diff --git a/airflow-ctl/docs/installation/installing-from-pypi.rst b/airflow-ctl/docs/installation/installing-from-pypi.rst
index 9ec3a5e73ab84..826cbee7e957c 100644
--- a/airflow-ctl/docs/installation/installing-from-pypi.rst
+++ b/airflow-ctl/docs/installation/installing-from-pypi.rst
@@ -21,8 +21,38 @@ Installation from PyPI
 This page describes installations using the ``apache-airflow-ctl`` package `published in
 PyPI <https://pypi.org/project/apache-airflow-ctl/>`__.
 
-Installation tools
-''''''''''''''''''
+Installation via ``pipx`` or ``uv`` as tool
+'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
+
+You can locally deploy or run airflowctl without installing it in your environment using tools like `pipx <https://pypi.org/project/pipx/>`_ or `uv <https://astral.sh/uv/>`_.
+
+Via ``pipx`` it is possible to install airflowctl directly from PyPI using the command below:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+    pipx install "apache-airflow-ctl==|version|"
+
+As well as directly run w/o installing it first:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+    pipx run "apache-airflow-ctl --help"
+
+Same via Astral ``uv`` to install airflowctl from PyPI using the command below:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+    uv tool install "apache-airflow-ctl==|version|"
+
+Additionally to jump-start using it you can also use the shortcut via ``uvx`` command and directly run it without installing it first:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+    uvx apache-airflow-ctl --help
+
+
+Installation in your environment
+''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
 
 Only ``pip`` and ``uv`` installation is currently officially supported.
 
diff --git a/airflow-ctl/pyproject.toml b/airflow-ctl/pyproject.toml
index a14d42ecb15fd..06278d01cd602 100644
--- a/airflow-ctl/pyproject.toml
+++ b/airflow-ctl/pyproject.toml
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ YouTube = "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSXwxpWZQ7XZ1WL3wqevChA/"
 
 [project.scripts]
 airflowctl = "airflowctl.__main__:main"
+# Redundant definition allowing direct execution via `uvx apache-airflow-ctl ...`
+apache-airflow-ctl = "airflowctl.__main__:main"
 
 [build-system]
 requires = [
diff --git a/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/api/client.py b/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/api/client.py
index 06e78a6a32a90..51786bfcfcbff 100644
--- a/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/api/client.py
+++ b/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/api/client.py
@@ -169,6 +169,11 @@ def input_cli_config_file(self) -> str:
         """Generate path for the CLI config file."""
         return f"{self.api_environment}.json"
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def token_key_for_environment(api_environment: str) -> str:
+        """Build the keyring/debug token key for a given environment name."""
+        return f"api_token_{api_environment}"
+
     def save(self, skip_keyring: bool = False):
         """
         Save the credentials to keyring and URL to disk as a file.
@@ -186,7 +191,7 @@ def save(self, skip_keyring: bool = False):
                 with open(
                     os.path.join(default_config_dir, f"debug_creds_{self.input_cli_config_file}"), "w"
                 ) as f:
-                    json.dump({f"api_token_{self.api_environment}": self.api_token}, f)
+                    json.dump({self.token_key_for_environment(self.api_environment): self.api_token}, f)
             else:
                 if skip_keyring:
                     return
@@ -199,7 +204,11 @@ def save(self, skip_keyring: bool = False):
                 for candidate in candidates:
                     if hasattr(candidate, "_get_new_password"):
                         candidate._get_new_password = _bounded_get_new_password
-                keyring.set_password("airflowctl", f"api_token_{self.api_environment}", self.api_token)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+                keyring.set_password(
+                    "airflowctl",
+                    self.token_key_for_environment(self.api_environment),
+                    self.api_token,  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+                )
         except (NoKeyringError, NotImplementedError) as e:
             log.error(e)
             raise AirflowCtlKeyringException(
@@ -228,13 +237,23 @@ def load(self) -> Credentials:
                     debug_creds_path = os.path.join(
                         default_config_dir, f"debug_creds_{self.input_cli_config_file}"
                     )
-                    with open(debug_creds_path) as df:
-                        debug_credentials = json.load(df)
-                        self.api_token = debug_credentials.get(f"api_token_{self.api_environment}")
+                    try:
+                        with open(debug_creds_path) as df:
+                            debug_credentials = json.load(df)
+                            self.api_token = debug_credentials.get(
+                                self.token_key_for_environment(self.api_environment)
+                            )
+                    except FileNotFoundError as e:
+                        if self.client_kind == ClientKind.CLI:
+                            raise AirflowCtlCredentialNotFoundException(
+                                f"Debug credentials file not found: {debug_creds_path}. "
+                                "Set AIRFLOW_CLI_DEBUG_MODE=false or log in with debug mode enabled first."
+                            ) from e
+                        self.api_token = None
                 else:
                     try:
                         self.api_token = keyring.get_password(
-                            "airflowctl", f"api_token_{self.api_environment}"
+                            "airflowctl", self.token_key_for_environment(self.api_environment)
                         )
                     except ValueError as e:
                         # Incorrect keyring password
diff --git a/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/api/operations.py b/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/api/operations.py
index 2890304743b4c..3ce196c10cb32 100644
--- a/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/api/operations.py
+++ b/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/api/operations.py
@@ -195,6 +195,9 @@ def __init_subclass__(cls, **kwargs):
                 setattr(cls, attr, _check_flag_and_exit_if_server_response_error(value))
 
     def execute_list(self, *, path, data_model, offset=0, limit=50, params=None):
+        if limit <= 0:
+            raise ValueError(f"limit must be a positive integer, got {limit}")
+
         shared_params = {"limit": limit, **(params or {})}
 
         def safe_validate(content: bytes) -> BaseModel:
@@ -610,32 +613,33 @@ def list(
         dag_id: str | None = None,
     ) -> DAGRunCollectionResponse | ServerResponseError:
         """
-        List all dag runs.
+        List dag runs (at most `limit` results).
 
         Args:
             state: Filter dag runs by state
             start_date: Filter dag runs by start date (optional)
             end_date: Filter dag runs by end date (optional)
-            state: Filter dag runs by state
-            limit: Limit the number of results
+            limit: Limit the number of results returned
             dag_id: The DAG ID to filter by. If None, retrieves dag runs for all DAGs (using "~").
         """
         # Use "~" for all DAGs if dag_id is not specified
         if not dag_id:
             dag_id = "~"
 
-        params: dict[str, object] = {
-            "state": state,
+        params: dict[str, Any] = {
+            "state": str(state),
             "limit": limit,
         }
         if start_date is not None:
-            params["start_date"] = start_date
+            params["start_date"] = start_date.isoformat()
         if end_date is not None:
-            params["end_date"] = end_date
+            params["end_date"] = end_date.isoformat()
 
-        return super().execute_list(
-            path=f"/dags/{dag_id}/dagRuns", data_model=DAGRunCollectionResponse, params=params
-        )
+        try:
+            self.response = self.client.get(f"/dags/{dag_id}/dagRuns", params=params)
+            return DAGRunCollectionResponse.model_validate_json(self.response.content)
+        except ServerResponseError as e:
+            raise e
 
 
 class JobsOperations(BaseOperations):
diff --git a/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/ctl/commands/auth_command.py b/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/ctl/commands/auth_command.py
index 236b8d5c6b8de..cf521cbe7eea0 100644
--- a/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/ctl/commands/auth_command.py
+++ b/airflow-ctl/src/airflowctl/ctl/commands/auth_command.py
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ def list_envs(args) -> None:
         if filename.startswith("debug_creds_") or filename.endswith("_generated.json"):
             continue
 
-        env_name = filename.replace(".json", "")
+        env_name, _ = os.path.splitext(filename)
 
         # Try to read config file
         api_url = None
@@ -168,11 +168,11 @@ def list_envs(args) -> None:
                 if os.path.exists(debug_path):
                     with open(debug_path) as f:
                         debug_creds = json.load(f)
-                        if f"api_token_{env_name}" in debug_creds:
+                        if Credentials.token_key_for_environment(env_name) in debug_creds:
                             token_status = "authenticated"
             else:
                 # Check keyring
-                token = keyring.get_password("airflowctl", f"api_token_{env_name}")
+                token = keyring.get_password("airflowctl", Credentials.token_key_for_environment(env_name))
                 if token:
                     token_status = "authenticated"
         except NoKeyringError:
diff --git a/airflow-ctl/tests/airflow_ctl/api/test_client.py b/airflow-ctl/tests/airflow_ctl/api/test_client.py
index 0617d62276a1c..f495b357d8d4b 100644
--- a/airflow-ctl/tests/airflow_ctl/api/test_client.py
+++ b/airflow-ctl/tests/airflow_ctl/api/test_client.py
@@ -30,7 +30,10 @@
 
 from airflowctl.api.client import Client, ClientKind, Credentials, _bounded_get_new_password
 from airflowctl.api.operations import ServerResponseError
-from airflowctl.exceptions import AirflowCtlCredentialNotFoundException, AirflowCtlKeyringException
+from airflowctl.exceptions import (
+    AirflowCtlCredentialNotFoundException,
+    AirflowCtlKeyringException,
+)
 
 
 def make_client_w_responses(responses: list[httpx.Response]) -> Client:
@@ -376,3 +379,16 @@ def test_retry_handling_ok(self):
             response = client.get("http://error")
             assert response.status_code == 200
             assert len(responses) == 1
+
+    def test_debug_mode_missing_debug_creds_reports_correct_error(self, monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("AIRFLOW_HOME", str(tmp_path))
+        monkeypatch.setenv("AIRFLOW_CLI_DEBUG_MODE", "true")
+        monkeypatch.setenv("AIRFLOW_CLI_ENVIRONMENT", "TEST_DEBUG")
+
+        config_path = tmp_path / "TEST_DEBUG.json"
+        config_path.write_text(json.dumps({"api_url": "http://localhost:8080"}), encoding="utf-8")
+        # Intentionally do not create debug_creds_TEST_DEBUG.json to simulate a missing file
+
+        creds = Credentials(client_kind=ClientKind.CLI, api_environment="TEST_DEBUG")
+        with pytest.raises(AirflowCtlCredentialNotFoundException, match="Debug credentials file not found"):
+            creds.load()
diff --git a/airflow-ctl/tests/airflow_ctl/api/test_operations.py b/airflow-ctl/tests/airflow_ctl/api/test_operations.py
index 2f2e0b0f54738..aa559f174214b 100644
--- a/airflow-ctl/tests/airflow_ctl/api/test_operations.py
+++ b/airflow-ctl/tests/airflow_ctl/api/test_operations.py
@@ -230,6 +230,16 @@ def test_execute_list_sends_limit_on_subsequent_pages(self):
         for call in mock_client.get.call_args_list:
             assert call.kwargs["params"]["limit"] == 2
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("limit", [0, -1])
+    def test_execute_list_rejects_non_positive_limit(self, limit):
+        mock_client = Mock()
+        base_operation = BaseOperations(client=mock_client)
+
+        with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="limit must be a positive integer"):
+            base_operation.execute_list(path="hello", data_model=HelloCollectionResponse, limit=limit)
+
+        mock_client.get.assert_not_called()
+
 
 class TestAssetsOperations:
     asset_id: int = 1
@@ -1068,44 +1078,63 @@ def handle_request(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
         )
         assert response == self.dag_run_collection_response
 
-    def test_list_all_dags(self):
-        """Test listing dag runs for all DAGs using default dag_id='~'."""
-
-        def handle_request(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
-            # When dag_id is "~", it should query all DAGs
-            assert request.url.path == "/api/v2/dags/~/dagRuns"
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize(
+        (
+            "dag_id_input",
+            "state",
+            "limit",
+            "start_date",
+            "end_date",
+            "expected_path_suffix",
+            "expected_params_subset",
+        ),
+        [
+            # Test --limit with various values and configurations (covers CLI --limit flag)
+            ("dag1", "queued", 5, None, None, "dag1", {"state": "queued", "limit": "5"}),
+            (None, "running", 1, None, None, "~", {"state": "running", "limit": "1"}),
+            (
+                "example_dag",
+                "success",
+                10,
+                None,
+                None,
+                "example_dag",
+                {"state": "success", "limit": "10"},
+            ),
+            ("dag2", "failed", 0, None, None, "dag2", {"state": "failed", "limit": "0"}),
+        ],
+        ids=["limit-5", "all-dags-limit-1", "string-state-limit-10", "limit-zero"],
+    )
+    def test_list_with_various_limits(
+        self,
+        dag_id_input: str | None,
+        state: str | DagRunState,
+        limit: int,
+        start_date: datetime.datetime | None,
+        end_date: datetime.datetime | None,
+        expected_path_suffix: str,
+        expected_params_subset: dict,
+    ) -> None:
+        """Test listing dag runs with various limit values (especially --limit flag)."""
+
+        def handle_request(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
+            assert request.url.path.endswith(f"/dags/{expected_path_suffix}/dagRuns")
+            params = dict(request.url.params)
+            for key, value in expected_params_subset.items():
+                assert key in params
+                assert str(params[key]) == str(value)
             return httpx.Response(200, json=json.loads(self.dag_run_collection_response.model_dump_json()))
 
         client = make_api_client(transport=httpx.MockTransport(handle_request))
-        # Call without specifying dag_id - should use default "~"
         response = client.dag_runs.list(
-            start_date=datetime.datetime(2025, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0),
-            end_date=datetime.datetime(2025, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0),
-            state="running",
-            limit=1,
+            state=state,
+            limit=limit,
+            start_date=start_date,
+            end_date=end_date,
+            dag_id=dag_id_input,
         )
         assert response == self.dag_run_collection_response
 
-    def test_list_with_optional_parameters(self):
-        """Test listing dag runs with only some optional parameters."""
-
-        def handle_request(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
-            assert request.url.path == "/api/v2/dags/dag1/dagRuns"
-            # Verify that only state and limit are in query params
-            params = dict(request.url.params)
-            assert "state" in params
-            assert params["state"] == "queued"
-            assert "limit" in params
-            assert params["limit"] == "5"
-            # start_date and end_date should not be present
-            assert "start_date" not in params
-            assert "end_date" not in params
-            return httpx.Response(200, json=json.loads(self.dag_run_collection_response.model_dump_json()))
-
-        client = make_api_client(transport=httpx.MockTransport(handle_request))
-        response = client.dag_runs.list(state="queued", limit=5, dag_id="dag1")
-        assert response == self.dag_run_collection_response
-
 
 class TestJobsOperations:
     job_response = JobResponse(
diff --git a/airflow-ctl/tests/airflow_ctl/ctl/commands/test_auth_command.py b/airflow-ctl/tests/airflow_ctl/ctl/commands/test_auth_command.py
index e76fafc28adf9..2bda56b0fdc18 100644
--- a/airflow-ctl/tests/airflow_ctl/ctl/commands/test_auth_command.py
+++ b/airflow-ctl/tests/airflow_ctl/ctl/commands/test_auth_command.py
@@ -477,3 +477,21 @@ def test_list_envs_filters_special_files(self, monkeypatch):
 
             # Only production environment should be checked, not the special files
             mock_get_password.assert_called_once_with("airflowctl", "api_token_production")
+
+    def test_list_envs_environment_name_with_json_substring(self, monkeypatch):
+        """Test list-envs keeps '.json' substrings in environment name for key lookup."""
+        with (
+            tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_airflow_home,
+            patch("keyring.get_password") as mock_get_password,
+        ):
+            monkeypatch.setenv("AIRFLOW_HOME", temp_airflow_home)
+
+            with open(os.path.join(temp_airflow_home, "prod.json.region.json"), "w") as f:
+                json.dump({"api_url": "http://localhost:8080"}, f)
+
+            mock_get_password.return_value = "test_token"
+
+            args = self.parser.parse_args(["auth", "list-envs"])
+            auth_command.list_envs(args)
+
+            mock_get_password.assert_called_once_with("airflowctl", "api_token_prod.json.region")