diff --git a/tools/gce/create_linux_kokoro_performance_worker_from_image.sh b/tools/gce/create_linux_kokoro_performance_worker_from_image.sh
index 28c49a66f24..903166122eb 100755
--- a/tools/gce/create_linux_kokoro_performance_worker_from_image.sh
+++ b/tools/gce/create_linux_kokoro_performance_worker_from_image.sh
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ cd "$(dirname "$0")"
 
 CLOUD_PROJECT=grpc-testing
 ZONE=us-central1-b  # this zone allows 32core machines
-LATEST_PERF_WORKER_IMAGE=grpc-performance-kokoro-v3  # update if newer image exists
+LATEST_PERF_WORKER_IMAGE=grpc-performance-kokoro-v4  # update if newer image exists
 
 INSTANCE_NAME="${1:-grpc-kokoro-performance-server}"
 MACHINE_TYPE="${2:-n1-standard-32}"
diff --git a/tools/gce/linux_kokoro_performance_worker_init.sh b/tools/gce/linux_kokoro_performance_worker_init.sh
index d67ff58506f..1bf2228279e 100755
--- a/tools/gce/linux_kokoro_performance_worker_init.sh
+++ b/tools/gce/linux_kokoro_performance_worker_init.sh
@@ -215,6 +215,11 @@ sudo mkdir /tmpfs
 sudo chown kbuilder /tmpfs
 touch /tmpfs/READY
 
+# Disable automatic updates to prevent spurious apt-get install failures
+# See https://github.com/grpc/grpc/issues/17794
+sudo sed -i 's/APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "1"/APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "0"/' /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/10periodic
+sudo sed -i 's/APT::Periodic::AutocleanInterval "1"/APT::Periodic::AutocleanInterval "0"/' /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/10periodic
+
 # Restart for VM to pick up kernel update
 echo 'Successfully initialized the linux worker, going for reboot in 10 seconds'
 sleep 10