diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-multiarch.yml b/.github/workflows/build-multiarch.yml
index 402226b13e6..5b7b8700f02 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-multiarch.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-multiarch.yml
@@ -34,19 +34,19 @@ jobs:
             # jammy doesn't work until minecraft updates to https://github.com/netty/netty/issues/12343
             baseImage: eclipse-temurin:17-jre-focal
             platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm/v7,linux/arm64
-            mcVersion: LATEST
+            mcVersion: 1.18.2
           - variant: java17-jdk
             baseImage: eclipse-temurin:17-focal
             platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm/v7,linux/arm64
-            mcVersion: LATEST
+            mcVersion: 1.18.2
           - variant: java17-openj9
             baseImage: ibm-semeru-runtimes:open-17-jre
             platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
-            mcVersion: LATEST
+            mcVersion: 1.18.2
           - variant: java17-alpine
             baseImage: eclipse-temurin:17-jre-alpine
             platforms: linux/amd64
-            mcVersion: LATEST
+            mcVersion: 1.18.2
         # JAVA 11:
           - variant: java11
             baseImage: adoptopenjdk:11-jre-hotspot
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr.yml b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
index 1f5b9cbed0e..d940a3d58ac 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Run tests
         env:
           MODS_FORGEAPI_KEY: ${{ secrets.MODS_FORGEAPI_KEY }}
-          MINECRAFT_VERSION: LATEST
+          MINECRAFT_VERSION: 1.18.2
         run: |
           tests/test.sh
   push:
diff --git a/scripts/start-deployPaper b/scripts/start-deployPaper
index c84d2727689..a0f83901a3d 100755
--- a/scripts/start-deployPaper
+++ b/scripts/start-deployPaper
@@ -4,6 +4,30 @@
 set -o pipefail
 isDebugging && set -x
 
+ourScript="$0"
+ourArgs=("$@")
+
+function handleMissingVersion() {
+  expectedVersion=${VANILLA_VERSION}
+  versions=$(curl -fsSL "https://papermc.io/api/v2/projects/paper" -H  "accept: application/json")
+  if [[ $VERSION = LATEST ]]; then
+    tries=0
+    while ((tries++ < 5)); do
+      VANILLA_VERSION=$(echo "$versions" | jq -r ".versions[$((- tries))]")
+      if [[ $(curl -fsSL "https://papermc.io/api/v2/projects/paper/versions/${VANILLA_VERSION}" -H  "accept: application/json" \
+               | jq '.builds[-1]') != null ]]; then
+        log "WARN: using ${VANILLA_VERSION} since that's the latest provided by PaperMC"
+        # re-execute the current script with the newly computed version
+        exec "$ourScript" "${ourArgs[@]}"
+     fi
+   done
+  fi
+  log "ERROR: ${expectedVersion} is not published by PaperMC"
+  log "       Set VERSION to one of the following: "
+  log "       $(echo "$versions" | jq -r '.versions | join(", ")')"
+  exit 1
+}
+
 if [[ $PAPER_DOWNLOAD_URL ]]; then
   export SERVER=$(getFilenameFromUrl "${PAPER_DOWNLOAD_URL}")
 
@@ -23,26 +47,16 @@ else
     0)
       ;;
     22)
-      versions=$(curl -fsSL "https://papermc.io/api/v2/projects/paper" -H  "accept: application/json")
-      if [[ $VERSION = LATEST ]]; then
-          VANILLA_VERSION=$(echo "$versions" | jq -r '.versions[-1]')
-          log "WARN: using ${VANILLA_VERSION} since that's the latest provided by PaperMC"
-          # re-execute the current script with the newly computed version
-          exec "$0" "$@"
-      fi
-      log "ERROR: ${VANILLA_VERSION} is not published by PaperMC"
-      log "       Set VERSION to one of the following: "
-      log "       $(echo "$versions" | jq -r '.versions | join(", ")')"
-      exit 1
+      handleMissingVersion
       ;;
     *)
       echo "ERROR: unknown error while looking up PaperMC version=${VANILLA_VERSION}"
       exit 1
       ;;
   esac
-  if [ $? != 0 ]; then
-    echo "ERROR: failed to lookup PaperMC build from version ${VANILLA_VERSION}"
-    exit 1
+
+  if [[ $build = null ]]; then
+    handleMissingVersion
   fi
 
   export SERVER=$(curl -fsSL "https://papermc.io/api/v2/projects/paper/versions/${VANILLA_VERSION}/builds/${build}" -H  "accept: application/json" \
diff --git a/tests/setuponlytests/forgeapimods_file/docker-compose.yml b/tests/setuponlytests/forgeapimods_file/docker-compose.yml
index 9e1959b4373..58c313ae572 100644
--- a/tests/setuponlytests/forgeapimods_file/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/tests/setuponlytests/forgeapimods_file/docker-compose.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ services:
       # Using family to test FORGEAPI Family filter.
       FAMILY: FABRIC
       CUSTOM_SERVER: /servers/fake.jar
-      VERSION: ${MINECRAFT_VERSION:-LATEST}
+      VERSION: 1.18.2
       MODS_FORGEAPI_FILE: /config/forgeapi_mods.json
       # Key is defined in .github/workflows/pr.yml and ci.yml
       # This should be coming from github secrets.
diff --git a/tests/setuponlytests/forgeapimods_gametype/docker-compose.yml b/tests/setuponlytests/forgeapimods_gametype/docker-compose.yml
index c14140f003e..3373b595fd7 100644
--- a/tests/setuponlytests/forgeapimods_gametype/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/tests/setuponlytests/forgeapimods_gametype/docker-compose.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ services:
       # Using family to test FORGEAPI Family filter.
       FAMILY: FABRIC
       CUSTOM_SERVER: /servers/fake.jar
-      VERSION: ${MINECRAFT_VERSION:-LATEST}
+      VERSION: 1.18.2
       # Validate Skip Gametype Filter:
       MODS_FORGEAPI_IGNORE_GAMETYPE: "TRUE"
       # Validates that Biomes does not download terrablender
diff --git a/tests/setuponlytests/forgeapimods_projectids/docker-compose.yml b/tests/setuponlytests/forgeapimods_projectids/docker-compose.yml
index ab29770058d..418f118b1fe 100644
--- a/tests/setuponlytests/forgeapimods_projectids/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/tests/setuponlytests/forgeapimods_projectids/docker-compose.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ services:
       #  - Currently we do not support filtering on vanilla.
       FAMILY: VANILLA
       CUSTOM_SERVER: /servers/fake.jar
-      VERSION: ${MINECRAFT_VERSION:-LATEST}
+      VERSION: 1.18.2
       MODS_FORGEAPI_DOWNLOAD_DEPENDENCIES: "TRUE"
       # Contains mix of Forge and Fabric mods
       MODS_FORGEAPI_PROJECTIDS: 416089,419697