diff --git a/.github/workflows/ubuntu_20_04.yml b/.github/workflows/ubuntu_20_04.yml
index 7010f01..e99e5c3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ubuntu_20_04.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ubuntu_20_04.yml
@@ -17,12 +17,15 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: local apt dependencies
         run: |
+
+          apt-get install -y python3-pip
+          pip install vcstool
+
           mkdir staging
           cd staging
           mkdir -p underlay_ws/src
           cp ../ros_from_src/*sh underlay_ws
           sudo underlay_ws/dependencies.sh
-          pip install vcstool
 
       - name: local git dependencies
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ubuntu_24_04.yaml b/.github/workflows/ubuntu_24_04.yaml
index 8f602fe..41befe2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ubuntu_24_04.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ubuntu_24_04.yaml
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p underlay_ws/src
           cp ../ros_from_src/*sh underlay_ws
           sudo underlay_ws/dependencies.sh
-          pip install vcstool
 
       - name: local git dependencies
         run: |
diff --git a/dependencies.sh b/dependencies.sh
index 1e41556..42a7191 100755
--- a/dependencies.sh
+++ b/dependencies.sh
@@ -47,6 +47,6 @@ apt-get install -y python3-gnupg
 # TODO(lucasw) get this from source later
 # apt-get install -y python3-rosunit
 
-apt-get install -y catkin-tools
+apt-get install -y catkin-tools || true  # not available in 20.04
 apt-get install -y libbullet-dev
 apt-get install -y vcstool || true  # this is in 24.04 but not 20.04