diff --git a/templates/tools/dockerfile/test/sanity/Dockerfile.template b/templates/tools/dockerfile/test/sanity/Dockerfile.template
index 12309b64d16..01683539334 100644
--- a/templates/tools/dockerfile/test/sanity/Dockerfile.template
+++ b/templates/tools/dockerfile/test/sanity/Dockerfile.template
@@ -48,9 +48,12 @@
   #======================================
   # More sanity test dependencies (bazel)
   RUN apt-get install -y openjdk-8-jdk
-  # TOOD(jtattermusch): pin the bazel version
-  RUN git clone https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel.git /bazel
-  RUN cd /bazel && ./compile.sh
+  # Check out Bazel version 0.4.1 since this version allows running
+  # ./compile.sh without a local protoc dependency
+  # TODO(mattkwong): install dependencies to support latest Bazel version if newer
+  # version is needed
+  RUN git clone https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel.git /bazel && \
+    cd /bazel && git checkout tags/0.4.1 && ./compile.sh
   RUN ln -s /bazel/output/bazel /bin/
   
   #===================
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/test/sanity/Dockerfile b/tools/dockerfile/test/sanity/Dockerfile
index f4b4831a649..6b19ac845b4 100644
--- a/tools/dockerfile/test/sanity/Dockerfile
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/test/sanity/Dockerfile
@@ -93,9 +93,11 @@ RUN pip install simplejson mako
 #======================================
 # More sanity test dependencies (bazel)
 RUN apt-get install -y openjdk-8-jdk
-# TOOD(jtattermusch): pin the bazel version
-RUN git clone https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel.git /bazel
-RUN cd /bazel && ./compile.sh
+# Check out Bazel version 0.4.1 since this version allows running
+# ./compile.sh without a local protoc dependency
+# TODO(mattkwong): install dependencies to support latest Bazel version if newer
+# version is needed
+RUN git clone https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel.git /bazel &&   cd /bazel && git checkout tags/0.4.1 && ./compile.sh
 RUN ln -s /bazel/output/bazel /bin/
 
 #===================