diff --git a/.kokoro/release/stage.sh b/.kokoro/release/stage.sh
index 3c482cbc5..d19191fc8 100755
--- a/.kokoro/release/stage.sh
+++ b/.kokoro/release/stage.sh
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@
 set -eo pipefail
 
 # Start the releasetool reporter
-python3 -m pip install gcp-releasetool
-python3 -m releasetool publish-reporter-script > /tmp/publisher-script; source /tmp/publisher-script
+# Disable reporting due to issue observed with Kokoro blocking releases
+# python3 -m pip install gcp-releasetool
+# python3 -m releasetool publish-reporter-script > /tmp/publisher-script; source /tmp/publisher-script
 
 source $(dirname "$0")/common.sh
 MAVEN_SETTINGS_FILE=$(realpath $(dirname "$0")/../../)/settings.xml
diff --git a/synth.metadata b/synth.metadata
index 31f1a9816..c283453cd 100644
--- a/synth.metadata
+++ b/synth.metadata
@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@
       "git": {
         "name": ".",
         "remote": "https://github.com/googleapis/java-storage.git",
-        "sha": "6c372fa81e49ac74bdda6f9b10914fac42767247"
+        "sha": "8602b81eae95868e184fd4ab290396707bd21a8e"
       }
     },
     {
       "git": {
         "name": "synthtool",
         "remote": "https://github.com/googleapis/synthtool.git",
-        "sha": "9602086c6c5b05db77950c7f7495a2a3868f3537"
+        "sha": "968465a1cad496e1292ef4584a054a35f756ff94"
       }
     }
   ],