diff --git a/images/linux/scripts/base/apt.sh b/images/linux/scripts/base/apt.sh
index 8afcbe8d2..ff1a9271b 100644
--- a/images/linux/scripts/base/apt.sh
+++ b/images/linux/scripts/base/apt.sh
@@ -3,11 +3,21 @@
 export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
 apt-get -yq update
 apt-get -yq dist-upgrade
-systemctl disable apt-daily.service
+
+# Stop and disable apt-daily upgrade services;
+systemctl stop apt-daily.timer
 systemctl disable apt-daily.timer
+systemctl disable apt-daily.service
+systemctl stop apt-daily-upgrade.timer
 systemctl disable apt-daily-upgrade.timer
 systemctl disable apt-daily-upgrade.service
 
+# This step should completely disable any automatic updates except manual
+sudo sed -i 's/APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "1"/APT::Periodic::Update-Package-Lists "0"/' /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/20auto-upgrades
+
+# Enable retry logic for apt up to 10 times
+echo "APT::Acquire::Retries \"10\";" > /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/80-retries 
+
 # Configure apt to always assume Y
 echo "APT::Get::Assume-Yes \"true\";" > /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/90assumeyes
 
diff --git a/images/linux/scripts/installers/azpowershell.sh b/images/linux/scripts/installers/azpowershell.sh
index a8488af7f..47ac5ff3e 100644
--- a/images/linux/scripts/installers/azpowershell.sh
+++ b/images/linux/scripts/installers/azpowershell.sh
@@ -15,9 +15,13 @@ else
     versions=$(jq -r '.azureModules[] | select(.name | contains("az")) | .versions[]' $toolset)
 fi
 
+# Try to install and update PowerShellGet before the actual installation
+pwsh -Command "Install-Module -Name PowerShellGet -Force"
+pwsh -Command "Update-Module -Name PowerShellGet -Force"
+
 # Install Azure CLI (instructions taken from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/install-azure-cli)
 for version in ${versions[@]}; do
-    pwsh -Command "Save-Module -Name Az -LiteralPath /usr/share/az_$version -RequiredVersion $version -Force"
+    pwsh -Command "Save-Module -Name Az -LiteralPath /usr/share/az_$version -RequiredVersion $version -Force -Verbose"
 done
 
 # Run tests to determine that the software installed as expected