diff --git a/services/backup/docker-server/contents/build_server.sh b/services/backup/docker-server/contents/build_server.sh
--- a/services/backup/docker-server/contents/build_server.sh
+++ b/services/backup/docker-server/contents/build_server.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 set -e
 
-pushd transferred/server
+pushd /transferred/server
 
 rm -rf _generated
 mkdir _generated
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@
 ./generate.sh
 ./build.sh
 
-popd # transferred/server
+popd # /transferred/server
diff --git a/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/CMakeLists.txt b/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/services/backup/docker-server/contents/server/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,15 +18,6 @@
 set(_PROTOBUF_LIBPROTOBUF protobuf::libprotobuf)
 set(_PROTOBUF_PROTOC $<TARGET_FILE:protobuf::protoc>)
 
-# gRPC building parameters
-set(gRPC_BUILD_CSHARP_EXT OFF)
-set(gRPC_SSL_PROVIDER "package" CACHE STRING "SSL library provider")
-# Disable unused plugins
-set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_PHP_PLUGIN OFF)
-set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_RUBY_PLUGIN OFF)
-set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_PYTHON_PLUGIN OFF)
-set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_CSHARP_PLUGIN OFF)
-
 if ($ENV{COMM_TEST_SERVICES} MATCHES 1)
   add_compile_definitions(COMM_TEST_SERVICES)
 endif()
diff --git a/services/base-image/Dockerfile b/services/base-image/Dockerfile
--- a/services/base-image/Dockerfile
+++ b/services/base-image/Dockerfile
@@ -2,10 +2,6 @@
 
 ENV SHELL=/bin/bash
 
-WORKDIR /
-
-COPY contents /transferred
-
 RUN apt-get update && DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -y \
 	cmake \
 	git \
@@ -14,10 +10,14 @@
 	libtool \
 	pkg-config \
 	libboost-all-dev \
-	libfmt-dev \ 
+	libfmt-dev \
 	libgtest-dev \
 	&& rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
-RUN /transferred/install_grpc.sh
+RUN mkdir -p /transferred/scripts
+WORKDIR /transferred/scripts
+
+COPY contents/install_grpc.sh .
+RUN ./install_grpc.sh
 
 CMD /bin/bash
diff --git a/services/base-image/contents/install_grpc.sh b/services/base-image/contents/install_grpc.sh
--- a/services/base-image/contents/install_grpc.sh
+++ b/services/base-image/contents/install_grpc.sh
@@ -4,32 +4,42 @@
 
 echo "installing grpc..."
 
-if [[ -d /usr/lib/grpc ]]
-then
-    echo "grpc already exists, skipping installation(if the installation seems to be broken, remove this container/image and recreate it)..."
-    exit 0;
-fi
+cd /tmp
 
-pushd /usr/lib
 git clone --recurse-submodules -b v1.39.1 https://github.com/grpc/grpc
+
 pushd grpc
 mkdir -p cmake/build
 pushd cmake/build
-cmake -DgRPC_INSTALL=ON \
-      -DgRPC_BUILD_TESTS=OFF \
-      ../..
+cmake \
+	-DgRPC_INSTALL=ON \
+	-DgRPC_BUILD_TESTS=OFF \
+	-DgRPC_BUILD_CSHARP_EXT=OFF \
+	-DgRPC_BUILD_GRPC_CPP_PLUGIN=ON \
+	-DgRPC_BUILD_GRPC_CSHARP_PLUGIN=OFF \
+	-DgRPC_BUILD_GRPC_NODE_PLUGIN=OFF \
+	-DgRPC_BUILD_GRPC_OBJECTIVE_C_PLUGIN=OFF \
+	-DgRPC_BUILD_GRPC_PHP_PLUGIN=OFF \
+	-DgRPC_BUILD_GRPC_PYTHON_PLUGIN=OFF \
+	-DgRPC_BUILD_GRPC_RUBY_PLUGIN=OFF \
+	../..
 make
 make install
 popd # cmake/build
 
+# Explicitly install abseil-cpp because of https://github.com/grpc/grpc/issues/25949
+# This should be removed after upgrading to v1.41
 pushd third_party/abseil-cpp/
 mkdir -p cmake/build
 pushd cmake/build
-cmake ../..
+cmake \
+		-DCMAKE_POSITION_INDEPENDENT_CODE=TRUE \
+		../..
 make
 make install
 popd # cmake/build
 popd # third_party/abseil-cpp/
 
 popd # grpc
-popd # /usr/lib
+
+rm -rf grpc
diff --git a/services/blob/docker-server/contents/build_server.sh b/services/blob/docker-server/contents/build_server.sh
--- a/services/blob/docker-server/contents/build_server.sh
+++ b/services/blob/docker-server/contents/build_server.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # folly hack - https://github.com/facebook/folly/pull/1231
 sed -i 's/#if __has_include(<demangle.h>)/#if __has_include(<Demangle.h>)/g' /usr/lib/folly/folly/detail/Demangle.h
 
-pushd transferred/server
+pushd /transferred/server
 
 rm -rf lib
 mkdir lib
@@ -24,4 +24,4 @@
 ./generate.sh
 ./build.sh
 
-popd # transferred/server
+popd # /transferred/server
diff --git a/services/blob/docker-server/contents/server/cmake-components/grpc.cmake b/services/blob/docker-server/contents/server/cmake-components/grpc.cmake
--- a/services/blob/docker-server/contents/server/cmake-components/grpc.cmake
+++ b/services/blob/docker-server/contents/server/cmake-components/grpc.cmake
@@ -6,15 +6,6 @@
 set(_PROTOBUF_LIBPROTOBUF protobuf::libprotobuf)
 set(_PROTOBUF_PROTOC $<TARGET_FILE:protobuf::protoc>)
 
-# gRPC
-set(gRPC_BUILD_CSHARP_EXT OFF)
-set(gRPC_SSL_PROVIDER "package" CACHE STRING "SSL library provider")
-# Disable unused plugins
-set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_PHP_PLUGIN OFF)
-set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_RUBY_PLUGIN OFF)
-set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_PYTHON_PLUGIN OFF)
-set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_CSHARP_PLUGIN OFF)
-
 # Find gRPC installation
 find_package(gRPC CONFIG REQUIRED)
 message(STATUS "Using gRPC ${gRPC_VERSION}")
diff --git a/services/tunnelbroker/CMakeLists.txt b/services/tunnelbroker/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/services/tunnelbroker/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/services/tunnelbroker/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,15 +18,6 @@
 set(_PROTOBUF_LIBPROTOBUF protobuf::libprotobuf)
 set(_PROTOBUF_PROTOC $<TARGET_FILE:protobuf::protoc>)
 
-# gRPC building parameters
-set(gRPC_BUILD_CSHARP_EXT OFF)
-set(gRPC_SSL_PROVIDER "package" CACHE STRING "SSL library provider")
-# Disable unused plugins
-set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_PHP_PLUGIN OFF)
-set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_RUBY_PLUGIN OFF)
-set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_PYTHON_PLUGIN OFF)
-set(gRPC_BUILD_GRPC_CSHARP_PLUGIN OFF)
-
 # Find gRPC installation
 # Looks for gRPCConfig.cmake file installed by gRPC's cmake installation.
 find_package(gRPC CONFIG REQUIRED)
diff --git a/services/tunnelbroker/Dockerfile b/services/tunnelbroker/Dockerfile
--- a/services/tunnelbroker/Dockerfile
+++ b/services/tunnelbroker/Dockerfile
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 	zlib1g-dev \
 	&& rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
-RUN mkdir /transferred/scripts
 WORKDIR /transferred/scripts
 
 # Install SDKs