diff --git a/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh b/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh
index 09209a38976..647ef041c61 100644
--- a/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh
+++ b/cluster/gce/configure-vm.sh
@@ -437,15 +437,22 @@ function download-release() {
   # store it when we download, and then when it's different infer that
   # a push occurred (otherwise it's a simple reboot).
 
-  echo "Downloading binary release tar ($SERVER_BINARY_TAR_URL)"
-  download-or-bust "$SERVER_BINARY_TAR_URL"
+  # In case of failure of unpacking Salt tree (the last command in the
+  # "until" block) retry downloading both release and Salt tars.
+  until
+    echo "Downloading binary release tar ($SERVER_BINARY_TAR_URL)"
+    download-or-bust "$SERVER_BINARY_TAR_URL"
 
-  echo "Downloading Salt tar ($SALT_TAR_URL)"
-  download-or-bust "$SALT_TAR_URL"
+    echo "Downloading Salt tar ($SALT_TAR_URL)"
+    download-or-bust "$SALT_TAR_URL"
 
-  echo "Unpacking Salt tree"
-  rm -rf kubernetes
-  tar xzf "${SALT_TAR_URL##*/}"
+    echo "Unpacking Salt tree"
+    rm -rf kubernetes
+    tar xzf "${SALT_TAR_URL##*/}"
+  do
+    sleep 15
+    echo "Couldn't unpack Salt tree. Retrying..."
+  done
 
   echo "Running release install script"
   sudo kubernetes/saltbase/install.sh "${SERVER_BINARY_TAR_URL##*/}"