diff --git a/docker/k8s/Dockerfile b/docker/k8s/Dockerfile
index 30ff33952bc..db296a8803d 100644
--- a/docker/k8s/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/k8s/Dockerfile
@@ -19,14 +19,6 @@ FROM vitess/base:${VT_BASE_VER} AS base
 
 FROM debian:${DEBIAN_VER}
 
-# TODO: remove when https://github.com/vitessio/vitess/issues/3553 is fixed
-RUN apt-get update && \
-   apt-get upgrade -qq && \
-   apt-get install default-mysql-client -qq --no-install-recommends && \
-   apt-get autoremove && \
-   apt-get clean && \
-   rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
-
 # Set up Vitess environment (just enough to run pre-built Go binaries)
 ENV VTROOT /vt/src/vitess.io/vitess
 ENV VTDATAROOT /vtdataroot
diff --git a/docker/k8s/vttablet/Dockerfile b/docker/k8s/vttablet/Dockerfile
index 95453a69771..dd504d7860d 100644
--- a/docker/k8s/vttablet/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/k8s/vttablet/Dockerfile
@@ -19,14 +19,6 @@ FROM vitess/k8s:${VT_BASE_VER} AS k8s
 
 FROM debian:${DEBIAN_VER}
 
-# TODO: remove when https://github.com/vitessio/vitess/issues/3553 is fixed
-RUN apt-get update && \
-   apt-get upgrade -qq && \
-   apt-get install wget default-mysql-client jq curl -qq --no-install-recommends && \
-   apt-get autoremove && \
-   apt-get clean && \
-   rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
-
 # Set up Vitess environment (just enough to run pre-built Go binaries)
 ENV VTROOT /vt
 ENV VTDATAROOT /vtdataroot