diff --git a/roles/gitlab_runner/tasks/install.debianlike.yml b/roles/gitlab_runner/tasks/install.debianlike.yml
index bdfe0ec4..395ba80c 100644
--- a/roles/gitlab_runner/tasks/install.debianlike.yml
+++ b/roles/gitlab_runner/tasks/install.debianlike.yml
@@ -39,6 +39,16 @@
         mode: '0644'
       when: "ansible_distribution == 'Debian'"
 
+    - name: "Install gitlab-runner-helper-images with downgrade option"
+      ansible.builtin.apt:
+        name: "{{ gitlab_runner_helper_images_package_name }}"
+        state: "present"
+        update_cache: true
+        allow_downgrade: true
+      when:
+        - "not gitlab_runner_is_initial_dryrun"  # skip if run for the first time in check mode
+        - "gitlab_runner_version is version('17.7.0', 'ge') or gitlab_runner_version | length == 0"
+
     - name: "Install gitlab-runner with downgrade option"
       ansible.builtin.apt:
         name: "{{ gitlab_runner_package_name }}"
diff --git a/roles/gitlab_runner/vars/debian.yml b/roles/gitlab_runner/vars/debian.yml
index 00a8d5da..d392617f 100644
--- a/roles/gitlab_runner/vars/debian.yml
+++ b/roles/gitlab_runner/vars/debian.yml
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
 ---
-gitlab_runner_package_name: "{{ 'gitlab-runner=' + gitlab_runner_pkg_version if gitlab_runner_version else 'gitlab-runner' }}"
+gitlab_runner_package_name: "gitlab-runner{{ '=' + gitlab_runner_pkg_version if gitlab_runner_version else '' }}"
+gitlab_runner_helper_images_package_name: "gitlab-runner-helper-images{{ '=' + gitlab_runner_pkg_version if gitlab_runner_version else '' }}"