diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-nightly-release-alma9.yml b/.github/workflows/build-nightly-release-alma9.yml
index 64e0f9dd..79608219 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-nightly-release-alma9.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-nightly-release-alma9.yml
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ on:
       cvmfs-deployment:
         description: 'whether to deploy the release to cvmfs'
         default: 'no'
+      send-slack-message:
+        description: 'whether to send a message to #daq-release-notifications on failure'
+        default: 'no'
 
 jobs:
   make_nightly_tag:
@@ -274,7 +277,7 @@ jobs:
         rm -rf $unique_name
 
   send_slack_message:
-    if: failure()
+    if: failure() || (github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && github.event.inputs.send-slack-message == 'yes')
     runs-on: daq
     name: send slack message
     needs: publish_to_cvmfs
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-v4-release-alma9.yml b/.github/workflows/build-v4-release-alma9.yml
index d1120930..b6cf4fce 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-v4-release-alma9.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-v4-release-alma9.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ on:
       cvmfs-deployment:
         description: 'whether to deploy the release to cvmfs'
         default: 'no'
+      send-slack-message:
+        description: 'whether to send a message to #daq-release-notifications on failure'
+        default: 'no'
 
 jobs:
   make_nightly_tag:
@@ -274,7 +277,7 @@ jobs:
         rm -rf $unique_name
 
   send_slack_message:
-    if: failure()
+    if: failure() || (github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && github.event.inputs.send-slack-message == 'yes')
     runs-on: daq
     name: send slack message
     needs: publish_to_cvmfs
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly-v4-integtest.yml b/.github/workflows/nightly-v4-integtest.yml
index f13f23aa..bed3f98c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightly-v4-integtest.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly-v4-integtest.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ on:
     - cron: "0 9 * * 0"
 
   workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      send-slack-message:
+        description: 'whether to send a message to #daq-release-notifications on failure'
+        default: 'no'
 
 
 jobs:
@@ -104,7 +108,7 @@ jobs:
           /home/nfs/dunedaq/kill_stale_gunicorn_processes.sh
 
   send_slack_message:
-    if: failure()
+    if: failure() || (github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && github.event.inputs.send-slack-message == 'yes')
     runs-on: daq
     name: send slack message
     needs: integration_tests
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly-v5-integtest.yml b/.github/workflows/nightly-v5-integtest.yml
index 7d8e1b2d..c30afd7e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightly-v5-integtest.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly-v5-integtest.yml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ on:
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
       send-slack-message:
-        description: 'Send message to daq-release-notifications on failure?'
+        description: 'whether to send a message to #daq-release-notifications on failure'
         default: 'no'