diff --git a/staticlibs/testutils/host/java/com/android/testutils/ConnectivityTestTargetPreparer.kt b/staticlibs/testutils/host/java/com/android/testutils/ConnectivityTestTargetPreparer.kt
index f6168af..a99359b 100644
--- a/staticlibs/testutils/host/java/com/android/testutils/ConnectivityTestTargetPreparer.kt
+++ b/staticlibs/testutils/host/java/com/android/testutils/ConnectivityTestTargetPreparer.kt
@@ -18,12 +18,15 @@
 
 import com.android.ddmlib.testrunner.TestResult
 import com.android.tradefed.config.Option
+import com.android.tradefed.invoker.ExecutionFiles.FilesKey
 import com.android.tradefed.invoker.TestInformation
+import com.android.tradefed.log.LogUtil.CLog
 import com.android.tradefed.result.CollectingTestListener
 import com.android.tradefed.result.ddmlib.DefaultRemoteAndroidTestRunner
 import com.android.tradefed.targetprep.BaseTargetPreparer
 import com.android.tradefed.targetprep.TargetSetupError
 import com.android.tradefed.targetprep.suite.SuiteApkInstaller
+import java.io.File
 
 private const val CONNECTIVITY_CHECKER_APK = "ConnectivityTestPreparer.apk"
 private const val CONNECTIVITY_PKG_NAME = "com.android.testutils.connectivitypreparer"
@@ -48,7 +51,41 @@
  * --test-arg com.android.testutils.ConnectivityTestTargetPreparer:ignore-wifi-check:true".
  */
 open class ConnectivityTestTargetPreparer : BaseTargetPreparer() {
-    private val installer = SuiteApkInstaller()
+    private val installer = ApkInstaller()
+
+    private class ApkInstaller : SuiteApkInstaller() {
+        override fun getLocalPathForFilename(
+            testInfo: TestInformation,
+            apkFileName: String
+        ): File {
+            if (apkFileName == CONNECTIVITY_CHECKER_APK) {
+                // For the connectivity checker APK, explicitly look for it in the directory of the
+                // host-side preparer.
+                // This preparer is part of the net-tests-utils-host-common library, which includes
+                // the checker APK via device_common_data in its build rule. Both need to be at the
+                // same version so that the preparer calls the right test methods in the checker
+                // APK.
+                // The default strategy for finding test files is to do a recursive search in test
+                // directories, which may find wrong files in wrong directories. In particular,
+                // if some MTS test includes the checker APK, and that test is linked to a module
+                // that boards the train at a version different from this target preparer, there
+                // could be a version difference between the APK and the host-side preparer.
+                // Explicitly looking for the APK in the host-side preparer directory ensures that
+                // it uses the version that was packaged together with the host-side preparer.
+                val testsDir = testInfo.executionFiles().get(FilesKey.TESTS_DIRECTORY)
+                val f = File(testsDir, "net-tests-utils-host-common/$CONNECTIVITY_CHECKER_APK")
+                if (f.isFile) {
+                    return f
+                }
+                // When running locally via atest, device_common_data does cause the APK to be put
+                // into the test temp directory, so recursive search is still used to find it in the
+                // directory of the test module that is being run. This is fine because atest runs
+                // are on local trees that do not have versioning problems.
+                CLog.i("APK not found at $f, falling back to recursive search")
+            }
+            return super.getLocalPathForFilename(testInfo, apkFileName)
+        }
+    }
 
     @Option(
         name = IGNORE_WIFI_CHECK,
@@ -179,7 +216,7 @@
                 .contains(":deny")
         }
 
-    private fun refreshTime(testInfo: TestInformation,) {
+    private fun refreshTime(testInfo: TestInformation) {
         // Forces a synchronous time refresh using the network. Time is fetched synchronously but
         // this does not guarantee that system time is updated when it returns.
         // This avoids flakes where the system clock rolls back, for example when using test