diff --git a/apex/sign_virt_apex.py b/apex/sign_virt_apex.py
index a975be0..b21a355 100644
--- a/apex/sign_virt_apex.py
+++ b/apex/sign_virt_apex.py
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@
         action='store_true',
         help='This will NOT update the vbmeta related bootconfigs while signing the apex.\
             Used for testing only!!')
+    parser.add_argument('--do_not_validate_avb_version', action='store_true', help='Do not validate the avb_version when updating vbmeta bootconfig. Only use in tests!')
     args = parser.parse_args(argv)
     # preprocess --key_override into a map
     args.key_overrides = {}
@@ -328,7 +329,8 @@
             detach_bootconfigs(initrd, tmp_initrd, tmp_bc)
             bc_file = open(tmp_bc, "rt", encoding="utf-8")
             bc_data = bc_file.read()
-            validate_avb_version(bc_data)
+            if not args.do_not_validate_avb_version:
+                validate_avb_version(bc_data)
             bc_data = update_vbmeta_digest(bc_data)
             bc_data = update_vbmeta_size(bc_data)
             bc_file.close()
diff --git a/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/MicrodroidHostTests.java b/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/MicrodroidHostTests.java
index 60f3e52..6f1286f 100644
--- a/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/MicrodroidHostTests.java
+++ b/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/MicrodroidHostTests.java
@@ -164,6 +164,12 @@
         if (!updateBootconfigs) {
             command.add("--do_not_update_bootconfigs");
         }
+        // In some cases we run a CTS binary that is built from a different branch that the /system
+        // image under test. In such cases we might end up in a situation when avb_version used in
+        // CTS binary and avb_version used to sign the com.android.virt APEX do not match.
+        // This is a weird configuration, but unfortunately it can happen, hence we pass here
+        // --do_not_validate_avb_version flag to make sure that CTS doesn't fail on it.
+        command.add("--do_not_validate_avb_version");
         keyOverrides.forEach(
                 (filename, keyFile) ->
                         command.add("--key_override " + filename + "=" + keyFile.getPath()));