diff --git a/.kokoro/test-samples.sh b/.kokoro/test-samples.sh
index 653239fb..cbdb07ed 100755
--- a/.kokoro/test-samples.sh
+++ b/.kokoro/test-samples.sh
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ if [[ $KOKORO_BUILD_ARTIFACTS_SUBDIR = *"periodic"* ]]; then
     git checkout $LATEST_RELEASE
 fi
 
+# Exit early if samples directory doesn't exist
+if [ ! -d "./samples" ]; then
+  echo "No tests run. `./samples` not found"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
 # Disable buffering, so that the logs stream through.
 export PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
 
@@ -101,4 +107,4 @@ cd "$ROOT"
 # Workaround for Kokoro permissions issue: delete secrets
 rm testing/{test-env.sh,client-secrets.json,service-account.json}
 
-exit "$RTN"
\ No newline at end of file
+exit "$RTN"
diff --git a/synth.metadata b/synth.metadata
index 8b2b29d6..70724462 100644
--- a/synth.metadata
+++ b/synth.metadata
@@ -4,14 +4,14 @@
       "git": {
         "name": ".",
         "remote": "https://github.com/googleapis/python-api-core.git",
-        "sha": "a85533903c57be4809fe76435e298409e0903931"
+        "sha": "70ebe42601b3d088b3421233ef7d8245229b7265"
       }
     },
     {
       "git": {
         "name": "synthtool",
         "remote": "https://github.com/googleapis/synthtool.git",
-        "sha": "487eba79f8260e34205d8ceb1ebcc65685085e19"
+        "sha": "477764cc4ee6db346d3febef2bb1ea0abf27de52"
       }
     }
   ],