+    - # Whether to install the full SDK or the "dotnet" runtime
+      name: packageType
+      type: string
+      values:
+          - runtime
+          - sdk
+    
+    - # Whether to enable preview versions of dotnet
+      name: usePreview
+      type: boolean
+      default: false
+      
+    - # Version to install - supports full major.minor.patch, but can be shortened to major.minor
+      # to get the latest within a given channel.
+      name: version
+      type: string
+      
+    - # Specifies the architecture to install, only applies on Windows agents. If not provided,
+      # defaults to the same architecture as the agent.
+      name: windowsArchitecture
+      type: string
+      default: '<auto>'
+      values:
+          - '<auto>'
+          - 'x86'
+          - 'x64'
+          - 'arm64'
+
+steps:
+    # Note: as much as I'd love to use template expressions here, I can't because ${{ }} is
+    #     evaluated at compile time, while Agent is not known until runtime.
+    - powershell: |-
+          # Propagate parameters from pipeline #######################
+          $agentToolsDir = '$(Agent.ToolsDirectory)'
+          echo "agentToolsDir= $agentToolsDir"
+          
+          $architecture = '${{ parameters.windowsArchitecture }}'
+          echo "architecture= $architecture"
+          
+          $installDir = '${{ parameters.installDir }}'
+          echo "installDir= $installDir"
+          
+          $packageType = '${{ parameters.packageType }}'
+          echo "packageType= $packageType"
+          
+          $usePreview = '${{ parameters.usePreview }}'
+          echo "usePreview= $usePreview"
+          
+          $version = '${{ parameters.version }}'
+          echo "version= $version"
+          
+          # Install dotnet ###########################################
+          Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://dot.net/v1/dotnet-install.ps1" -OutFile "dotnet-install.ps1"
+          
+          $installDir = If ($installDir) { $installDir } Else { $agentToolsDir } 
+          $installParams = @{
+              Architecture = $architecture
+              Channel =      $version
+              InstallDir =   $installDir
+              Quality =      If ($usePreview) { "GA" } Else { "preview" }
+          }
+          
+          if ($packageType -eq 'runtime') {
+              $installParams.add('Runtime', 'dotnet')
+          }
+          
+          & ./dotnet-install.ps1 @installParams
+          Remove-Item dotnet-install.ps1 -ErrorAction:Ignore
+          
+          # Propagate values back out to pipeline ####################
+          Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=DOTNET_ROOT]${$installDir}"
+          Write-Host "##vso[task.prependpath]${$installDir}"
+      displayName: 'Install dotnet ${{ parameters.version }} ${{ parameters.packageType }} for Windows ${{ parameters.windowsArchitecture }}'
+      condition: eq(variables['Agent.OS'], 'Windows_NT')
+
+    - task: UseDotNet@2
+      displayName: 'Install dotnet ${{ parameters.version }} ${{ parameters.packageType }}'
+      inputs:
+          ${{ if ne(parameters.installDir, '') }}:
+              installationPath: '${{ parameters.installDir }}'
+          ${{ else }}:
+              installationPath: '$(Agent.ToolsDirectory)'
+          packageType: '${{ parameters.packageType }}'
+          version: '${{ parameters.version }}'
+
+          includePreviewVersions: '${{ parameters.usePreview }}'
+      condition: ne(variables['Agent.OS'], 'Windows_NT')
diff --git a/eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/pre-build-step.yml b/eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/pre-build-step.yml
index fed1a8d93e..1d83828533 100644
--- a/eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/pre-build-step.yml
+++ b/eng/pipelines/common/templates/steps/pre-build-step.yml
@@ -4,16 +4,14 @@
 # See the LICENSE file in the project root for more information.                #
 #################################################################################
 steps:
-- task: UseDotNet@2
-  displayName: 'Use .NET 9.x sdk'
-  inputs:
-    packageType: sdk
+- template: ./ensure-dotnet-version.yml@self
+  parameters:
+    packageType: 'sdk'
     version: '9.x'
 
-- task: UseDotNet@2
-  displayName: 'Install .NET 8.x runtime'
-  inputs:
-    packageType: runtime
+- template: ./ensure-dotnet-version.yml@self
+  parameters:
+    packageType: 'runtime'
     version: '8.x'
 
 - script: SET
diff --git a/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.sln b/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.sln
index a2608cc803..9d6b224554 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.sln
+++ b/src/Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.sln
@@ -269,6 +269,8 @@ Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "steps", "steps", "{EABE3A3E
 		..\eng\pipelines\common\templates\steps\run-all-tests-step.yml = ..\eng\pipelines\common\templates\steps\run-all-tests-step.yml
 		..\eng\pipelines\common\templates\steps\update-config-file-step.yml = ..\eng\pipelines\common\templates\steps\update-config-file-step.yml
 		..\eng\pipelines\common\templates\steps\update-nuget-config-local-feed-step.yml = ..\eng\pipelines\common\templates\steps\update-nuget-config-local-feed-step.yml
+		..\eng\pipelines\common\templates\steps\configure-sql-server-macos-step.yml = ..\eng\pipelines\common\templates\steps\configure-sql-server-macos-step.yml
+		..\eng\pipelines\common\templates\steps\ensure-dotnet-version.yml = ..\eng\pipelines\common\templates\steps\ensure-dotnet-version.yml
 	EndProjectSection
 EndProject
 Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "libraries", "libraries", "{75BAE755-3A1F-41F2-9176-9F8FF9FEE2DD}"