diff --git a/testing/infra/terraform/modules/standalone_apm_server/latest_apm_server.sh b/testing/infra/terraform/modules/standalone_apm_server/latest_apm_server.sh
index 3946546080e..13596905bc4 100755
--- a/testing/infra/terraform/modules/standalone_apm_server/latest_apm_server.sh
+++ b/testing/infra/terraform/modules/standalone_apm_server/latest_apm_server.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ set -eo pipefail
 
 VERSION=${1}
 if [[ -z ${VERSION} ]] || [[ "${VERSION}" == "latest" ]]; then
-    VERSION=$(curl -s "https://artifacts-api.elastic.co/v1/versions" | jq -r '.versions[-1]')
+    VERSION=$(curl -s "https://artifacts-api.elastic.co/v1/versions" | jq -r '[.versions[] | select(. | startswith("8"))] | last')
 fi
 LATEST_BUILD=$(curl -s "https://artifacts-api.elastic.co/v1/versions/${VERSION}/builds/" | jq -r '.builds[0]')
 
diff --git a/testing/infra/terraform/modules/standalone_apm_server/latest_elastic_agent.sh b/testing/infra/terraform/modules/standalone_apm_server/latest_elastic_agent.sh
index 02df3188d5a..58c0112ad24 100755
--- a/testing/infra/terraform/modules/standalone_apm_server/latest_elastic_agent.sh
+++ b/testing/infra/terraform/modules/standalone_apm_server/latest_elastic_agent.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ set -eo pipefail
 
 VERSION=${1}
 if [[ -z ${VERSION} ]] || [[ "${VERSION}" == "latest" ]]; then
-    VERSION=$(curl -s "https://artifacts-api.elastic.co/v1/versions" | jq -r '.versions[-1]')
+    VERSION=$(curl -s "https://artifacts-api.elastic.co/v1/versions" | jq -r '[.versions[] | select(. | startswith("8"))] | last')
 fi
 LATEST_BUILD=$(curl -s "https://artifacts-api.elastic.co/v1/versions/${VERSION}/builds/" | jq -r '.builds[0]')
 
diff --git a/testing/smoke/legacy-standalone-major-managed/test.sh b/testing/smoke/legacy-standalone-major-managed/test.sh
index c22c1cd1ecd..3e5da98a1c1 100755
--- a/testing/smoke/legacy-standalone-major-managed/test.sh
+++ b/testing/smoke/legacy-standalone-major-managed/test.sh
@@ -17,7 +17,12 @@ if [[ "${1}" == "latest" ]]; then
     LATEST_VERSION=${LATEST_SNAPSHOT_VERSION}
     ASSERTION_VERSION=${LATEST_SNAPSHOT_VERSION%-*} # strip -SNAPSHOT suffix
     get_latest_snapshot
-    NEXT_MAJOR_LATEST=$(echo $VERSIONS | jq -r -c '.[-1]')
+    # NOTE(marclop) Temporarily avoid testing against 9.x, since we want to test that the
+    # upgrade for 7.17 to 8.latest works correctly.
+    # Uncomment the line below when we are ready to test against 9.x and delete the line
+    # after the next one.
+    # NEXT_MAJOR_LATEST=$(echo $VERSIONS | jq -r -c '.[-1]')
+    NEXT_MAJOR_LATEST=$(echo ${VERSIONS} | jq -r '[.[] | select(. | startswith("8"))] | last')
     ASSERTION_NEXT_MAJOR_LATEST=${NEXT_MAJOR_LATEST%-*} # strip -SNAPSHOT suffix
 else
     get_latest_patch ${VERSION}
diff --git a/testing/smoke/supported-os/test.sh b/testing/smoke/supported-os/test.sh
index b479743513f..b7b9a3f148c 100755
--- a/testing/smoke/supported-os/test.sh
+++ b/testing/smoke/supported-os/test.sh
@@ -2,4 +2,9 @@
 
 set -eo pipefail
 
-. $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/testing/smoke/test_supported_os.sh
+# NOTE(marclop) temporarily avoid testing against 9.x, since it's currently in
+# its infancy and very far out.
+# Remove this line when we are ready to test against 9.x and the ${VERSION}
+# argument in the test_supported_os.sh script.
+VERSION=latest
+. $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/testing/smoke/test_supported_os.sh ${VERSION}
diff --git a/testing/smoke/test_supported_os.sh b/testing/smoke/test_supported_os.sh
index 9249b1a5eb4..be3172429cc 100644
--- a/testing/smoke/test_supported_os.sh
+++ b/testing/smoke/test_supported_os.sh
@@ -14,7 +14,12 @@ get_latest_snapshot
 
 VERSION=${1}
 if [[ -z ${VERSION} ]] || [[ "${VERSION}" == "latest" ]]; then
-    VERSION=$(echo ${VERSIONS} | jq -r 'last')
+    # NOTE(marclop) Temporarily avoid testing against 9.x, since we want to test that the
+    # upgrade for 7.17 to 8.latest works correctly.
+    # Uncomment the line below when we are ready to test against 9.x and delete the line
+    # after the next one.
+    # VERSION=$(echo ${VERSIONS} | jq -r 'last')
+    VERSION=$(echo ${VERSIONS} | jq -r '[.[] | select(. | startswith("8"))] | last')
     echo "-> unspecified version, using $(echo ${VERSION} | cut -d '.' -f1-2)"
 fi
 MAJOR_VERSION=$(echo ${VERSION} | cut -d '.' -f1 )