diff --git a/devstack-vm-gate.sh b/devstack-vm-gate.sh
index 45a3ea60..b8e0819d 100755
--- a/devstack-vm-gate.sh
+++ b/devstack-vm-gate.sh
@@ -78,10 +78,13 @@ function setup_localrc {
     else
         # Install PyYaml for test-matrix.py
         if uses_debs; then
-            sudo apt-get update
-            sudo apt-get --assume-yes install python-yaml
+            if ! dpkg -s python-yaml > /dev/null; then
+                apt_get_install python-yaml
+            fi
         elif is_fedora; then
-            sudo yum install -y PyYAML
+            if ! rpm --quiet -q "PyYAML"; then
+                sudo yum install -y PyYAML
+            fi
         fi
         MY_ENABLED_SERVICES=`cd $BASE/new/devstack-gate && ./test-matrix.py -b $localrc_branch -f $DEVSTACK_GATE_FEATURE_MATRIX`
         local original_enabled_services=$MY_ENABLED_SERVICES
diff --git a/functions.sh b/functions.sh
index d63e34e3..f8f0643b 100644
--- a/functions.sh
+++ b/functions.sh
@@ -43,6 +43,21 @@ function function_exists {
     type $1 2>/dev/null | grep -q 'is a function'
 }
 
+function apt_get_install {
+    # fetch the updates in a loop to ensure that we're update to
+    # date. Only do this once per run. Give up to 5 minutes to succeed
+    # here.
+    if [[ -z "$APT_UPDATED" ]]; then
+        if ! timeout 300 sh -c "while ! sudo apt-get update; do sleep 30; done"; then
+            echo "Failed to update apt repos, we're dead now"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        APT_UPDATED=1
+    fi
+
+    sudo apt-get --assume-yes install $@
+}
+
 function call_hook_if_defined {
     local hook_name=$1
     local filename=${2-$WORKSPACE/devstack-gate-$hook_name.txt}