diff --git a/ci/azure/windows-py27.yml b/ci/azure/windows-py27.yml
index 760310f88752e..e60844896b71c 100644
--- a/ci/azure/windows-py27.yml
+++ b/ci/azure/windows-py27.yml
@@ -20,6 +20,15 @@ jobs:
         updateConda: no
         packageSpecs: ''
 
+    # Need to install VC 9.0 only for Python 2.7
+    # Once we understand how to do tasks conditional on build matrix variables
+    # we could merge this into azure-windows.yml
+    - powershell: |
+        $wc = New-Object net.webclient
+        $wc.Downloadfile("https://download.microsoft.com/download/7/9/6/796EF2E4-801B-4FC4-AB28-B59FBF6D907B/VCForPython27.msi", "VCForPython27.msi")
+        Start-Process "VCForPython27.msi" /qn -Wait
+      displayName: 'Install VC 9.0'
+
     - script: |
         ci\\incremental\\setup_conda_environment.cmd
       displayName: 'Before Install'
diff --git a/ci/incremental/install_miniconda.sh b/ci/incremental/install_miniconda.sh
index 4aa73bac6729b..a47dfdb324b34 100755
--- a/ci/incremental/install_miniconda.sh
+++ b/ci/incremental/install_miniconda.sh
@@ -6,12 +6,12 @@ set -v -e
 unamestr=`uname`
 if [[ "$unamestr" == 'Linux' ]]; then
     if [[ "$BITS32" == "yes" ]]; then
-        wget https://repo.continuum.io/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86.sh -O miniconda.sh
+        wget -q https://repo.continuum.io/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86.sh -O miniconda.sh
     else
-        wget https://repo.continuum.io/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh -O miniconda.sh
+        wget -q https://repo.continuum.io/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-Linux-x86_64.sh -O miniconda.sh
     fi
 elif [[ "$unamestr" == 'Darwin' ]]; then
-    wget https://repo.continuum.io/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-MacOSX-x86_64.sh -O miniconda.sh
+    wget -q https://repo.continuum.io/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-MacOSX-x86_64.sh -O miniconda.sh
 else
   echo Error
 fi
diff --git a/ci/incremental/setup_conda_environment.sh b/ci/incremental/setup_conda_environment.sh
index c5fa701f99ecd..15b39ab67d368 100755
--- a/ci/incremental/setup_conda_environment.sh
+++ b/ci/incremental/setup_conda_environment.sh
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ pip uninstall -y pandas
 echo
 echo "[no installed pandas]"
 conda list pandas
-pip list --format columns |grep pandas
+# Add the grep -v grep so that exit with 0
+pip list --format columns | grep pandas | {grep -v grep || true; }
 
 # # Install the compiler toolchain
 # if [[ $(uname) == Linux ]]; then