diff --git a/perfkitbenchmarker/providers/gcp/gce_virtual_machine.py b/perfkitbenchmarker/providers/gcp/gce_virtual_machine.py
index 7cd420633..85ee76892 100644
--- a/perfkitbenchmarker/providers/gcp/gce_virtual_machine.py
+++ b/perfkitbenchmarker/providers/gcp/gce_virtual_machine.py
@@ -1289,11 +1289,8 @@ def SimulateMaintenanceEvent(self):
 
     time.sleep(LM_UNAVAILABLE_STATUS_WAIT_TIME_MIN * 60)
     stdout, _, retcode = logcmd.Issue(raise_on_failure=False)
-    if retcode or 'error' in stdout:
-      raise errors.VirtualMachine.VirtualMachineError(
-          'Unable to get logs for simulate maintenance event.'
-      )
-    elif 'MIGRATION_TEMPORARILY_UNAVAILABLE' in stdout:
+    # if the migration is temporarily unavailable, retry the migration command
+    if not retcode and 'MIGRATION_TEMPORARILY_UNAVAILABLE' in stdout:
       stdout, _, retcode = cmd.Issue(raise_on_failure=False)
       if retcode or 'error' in stdout:
         raise errors.VirtualMachine.VirtualMachineError(
diff --git a/perfkitbenchmarker/providers/gcp/gce_windows_virtual_machine.py b/perfkitbenchmarker/providers/gcp/gce_windows_virtual_machine.py
index 6b9e229ef..f2633661f 100644
--- a/perfkitbenchmarker/providers/gcp/gce_windows_virtual_machine.py
+++ b/perfkitbenchmarker/providers/gcp/gce_windows_virtual_machine.py
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ def GetDefaultImageProject(self) -> str:
 
   def SetupLMNotification(self):
     """Prepare environment for /scripts/gce_maintenance_notify.py script."""
-    self.Install('pip')
+    self.Install('python')
     self.RemoteCommand('pip install requests')
     self.PushDataFile(
         self._LM_NOTICE_SCRIPT, f'{self.temp_dir}\\{self._LM_NOTICE_SCRIPT}'