diff --git a/test/vm.install b/test/vm.install
index 92b6fb19..c83bf7f7 100755
--- a/test/vm.install
+++ b/test/vm.install
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 SRPM="$1"
 
+# always remove older versions of these RPMs if they exist
+# to ensure newly built packages have been installed
+yum -y remove lorax lorax-composer composer-cli
+
 if ! rpm -q beakerlib; then
     if [ $(. /etc/os-release && echo $ID) = "rhel" ]; then
         (cd /etc/yum.repos.d; curl -O -L http://download.devel.redhat.com/beakerrepos/beaker-client-RedHatEnterpriseLinux.repo)
@@ -33,7 +37,6 @@ rm -rf build-results
 su builder -c "/usr/bin/mock --no-clean --resultdir build-results --rebuild $SRPM"
 
 packages=$(find build-results -name '*.rpm' -not -name '*.src.rpm')
-rpm -e --verbose $(basename -a ${packages[@]} | sed 's/-[0-9].*.rpm$//') || true
 yum install -y $packages
 
 systemctl enable lorax-composer.socket