diff --git a/core-services/release-controller/_releases/priv/release-ocp-4.17.json b/core-services/release-controller/_releases/priv/release-ocp-4.17.json
index 9d5f9bfcc2e3..f7eb5b42c9b0 100644
--- a/core-services/release-controller/_releases/priv/release-ocp-4.17.json
+++ b/core-services/release-controller/_releases/priv/release-ocp-4.17.json
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
             },
             "disabled": true,
             "maxRetries": 2,
+            "optional": true,
             "prowJob": {
                 "name": "periodic-ci-openshift-release-master-ci-4.17-e2e-aws-upgrade-ovn-single-node-priv"
             },
diff --git a/core-services/release-controller/_releases/priv/release-ocp-4.18.json b/core-services/release-controller/_releases/priv/release-ocp-4.18.json
index f933bf4cc51d..856193cf3f0a 100644
--- a/core-services/release-controller/_releases/priv/release-ocp-4.18.json
+++ b/core-services/release-controller/_releases/priv/release-ocp-4.18.json
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
             },
             "disabled": true,
             "maxRetries": 2,
+            "optional": true,
             "prowJob": {
                 "name": "periodic-ci-openshift-release-master-ci-4.18-e2e-aws-upgrade-ovn-single-node-priv"
             },
diff --git a/core-services/release-controller/_releases/release-ocp-4.17.json b/core-services/release-controller/_releases/release-ocp-4.17.json
index be9986f8276c..a0e6b2f6d253 100644
--- a/core-services/release-controller/_releases/release-ocp-4.17.json
+++ b/core-services/release-controller/_releases/release-ocp-4.17.json
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@
     },
     "aggregated-aws-ovn-single-node-upgrade-4.17-micro": {
       "maxRetries": 2,
+      "optional": true,
       "prowJob": {
         "name": "periodic-ci-openshift-release-master-ci-4.17-e2e-aws-upgrade-ovn-single-node"
       },
diff --git a/core-services/release-controller/_releases/release-ocp-4.18.json b/core-services/release-controller/_releases/release-ocp-4.18.json
index 50fb63c8ccc6..9d6e683197fc 100644
--- a/core-services/release-controller/_releases/release-ocp-4.18.json
+++ b/core-services/release-controller/_releases/release-ocp-4.18.json
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@
     },
     "aggregated-aws-ovn-single-node-upgrade-4.18-micro": {
       "maxRetries": 2,
+      "optional": true,
       "prowJob": {
         "name": "periodic-ci-openshift-release-master-ci-4.18-e2e-aws-upgrade-ovn-single-node"
       },