diff --git a/build.yaml b/build.yaml
index f45f2a270d8..34f22c8c7f2 100644
--- a/build.yaml
+++ b/build.yaml
@@ -2927,7 +2927,7 @@ node_modules:
   - src/node/ext/server_credentials.cc
   - src/node/ext/timeval.cc
 openssl_fallback:
-  base_uri: http://openssl.org/source/
+  base_uri: https://openssl.org/source/old/1.0.2/
   extraction_dir: openssl-1.0.2f
   tarball: openssl-1.0.2f.tar.gz
 php_config_m4:
diff --git a/templates/tools/dockerfile/apt_get_basic.include b/templates/tools/dockerfile/apt_get_basic.include
index 547ce01a300..9237e7dacef 100644
--- a/templates/tools/dockerfile/apt_get_basic.include
+++ b/templates/tools/dockerfile/apt_get_basic.include
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-<%page args="skip_golang=False"/>\
 # Install Git and basic packages.
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y ${'\\'}
   autoconf ${'\\'}
@@ -10,9 +9,7 @@ RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y ${'\\'}
   gcc ${'\\'}
   gcc-multilib ${'\\'}
   git ${'\\'}
-% if not skip_golang:
   golang ${'\\'}
-% endif
   gyp ${'\\'}
   lcov ${'\\'}
   libc6 ${'\\'}
diff --git a/templates/tools/dockerfile/run_tests_addons.include b/templates/tools/dockerfile/run_tests_addons.include
index 30d22be2980..27ac67f5d8f 100644
--- a/templates/tools/dockerfile/run_tests_addons.include
+++ b/templates/tools/dockerfile/run_tests_addons.include
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
-<%page args="skip_zookeeper=False"/>\
 <%include file="ccache_setup.include"/>
-% if not skip_zookeeper:
 #======================
 # Zookeeper dependencies
 # TODO(jtattermusch): is zookeeper still needed?
 RUN apt-get install -y libzookeeper-mt-dev
-% endif
 
 RUN mkdir /var/local/jenkins
diff --git a/templates/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_squeeze_x64/Dockerfile.template b/templates/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_wheezy_x64/Dockerfile.template
similarity index 78%
rename from templates/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_squeeze_x64/Dockerfile.template
rename to templates/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_wheezy_x64/Dockerfile.template
index 49371aaa3bb..79567987817 100644
--- a/templates/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_squeeze_x64/Dockerfile.template
+++ b/templates/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_wheezy_x64/Dockerfile.template
@@ -29,20 +29,19 @@
   # (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
   # OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
-  FROM debian:squeeze
+  FROM debian:wheezy
 
-  <%include file="../../apt_get_basic.include" args="skip_golang=True"/>
+  <%include file="../../apt_get_basic.include"/>
+  <%include file="../../cxx_deps.include"/>
 
-  # libgflags-dev is not available on squeezy
-  RUN apt-get update && apt-get -y install libgtest-dev libc++-dev clang && apt-get clean
-
-  RUN apt-get update && apt-get -y install python-pip && apt-get clean
-  RUN pip install argparse
+  RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y ${'\\'}
+    gcc-4.4 ${'\\'}
+    gcc-4.4-multilib
 
   RUN wget ${openssl_fallback.base_uri + openssl_fallback.tarball}
 
-  ENV POST_GIT_STEP tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_squeeze_x64/post-git-setup.sh
+  ENV POST_GIT_STEP tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_wheezy_x64/post-git-setup.sh
 
-  <%include file="../../run_tests_addons.include" args="skip_zookeeper=True"/>
+  <%include file="../../run_tests_addons.include"/>
   # Define the default command.
   CMD ["bash"]
diff --git a/templates/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_squeeze_x64/post-git-setup.sh.template b/templates/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_wheezy_x64/post-git-setup.sh.template
similarity index 100%
rename from templates/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_squeeze_x64/post-git-setup.sh.template
rename to templates/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_wheezy_x64/post-git-setup.sh.template
diff --git a/test/core/end2end/fixtures/h2_uchannel.c b/test/core/end2end/fixtures/h2_uchannel.c
index 87bbd64d09a..0795ef18e7b 100644
--- a/test/core/end2end/fixtures/h2_uchannel.c
+++ b/test/core/end2end/fixtures/h2_uchannel.c
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ static void chttp2_init_client_micro_fullstack(grpc_end2end_test_fixture *f,
                                                grpc_channel_args *client_args) {
   micro_fullstack_fixture_data *ffd = f->fixture_data;
   grpc_connectivity_state conn_state;
-  grpc_connected_subchannel *connected;
+  grpc_connected_subchannel *connected_subchannel;
   char *ipv4_localaddr;
 
   gpr_asprintf(&ipv4_localaddr, "ipv4:%s", ffd->localaddr);
@@ -302,9 +302,10 @@ static void chttp2_init_client_micro_fullstack(grpc_end2end_test_fixture *f,
   GPR_ASSERT(conn_state == GRPC_CHANNEL_IDLE);
   GPR_ASSERT(ffd->sniffed_subchannel != NULL);
 
-  connected = connect_subchannel(ffd->sniffed_subchannel);
+  connected_subchannel = connect_subchannel(ffd->sniffed_subchannel);
   f->client = grpc_client_uchannel_create(ffd->sniffed_subchannel, client_args);
-  grpc_client_uchannel_set_connected_subchannel(f->client, connected);
+  grpc_client_uchannel_set_connected_subchannel(f->client,
+                                                connected_subchannel);
   gpr_log(GPR_INFO, "CHANNEL WRAPPING SUBCHANNEL: %p(%p)", f->client,
           ffd->sniffed_subchannel);
 
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_squeeze_x64/Dockerfile b/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_wheezy_x64/Dockerfile
similarity index 82%
rename from tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_squeeze_x64/Dockerfile
rename to tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_wheezy_x64/Dockerfile
index b7f95aaa8d9..6f330f9166c 100644
--- a/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_squeeze_x64/Dockerfile
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_wheezy_x64/Dockerfile
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 # (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
 # OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
-FROM debian:squeeze
+FROM debian:wheezy
 
 # Install Git and basic packages.
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
   gcc \
   gcc-multilib \
   git \
+  golang \
   gyp \
   lcov \
   libc6 \
@@ -62,16 +63,18 @@ RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
 # Build profiling
 RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y time && apt-get clean
 
+#=================
+# C++ dependencies
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get -y install libgflags-dev libgtest-dev libc++-dev clang && apt-get clean
 
-# libgflags-dev is not available on squeezy
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get -y install libgtest-dev libc++-dev clang && apt-get clean
 
-RUN apt-get update && apt-get -y install python-pip && apt-get clean
-RUN pip install argparse
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
+  gcc-4.4 \
+  gcc-4.4-multilib
 
-RUN wget http://openssl.org/source/openssl-1.0.2f.tar.gz
+RUN wget https://openssl.org/source/old/1.0.2/openssl-1.0.2f.tar.gz
 
-ENV POST_GIT_STEP tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_squeeze_x64/post-git-setup.sh
+ENV POST_GIT_STEP tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_wheezy_x64/post-git-setup.sh
 
 # Prepare ccache
 RUN ln -s /usr/bin/ccache /usr/local/bin/gcc
@@ -81,6 +84,10 @@ RUN ln -s /usr/bin/ccache /usr/local/bin/c++
 RUN ln -s /usr/bin/ccache /usr/local/bin/clang
 RUN ln -s /usr/bin/ccache /usr/local/bin/clang++
 
+#======================
+# Zookeeper dependencies
+# TODO(jtattermusch): is zookeeper still needed?
+RUN apt-get install -y libzookeeper-mt-dev
 
 RUN mkdir /var/local/jenkins
 
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_squeeze_x64/post-git-setup.sh b/tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_wheezy_x64/post-git-setup.sh
similarity index 100%
rename from tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_squeeze_x64/post-git-setup.sh
rename to tools/dockerfile/test/cxx_wheezy_x64/post-git-setup.sh
diff --git a/tools/openssl/use_openssl.sh b/tools/openssl/use_openssl.sh
index 3098217ec1b..9318b342578 100755
--- a/tools/openssl/use_openssl.sh
+++ b/tools/openssl/use_openssl.sh
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ CC=${CC:-cc}
 # allow openssl to be pre-downloaded
 if [ ! -e third_party/openssl-1.0.2f.tar.gz ]
 then
-  echo "Downloading http://openssl.org/source/openssl-1.0.2f.tar.gz to third_party/openssl-1.0.2f.tar.gz"
-  wget http://openssl.org/source/openssl-1.0.2f.tar.gz -O third_party/openssl-1.0.2f.tar.gz
+  echo "Downloading https://openssl.org/source/old/1.0.2/openssl-1.0.2f.tar.gz to third_party/openssl-1.0.2f.tar.gz"
+  wget https://openssl.org/source/old/1.0.2/openssl-1.0.2f.tar.gz -O third_party/openssl-1.0.2f.tar.gz
 fi
 
 # clean openssl directory
diff --git a/tools/run_tests/run_tests.py b/tools/run_tests/run_tests.py
index 99bf5df1f92..f81909ab88f 100755
--- a/tools/run_tests/run_tests.py
+++ b/tools/run_tests/run_tests.py
@@ -231,6 +231,9 @@ class CLanguage(object):
   def _clang_make_options(self):
     return ['CC=clang', 'CXX=clang++', 'LD=clang', 'LDXX=clang++']
 
+  def _gcc44_make_options(self):
+    return ['CC=gcc-4.4', 'CXX=g++-4.4', 'LD=gcc-4.4', 'LDXX=g++-4.4']
+
   def _compiler_options(self, use_docker, compiler):
     """Returns docker distro and make options to use for given compiler."""
     if _is_use_docker_child():
@@ -241,7 +244,7 @@ class CLanguage(object):
     if compiler == 'gcc4.9' or compiler == 'default':
       return ('jessie', [])
     elif compiler == 'gcc4.4':
-      return ('squeeze', [])
+      return ('wheezy', self._gcc44_make_options())
     elif compiler == 'gcc5.3':
       return ('ubuntu1604', [])
     elif compiler == 'clang3.4':