diff --git a/src/VirtualClient/VirtualClient.Dependencies.UnitTests/CompilerInstallationTests.cs b/src/VirtualClient/VirtualClient.Dependencies.UnitTests/CompilerInstallationTests.cs
index 9cb5a2c46..838d854e3 100644
--- a/src/VirtualClient/VirtualClient.Dependencies.UnitTests/CompilerInstallationTests.cs
+++ b/src/VirtualClient/VirtualClient.Dependencies.UnitTests/CompilerInstallationTests.cs
@@ -69,13 +69,21 @@ public async Task CompilerInstallationRunsTheExpectedWorkloadCommandInLinuxForGc
                 "sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-toolchain-r/test -y",
                 "sudo apt update",
                 "sudo apt install build-essential gcc-123 g++-123 gfortran-123 -y --quiet",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all gcc",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all cc",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all g++",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all gcov",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all gcc-ar",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all gcc-ranlib",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all gfortran",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all cpp",
                 "sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gcc gcc /usr/bin/gcc-123 1230 " +
                     $"--slave /usr/bin/g++ g++ /usr/bin/g++-123 " +
                     $"--slave /usr/bin/gcov gcov /usr/bin/gcov-123 " +
                     $"--slave /usr/bin/gcc-ar gcc-ar /usr/bin/gcc-ar-123 " +
                     $"--slave /usr/bin/gcc-ranlib gcc-ranlib /usr/bin/gcc-ranlib-123 " +
-                    $"--slave /usr/bin/gfortran gfortran /usr/bin/gfortran-123",
-                "sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/cpp cpp /usr/bin/cpp-123 1230",
+                    $"--slave /usr/bin/gfortran gfortran /usr/bin/gfortran-123 " +
+                    $"--slave /usr/bin/cpp cpp /usr/bin/cpp-123",
             };
 
             int commandExecuted = 0;
@@ -107,7 +115,7 @@ public async Task CompilerInstallationRunsTheExpectedWorkloadCommandInLinuxForGc
                 await compilerInstallation.ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken.None).ConfigureAwait(false);
             }
 
-            Assert.AreEqual(5, commandExecuted);
+            Assert.AreEqual(12, commandExecuted);
         }
 
         [Test]
@@ -242,13 +250,21 @@ public async Task CompilerInstallationInLinuxDefaultsToGcc10()
                 "sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-toolchain-r/test -y",
                 "sudo apt update",
                 "sudo apt install build-essential gcc-10 g++-10 gfortran-10 -y --quiet",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all gcc",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all cc",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all g++",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all gcov",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all gcc-ar",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all gcc-ranlib",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all gfortran",
+                "sudo update-alternatives --remove-all cpp",
                 "sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gcc gcc /usr/bin/gcc-10 100 " +
                     $"--slave /usr/bin/g++ g++ /usr/bin/g++-10 " +
                     $"--slave /usr/bin/gcov gcov /usr/bin/gcov-10 " +
                     $"--slave /usr/bin/gcc-ar gcc-ar /usr/bin/gcc-ar-10 " +
                     $"--slave /usr/bin/gcc-ranlib gcc-ranlib /usr/bin/gcc-ranlib-10 " +
-                    $"--slave /usr/bin/gfortran gfortran /usr/bin/gfortran-10",
-                "sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/cpp cpp /usr/bin/cpp-10 100",
+                    $"--slave /usr/bin/gfortran gfortran /usr/bin/gfortran-10 " +
+                    $"--slave /usr/bin/cpp cpp /usr/bin/cpp-10",
             };
 
             int commandExecuted = 0;
@@ -281,7 +297,7 @@ public async Task CompilerInstallationInLinuxDefaultsToGcc10()
                 await compilerInstallation.ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken.None).ConfigureAwait(false);
             }
 
-            Assert.AreEqual(5, commandExecuted);
+            Assert.AreEqual(12, commandExecuted);
         }
 
         [Test]
diff --git a/src/VirtualClient/VirtualClient.Dependencies/CompilerInstallation.cs b/src/VirtualClient/VirtualClient.Dependencies/CompilerInstallation.cs
index 935500de8..222cce610 100644
--- a/src/VirtualClient/VirtualClient.Dependencies/CompilerInstallation.cs
+++ b/src/VirtualClient/VirtualClient.Dependencies/CompilerInstallation.cs
@@ -167,7 +167,6 @@ protected async Task<bool> ConfirmGccVersionInstalledAsync(CancellationToken can
                 using (IProcessProxy process = this.systemManager.ProcessManager.CreateProcess(compiler, "--version"))
                 {
                     this.Logger.LogTraceMessage($"Confirming expected compiler version installed...");
-                    Console.WriteLine(compiler + "1");
 
                     await process.StartAndWaitAsync(cancellationToken);
 
@@ -237,18 +236,45 @@ private async Task InstallGccAsync(string gccVersion, EventContext telemetryCont
 
         private async Task SetGccPriorityAsync(string gccVersion, EventContext telemetryContext, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         {
+            string[] compilers =
+            {
+                "gcc",
+                "cc",
+                "g++",
+                "gcov",
+                "gcc-ar",
+                "gcc-ranlib",
+                "gfortran",
+                "cpp"
+            };
+
+            // due to the following error:
+            //      update-alternatives: error: alternative g++ can't be slave of gcc: it is a master alternative
+            // must remove alternatives from the VM to avoid errors, then set all of them together
+
+            foreach (string compiler in compilers)
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    await this.ExecuteCommandAsync("update-alternatives", $"--remove-all {compiler}", Environment.CurrentDirectory, telemetryContext, cancellationToken);
+                }
+                catch 
+                {
+                    // the message is:
+                    //      "error: no alternatives for g++"
+                    // so we can continue as normal; non-breaking
+                }
+            }
+
             string updateAlternativeArgument = $"--install /usr/bin/gcc gcc /usr/bin/gcc-{gccVersion} {gccVersion}0 " +
                         $"--slave /usr/bin/g++ g++ /usr/bin/g++-{gccVersion} " +
                         $"--slave /usr/bin/gcov gcov /usr/bin/gcov-{gccVersion} " +
                         $"--slave /usr/bin/gcc-ar gcc-ar /usr/bin/gcc-ar-{gccVersion} " +
                         $"--slave /usr/bin/gcc-ranlib gcc-ranlib /usr/bin/gcc-ranlib-{gccVersion} " +
-                        $"--slave /usr/bin/gfortran gfortran /usr/bin/gfortran-{gccVersion}";
+                        $"--slave /usr/bin/gfortran gfortran /usr/bin/gfortran-{gccVersion} " +
+                        $"--slave /usr/bin/cpp cpp /usr/bin/cpp-{gccVersion}";
 
             await this.ExecuteCommandAsync("update-alternatives", updateAlternativeArgument, Environment.CurrentDirectory, telemetryContext, cancellationToken);
-
-            // For some update path, the cpp can't be update-alternative by a gcc, so needs a separate call.
-            string updateAlternativeArgumentCpp = $"--install /usr/bin/cpp cpp /usr/bin/cpp-{gccVersion} {gccVersion}0";
-            await this.ExecuteCommandAsync("update-alternatives", updateAlternativeArgumentCpp, Environment.CurrentDirectory, telemetryContext, cancellationToken);
         }
 
         private async Task InstallAoccAsync(string aoccVersion, EventContext telemetryContext, CancellationToken cancellationToken)