diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/1/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/1/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz
index 836fbc64d4b8..82169cfaa904 100644
Binary files a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/1/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz and b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/1/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz differ
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/2/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/2/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz
index e565080c0d5c..5ebbcd223081 100644
Binary files a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/2/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz and b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/2/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz differ
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/3/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/3/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz
index fdda303b7be3..030d1df27d11 100644
Binary files a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/3/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz and b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/3/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz differ
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/4/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/4/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz
index 4551edff6169..a3f1bbe93fc0 100644
Binary files a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/4/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz and b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/4/checkpoint-v20.1.tgz differ
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test_runner.go b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test_runner.go
index d12052482d8b..00162e021342 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test_runner.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/test_runner.go
@@ -1171,7 +1171,7 @@ func PredecessorVersion(buildVersion version.Version) (string, error) {
 	// (see runVersionUpgrade). The same is true for adding a new key to this
 	// map.
 	verMap := map[string]string{
-		"20.2": "20.1.4",
+		"20.2": "20.1.6",
 		"20.1": "19.2.9",
 		"19.2": "19.1.11",
 		"19.1": "2.1.9",
diff --git a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/versionupgrade.go b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/versionupgrade.go
index 1382131883de..7932892df0de 100644
--- a/pkg/cmd/roachtest/versionupgrade.go
+++ b/pkg/cmd/roachtest/versionupgrade.go
@@ -89,13 +89,12 @@ func runVersionUpgrade(ctx context.Context, t *test, c *cluster, buildVersion ve
 	// is necessary after every release. For example, the day `master` becomes
 	// the 20.2 release, this test will fail because it is missing a fixture for
 	// 20.1; run the test (on 20.1) with the bool flipped to create the fixture.
-	// Check it in (instructions are on the 'checkpointer' struct) and off we
-	// go.
+	// Check it in (instructions will be logged below) and off we go.
 	if false {
 		// The version to create/update the fixture for. Must be released (i.e.
 		// can download it from the homepage); if that is not the case use the
 		// empty string which uses the local cockroach binary.
-		newV := "19.2.6"
+		newV := "20.1.6"
 		predV, err := PredecessorVersion(*version.MustParse("v" + newV))
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
@@ -506,8 +505,18 @@ func makeVersionFixtureAndFatal(
 			// compatible).
 			name := checkpointName(u.binaryVersion(ctx, t, 1).String())
 			u.c.Stop(ctx, c.All())
+			// TODO(irfansharif): This will need replacement, or a suitable
+			// alternative, for when we strip out rocksdb entirely. This will
+			// fail with an opaque error if building the cockroach binary
+			// without rocksdb (`make buildshort`).
 			c.Run(ctx, c.All(), cockroach, "debug", "rocksdb", "--db={store-dir}",
 				"checkpoint", "--checkpoint_dir={store-dir}/"+name)
+			// The `cluster-bootstrapped` marker can already be found within
+			// store-dir, but the rocksdb checkpoint step above does not pick it
+			// up as it isn't recognized by RocksDB. We copy the marker
+			// manually, it's necessary for roachprod created clusters. See
+			// #54761.
+			c.Run(ctx, c.Node(1), "cp", "{store-dir}/cluster-bootstrapped", "{store-dir}/"+name)
 			c.Run(ctx, c.All(), "tar", "-C", "{store-dir}/"+name, "-czf", "{log-dir}/"+name+".tgz", ".")
 			t.Fatalf(`successfully created checkpoints; failing test on purpose.
 
@@ -516,7 +525,7 @@ result:
 
 for i in 1 2 3 4; do
   mkdir -p pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/${i} && \
-  mv artifacts/acceptance/version-upgrade/run_1/${i}.logs/checkpoint-*.tgz \
+  mv artifacts/acceptance/version-upgrade/run_1/logs/${i}.unredacted/checkpoint-*.tgz \
      pkg/cmd/roachtest/fixtures/${i}/
 done
 `)