diff --git a/test/images/cloudbuild.yaml b/test/images/cloudbuild.yaml
index 552aa732395..1fccdc64afe 100644
--- a/test/images/cloudbuild.yaml
+++ b/test/images/cloudbuild.yaml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ options:
   substitution_option: ALLOW_LOOSE
   machineType: 'N1_HIGHCPU_8'
 steps:
-  - name: 'gcr.io/k8s-testimages/gcb-docker-gcloud:v20200422-b25d964'
+  - name: 'gcr.io/k8s-testimages/gcb-docker-gcloud:v20201130-750d12f'
     entrypoint: 'bash'
     dir: ./test/images/
     env:
@@ -21,11 +21,12 @@ steps:
     # The default cloudbuild has HOME=/builder/home and docker buildx is in /root/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
     # We need to set the HOME to /root explicitly since we're using docker buildx
     - HOME=/root
+    # NOTE(claudiub): we need to call register.sh before creating and bootstraping a docker buildx instance.
     args:
     - '-c'
     - |
       gcloud auth configure-docker \
-      && docker run --rm --privileged multiarch/qemu-user-static --reset -p yes \
+      && ../../third_party/multiarch/qemu-user-static/register/register.sh --reset -p yes \
       && export DOCKER_CLI_EXPERIMENTAL=enabled \
       && docker buildx create --name img-builder --use \
       && docker buildx inspect --bootstrap \
diff --git a/test/images/image-util.sh b/test/images/image-util.sh
index e479952c00c..9cf483fe765 100755
--- a/test/images/image-util.sh
+++ b/test/images/image-util.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ set -o pipefail
 TASK=$1
 WHAT=$2
 
+# docker buildx command is still experimental as of Docker 19.03.0
+export DOCKER_CLI_EXPERIMENTAL="enabled"
+
 # Connecting to a Remote Docker requires certificates for authentication, which can be found
 # at this path. By default, they can be found in the ${HOME} folder. We're expecting to find
 # here ".docker-${os_version}" folders which contains the necessary certificates.
@@ -149,7 +152,7 @@ build() {
         if [[ $(id -u) != 0 ]]; then
           sudo=sudo
         fi
-        ${sudo} "${KUBE_ROOT}/third_party/multiarch/qemu-user-static/register/register.sh" --reset
+        ${sudo} "${KUBE_ROOT}/third_party/multiarch/qemu-user-static/register/register.sh" --reset -p yes
         curl -sSL https://github.com/multiarch/qemu-user-static/releases/download/"${QEMUVERSION}"/x86_64_qemu-"${QEMUARCHS[$arch]}"-static.tar.gz | tar -xz -C "${temp_dir}"
         # Ensure we don't get surprised by umask settings
         chmod 0755 "${temp_dir}/qemu-${QEMUARCHS[$arch]}-static"
@@ -189,8 +192,6 @@ push() {
 
   kube::util::ensure-gnu-sed
 
-  # The manifest command is still experimental as of Docker 18.09.2
-  export DOCKER_CLI_EXPERIMENTAL="enabled"
   # reset manifest list; needed in case multiple images are being built / pushed.
   manifest=()
   # Make os_archs list into image manifest. Eg: 'linux/amd64 linux/ppc64le' to '${REGISTRY}/${image}:${TAG}-linux-amd64 ${REGISTRY}/${image}:${TAG}-linux-ppc64le'