diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/container/build-va-tools.sh b/.gitlab-ci/container/build-va-tools.sh
index 72098516da4..5d28b47f984 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/container/build-va-tools.sh
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/container/build-va-tools.sh
@@ -1,18 +1,25 @@
-#!/bin/bash
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
 # shellcheck disable=SC2086 # we want word splitting
+# When changing this file, you need to bump the following
+# .gitlab-ci/image-tags.yml tags:
+# KERNEL_ROOTFS_TAG
 
 set -ex
 
 git config --global user.email "mesa@example.com"
 git config --global user.name "Mesa CI"
+
 git clone \
     https://github.com/intel/libva-utils.git \
-    -b 2.13.0 \
+    -b 2.18.1 \
     --depth 1 \
     /va-utils
 
 pushd /va-utils
-meson build -D tests=true  -Dprefix=/va $EXTRA_MESON_ARGS
-ninja -C build install
+# Too old libva in Debian 11. TODO: when this PR gets in, refer to the patch.
+curl -L https://github.com/intel/libva-utils/pull/329.patch | git am
+
+meson setup build -D tests=true -Dprefix=/va $EXTRA_MESON_ARGS
+meson install -C build
 popd
 rm -rf /va-utils
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci/image-tags.yml b/.gitlab-ci/image-tags.yml
index 07c131478a1..e1c85b610b9 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci/image-tags.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci/image-tags.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ variables:
 
    ALPINE_X86_BUILD_TAG: "2023-03-20-3.17-bump"
    FEDORA_X86_BUILD_TAG: "2023-04-26-rusticl"
-   KERNEL_ROOTFS_TAG: "2023-05-17-piglit-d8c08d12"
+   KERNEL_ROOTFS_TAG: "2023-05-18-libva-utils-2.18.1"
 
    WINDOWS_X64_VS_PATH: "windows/x64_vs"
    WINDOWS_X64_VS_TAG: "2022-10-20-upgrade-zlib"