diff --git a/cluster/aws/templates/common.sh b/cluster/aws/templates/common.sh
index 3e3d2c4d8c4..20be255e216 100644
--- a/cluster/aws/templates/common.sh
+++ b/cluster/aws/templates/common.sh
@@ -14,9 +14,21 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
+echo "== Refreshing package database =="
+until apt-get update; do
+  echo "== apt-get update failed, retrying =="
+  sleep 5
+done
 
-apt-get update
-apt-get install --yes curl
+function apt-get-install {
+  # Forcibly install packages (options borrowed from Salt logs).
+  until apt-get -q -y -o DPkg::Options::=--force-confold -o DPkg::Options::=--force-confdef install $@; do
+    echo "== install of packages $@ failed, retrying =="
+    sleep 5
+  done
+}
+
+apt-get-install curl
 
 # Retry a download until we get it.
 #
@@ -44,12 +56,6 @@ install-salt() {
     return
   fi
 
-  echo "== Refreshing package database =="
-  until apt-get update; do
-    echo "== apt-get update failed, retrying =="
-    sleep 5
-  done
-
   mkdir -p /var/cache/salt-install
   cd /var/cache/salt-install
 
diff --git a/cluster/aws/templates/format-disks.sh b/cluster/aws/templates/format-disks.sh
index 9f3c7b9a978..1d67816a039 100644
--- a/cluster/aws/templates/format-disks.sh
+++ b/cluster/aws/templates/format-disks.sh
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@ done
 move_docker=""
 move_kubelet=""
 
-apt-get update
-
 docker_storage=${DOCKER_STORAGE:-aufs}
 
 # Format the ephemeral disks
@@ -66,7 +64,7 @@ else
   done
 
   if [[ ${docker_storage} == "btrfs" ]]; then
-    apt-get install --yes btrfs-tools
+    apt-get-install btrfs-tools
 
     if [[ ${#block_devices[@]} == 1 ]]; then
       echo "One ephemeral block device found; formatting with btrfs"
@@ -102,7 +100,7 @@ else
     # In devicemapper mode, Docker can use LVM directly
     # Also, fewer code paths are good
     echo "Using LVM2 and ext4"
-    apt-get install --yes lvm2
+    apt-get-install lvm2
 
     # Don't output spurious "File descriptor X leaked on vgcreate invocation."
     # Known bug: e.g. Ubuntu #591823
@@ -165,10 +163,10 @@ if [[ ${docker_storage} == "btrfs" ]]; then
 elif [[ ${docker_storage} == "aufs-nolvm" || ${docker_storage} == "aufs" ]]; then
   # Install aufs kernel module
   # Fix issue #14162 with extra-virtual
-  apt-get install --yes linux-image-extra-$(uname -r) linux-image-extra-virtual
+  apt-get-install linux-image-extra-$(uname -r) linux-image-extra-virtual
 
   # Install aufs tools
-  apt-get install --yes aufs-tools
+  apt-get-install aufs-tools
 
   DOCKER_OPTS="${DOCKER_OPTS} -s aufs"
 elif [[ ${docker_storage} == "devicemapper" ]]; then