diff --git a/.github/workflows/update-deb-package-snapshots.yml b/.github/workflows/update-deb-package-snapshots.yml
index bec160db7..fd774d57a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/update-deb-package-snapshots.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/update-deb-package-snapshots.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@ on:
     - cron: "35 20 * * *"
   # allow this workflow to be manually run
   workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      skip_delay:
+        description: "Skip the 1 day buffer and take the newest snapshot (strictly newer than the current one)"
+        type: boolean
+        default: false
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
@@ -25,6 +30,9 @@ jobs:
           go-version: "1.25"
 
       - name: Update snapshots
+        env:
+          # inputs.skip_delay is empty on scheduled runs, so the default 1 day buffer applies
+          SNAPSHOT_SKIP_DELAY: ${{ inputs.skip_delay == true }}
         run: ./knife github-update-snapshots
 
       - name: Set up QEMU
diff --git a/knife b/knife
index 51f818c81..e7e2a1ab0 100755
--- a/knife
+++ b/knife
@@ -66,6 +66,22 @@ function find_latest_snapshot() {
     # intentionally don't include complicated logic for the case where it's after the 1st and no snapshots are
     # available for the month (it's extremely unlikely for our updater to run into this situation unless the
     # snapshot serving infrastructure is acting up).
+    #
+    # Set SNAPSHOT_SKIP_DELAY=true to bypass the buffer and take the newest available snapshot (including
+    # today's). Callers only ever move forward, so this pulls any snapshot strictly newer than the current one.
+    if [[ "${SNAPSHOT_SKIP_DELAY:-false}" == "true" ]]; then
+      local latest=""
+      # check this month first, falling back to last month if nothing has been published yet
+      for offset in "now" "$(date +%Y-%m-01) -1 day"; do
+        local q=$(date -d "$offset" +"year=%Y&month=%m")
+        latest=$(curl -fs "https://snapshot.debian.org/archive/${type}/?$q" | grep -ohE "([0-9]+T[0-9]+Z)" | sort | tail -n1 || true)
+        if [[ -n "$latest" ]]; then
+          echo "$latest"
+          return
+        fi
+      done
+      return
+    fi
     local current="$(date -d '-1 day' +%Y-%m-%d)"
     local tmp=$(mktemp)
     local q=$(date -d "$current" +"year=%Y&month=%m")