diff --git a/cluster/aws/util.sh b/cluster/aws/util.sh
index 99df8895abd..7a19dcb82ee 100644
--- a/cluster/aws/util.sh
+++ b/cluster/aws/util.sh
@@ -487,7 +487,8 @@ function upload-server-tars() {
   fi
 
   echo "Uploading to Amazon S3"
-  if ! aws s3 ls "s3://${AWS_S3_BUCKET}" > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
+
+  if ! aws s3api get-bucket-location --bucket ${AWS_S3_BUCKET} > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then
     echo "Creating ${AWS_S3_BUCKET}"
 
     # Buckets must be globally uniquely named, so always create in a known region
@@ -497,7 +498,7 @@ function upload-server-tars() {
 
     local attempt=0
     while true; do
-      if ! aws s3 ls "s3://${AWS_S3_BUCKET}" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+      if ! aws s3 ls --region ${AWS_S3_REGION} "s3://${AWS_S3_BUCKET}" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
         if (( attempt > 5 )); then
           echo
           echo -e "${color_red}Unable to confirm bucket creation." >&2
@@ -518,6 +519,7 @@ function upload-server-tars() {
   if [[ "${s3_bucket_location}" == "None" ]]; then
     # "US Classic" does not follow the pattern
     s3_url_base=https://s3.amazonaws.com
+    s3_bucket_location=us-east-1
   fi
 
   local -r staging_path="devel"
@@ -530,13 +532,13 @@ function upload-server-tars() {
   cp -a "${SERVER_BINARY_TAR}" ${local_dir}
   cp -a "${SALT_TAR}" ${local_dir}
 
-  aws s3 sync --exact-timestamps ${local_dir} "s3://${AWS_S3_BUCKET}/${staging_path}/"
+  aws s3 sync --region ${s3_bucket_location} --exact-timestamps ${local_dir} "s3://${AWS_S3_BUCKET}/${staging_path}/"
 
-  aws s3api put-object-acl --bucket ${AWS_S3_BUCKET} --key "${server_binary_path}" --grant-read 'uri="http://acs.amazonaws.com/groups/global/AllUsers"'
+  aws s3api put-object-acl --region ${s3_bucket_location} --bucket ${AWS_S3_BUCKET} --key "${server_binary_path}" --grant-read 'uri="http://acs.amazonaws.com/groups/global/AllUsers"'
   SERVER_BINARY_TAR_URL="${s3_url_base}/${AWS_S3_BUCKET}/${server_binary_path}"
 
   local salt_tar_path="${staging_path}/${SALT_TAR##*/}"
-  aws s3api put-object-acl --bucket ${AWS_S3_BUCKET} --key "${salt_tar_path}" --grant-read 'uri="http://acs.amazonaws.com/groups/global/AllUsers"'
+  aws s3api put-object-acl --region ${s3_bucket_location} --bucket ${AWS_S3_BUCKET} --key "${salt_tar_path}" --grant-read 'uri="http://acs.amazonaws.com/groups/global/AllUsers"'
   SALT_TAR_URL="${s3_url_base}/${AWS_S3_BUCKET}/${salt_tar_path}"
 }