diff --git a/tools/internal_ci/helper_scripts/install_python38.ps1 b/tools/internal_ci/helper_scripts/install_python38.ps1
deleted file mode 100644
index e47f83b012ee84fa28a96eb0c3dceeddcfbfe12d..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/tools/internal_ci/helper_scripts/install_python38.ps1
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,78 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env powershell
-# Install Python 3.8 for x64 and x86 in order to build wheels on Windows.
-
-Set-StrictMode -Version 2
-
-# Avoid "Could not create SSL/TLS secure channel"
-[Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12
-
-function Install-Python {
- Param(
- [string]$PythonVersion,
- [string]$PythonInstaller,
- [string]$PythonInstallPath,
- [string]$PythonInstallerHash
- )
- $PythonInstallerUrl = "https://www.python.org/ftp/python/$PythonVersion/$PythonInstaller"
- $PythonInstallerPath = "C:\tools\$PythonInstaller"
-
- # Downloads installer
- Write-Host "Downloading the Python installer: $PythonInstallerUrl => $PythonInstallerPath"
- Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $PythonInstallerUrl -OutFile $PythonInstallerPath
-
- # Validates checksum
- $HashFromDownload = Get-FileHash -Path $PythonInstallerPath -Algorithm MD5
- if ($HashFromDownload.Hash -ne $PythonInstallerHash) {
- throw "Invalid Python installer: failed checksum!"
- }
- Write-Host "Python installer $PythonInstallerPath validated."
-
- # Installs Python
- & $PythonInstallerPath /passive InstallAllUsers=1 PrependPath=1 Include_test=0 TargetDir=$PythonInstallPath
- if (-Not $?) {
- throw "The Python installation exited with error!"
- }
-
- # Validates Python binary
- # NOTE(lidiz) Even if the install command finishes in the script, that
- # doesn't mean the Python installation is finished. If using "ps" to check
- # for running processes, you might see ongoing installers at this point.
- # So, we needs this "hack" to reliably validate that the Python binary is
- # functioning properly.
- $ValidationStartTime = Get-Date
- $EarlyExitDDL = $ValidationStartTime.addminutes(5)
- $PythonBinary = "$PythonInstallPath\python.exe"
- While ($True) {
- $CurrentTime = Get-Date
- if ($CurrentTime -ge $EarlyExitDDL) {
- throw "Invalid Python installation! Timeout!"
- }
- & $PythonBinary -c 'print(42)'
- if ($?) {
- Write-Host "Python binary works properly."
- break
- }
- Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
- }
-
- # Installs pip
- & $PythonBinary -m ensurepip --user
-
- Write-Host "Python $PythonVersion installed by $PythonInstaller at $PythonInstallPath."
-}
-
-$Python38x86Config = @{
- PythonVersion = "3.8.0"
- PythonInstaller = "python-3.8.0.exe"
- PythonInstallPath = "C:\Python38_32bit"
- PythonInstallerHash = "412a649d36626d33b8ca5593cf18318c"
-}
-Install-Python @Python38x86Config
-
-$Python38x64Config = @{
- PythonVersion = "3.8.0"
- PythonInstaller = "python-3.8.0-amd64.exe"
- PythonInstallPath = "C:\Python38"
- PythonInstallerHash = "29ea87f24c32f5e924b7d63f8a08ee8d"
-}
-Install-Python @Python38x64Config
diff --git a/tools/internal_ci/helper_scripts/prepare_build_windows.bat b/tools/internal_ci/helper_scripts/prepare_build_windows.bat
index bfd812345abb9271ea43ed60b08b686292ba3e5f..d129332c3b044eba29e361f7c973e0c3dbe12d72 100644
--- a/tools/internal_ci/helper_scripts/prepare_build_windows.bat
+++ b/tools/internal_ci/helper_scripts/prepare_build_windows.bat
@@ -35,9 +35,6 @@ python -m pip install google-api-python-client
powershell -File src\csharp\install_dotnet_sdk.ps1
set PATH=%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\dotnet;%PATH%
-@rem Install Python 3.8.0
-powershell -File tools\internal_ci\helper_scripts\install_python38.ps1
-
@rem Newest version of Go is required to be able to build boringssl with cmake
@rem TODO(jtattermusch): try to eliminate the dependency on Go
choco install golang -y --version 1.13.1 --limit-output
diff --git a/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_build_artifacts.bat b/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_build_artifacts.bat
index be47fe670b6ff68bccee1f194318930637d5b792..190e848b267170a9061a4ec3fdfdb47523ccf960 100644
--- a/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_build_artifacts.bat
+++ b/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_build_artifacts.bat
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@
@rem See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
@rem limitations under the License.
+@rem Move python installation from _32bit to _32bits where they are expected by python artifact builder
+@rem TODO(jtattermusch): get rid of this hack
+rename C:\Python27_32bit Python27_32bits
+rename C:\Python35_32bit Python35_32bits
+rename C:\Python36_32bit Python36_32bits
+rename C:\Python37_32bit Python37_32bits
+
@rem Boringssl build no longer supports yasm
choco uninstall yasm -y --limit-output
choco install nasm -y --limit-output
diff --git a/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_build_packages.bat b/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_build_packages.bat
index 19a805adfc2f7acc825aced04b7b9304a70ba376..3cf90af39e681b3a7a30492528023f17a25d7800 100644
--- a/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_build_packages.bat
+++ b/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_build_packages.bat
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@
@rem See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
@rem limitations under the License.
+@rem Move python installation from _32bit to _32bits where they are expected by python artifact builder
+@rem TODO(jtattermusch): get rid of this hack
+rename C:\Python27_32bit Python27_32bits
+rename C:\Python35_32bit Python35_32bits
+rename C:\Python36_32bit Python36_32bits
+
@rem enter repo root
cd /d %~dp0\..\..\..
diff --git a/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_distribtests.bat b/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_distribtests.bat
index 72d7076ec90781f10256b3779e3997cfc569e196..effeee649b1f8079646774173d00e90ff0059ba6 100644
--- a/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_distribtests.bat
+++ b/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_distribtests.bat
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@
@rem See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
@rem limitations under the License.
+@rem Move python installation from _32bit to _32bits where they are expected by python artifact builder
+@rem TODO(jtattermusch): get rid of this hack
+rename C:\Python27_32bit Python27_32bits
+rename C:\Python35_32bit Python35_32bits
+rename C:\Python36_32bit Python36_32bits
+
@rem enter repo root
cd /d %~dp0\..\..\..
diff --git a/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_distribtests_standalone.bat b/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_distribtests_standalone.bat
index 80334674144a22f1be09629f760721270582e50e..b33b99c71e88e11b2abd32308fd96dba8ffe47d4 100644
--- a/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_distribtests_standalone.bat
+++ b/tools/internal_ci/windows/grpc_distribtests_standalone.bat
@@ -12,6 +12,12 @@
@rem See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
@rem limitations under the License.
+@rem Move python installation from _32bit to _32bits where they are expected by python artifact builder
+@rem TODO(jtattermusch): get rid of this hack
+rename C:\Python27_32bit Python27_32bits
+rename C:\Python35_32bit Python35_32bits
+rename C:\Python36_32bit Python36_32bits
+
@rem enter repo root
cd /d %~dp0\..\..\..
diff --git a/tools/run_tests/artifacts/artifact_targets.py b/tools/run_tests/artifacts/artifact_targets.py
index c1288cd0914a6916cbbef2bef2035d5528d53390..0709db94696a00d1dd33856c72854f8d6a69b00a 100644
--- a/tools/run_tests/artifacts/artifact_targets.py
+++ b/tools/run_tests/artifacts/artifact_targets.py
@@ -407,16 +407,18 @@ def targets():
PythonArtifact('macos', 'x64', 'python3.6'),
PythonArtifact('macos', 'x64', 'python3.7'),
PythonArtifact('macos', 'x64', 'python3.8'),
- PythonArtifact('windows', 'x86', 'Python27_32bit'),
- PythonArtifact('windows', 'x86', 'Python35_32bit'),
- PythonArtifact('windows', 'x86', 'Python36_32bit'),
- PythonArtifact('windows', 'x86', 'Python37_32bit'),
- PythonArtifact('windows', 'x86', 'Python38_32bit'),
+ PythonArtifact('windows', 'x86', 'Python27_32bits'),
+ PythonArtifact('windows', 'x86', 'Python35_32bits'),
+ PythonArtifact('windows', 'x86', 'Python36_32bits'),
+ PythonArtifact('windows', 'x86', 'Python37_32bits'),
+ # TODO(https://github.com/grpc/grpc/issues/20615) Enable this artifact
+ # PythonArtifact('windows', 'x86', 'Python38_32bits'),
PythonArtifact('windows', 'x64', 'Python27'),
PythonArtifact('windows', 'x64', 'Python35'),
PythonArtifact('windows', 'x64', 'Python36'),
PythonArtifact('windows', 'x64', 'Python37'),
- PythonArtifact('windows', 'x64', 'Python38'),
+ # TODO(https://github.com/grpc/grpc/issues/20615) Enable this artifact
+ # PythonArtifact('windows', 'x64', 'Python38'),
RubyArtifact('linux', 'x64'),
RubyArtifact('macos', 'x64'),
PHPArtifact('linux', 'x64')
diff --git a/tools/run_tests/artifacts/build_artifact_python.bat b/tools/run_tests/artifacts/build_artifact_python.bat
index b1e0ee7d0fb9709e704048f5d02d02eb0fff8de2..88a331e2782e84e9c291e65dd67aee7d1195a1de 100644
--- a/tools/run_tests/artifacts/build_artifact_python.bat
+++ b/tools/run_tests/artifacts/build_artifact_python.bat
@@ -15,10 +15,10 @@
@rem set path to python & mingw compiler
set PATH=C:\%1;C:\%1\scripts;C:\msys64\mingw%2\bin;C:\tools\msys64\mingw%2\bin;%PATH%
-python -m pip install --upgrade six
+pip install --upgrade six
@rem some artifacts are broken for setuptools 38.5.0. See https://github.com/grpc/grpc/issues/14317
-python -m pip install --upgrade setuptools==38.2.4
-python -m pip install -rrequirements.txt
+pip install --upgrade setuptools==38.2.4
+pip install -rrequirements.txt
set GRPC_PYTHON_BUILD_WITH_CYTHON=1