--- a/scripts/release/updates/chunked-verify.py
+++ b/scripts/release/updates/chunked-verify.py
@@ -53,16 +53,17 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     )
     parser.add_option("--config-dict", dest="configDict")
     parser.add_option("--verify-config", dest="verifyConfig")
     parser.add_option("-t", "--release-tag", dest="releaseTag")
     parser.add_option("-r", "--release-config", dest="releaseConfig")
     parser.add_option("-b", "--buildbot-configs", dest="buildbotConfigs")
     parser.add_option("-p", "--platform", dest="platform")
     parser.add_option("-C", "--release-channel", dest="release_channel")
+    parser.add_option("--verify-channel", dest="verify_channel")
     parser.add_option("--chunks", dest="chunks", type="int")
     parser.add_option("--this-chunk", dest="thisChunk", type="int")
 
     options, args = parser.parse_args()
     if not options.verifyConfig:
         mercurial(options.buildbotConfigs, "buildbot-configs")
         update("buildbot-configs", revision=options.releaseTag)
         releaseConfig = validate(options, args)
@@ -72,15 +73,18 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
 
     fd, configFile = mkstemp()
     fh = os.fdopen(fd, "w")
     try:
         verifyConfig = UpdateVerifyConfig()
         verifyConfig.read(path.join(UPDATE_VERIFY_DIR, verifyConfigFile))
         myVerifyConfig = verifyConfig.getChunk(
             options.chunks, options.thisChunk)
+        # override the channel if explicitly set
+        if options.verify_channel:
+            myVerifyConfig.channel = options.verify_channel
         myVerifyConfig.write(fh)
         fh.close()
         run_cmd(["cat", configFile])
         run_cmd(UPDATE_VERIFY_COMMAND + [configFile], cwd=UPDATE_VERIFY_DIR)
     finally:
         if path.exists(configFile):
             os.unlink(configFile)

--- a/scripts/release/updates/chunked-verify.sh
+++ b/scripts/release/updates/chunked-verify.sh
@@ -56,18 +56,24 @@ if [ -z "$VERIFY_CONFIG" -a -n "$NO_BBCO
 fi
 
 if [ -z "$NO_BBCONFIG" ]; then
   $PYTHON $MY_DIR/chunked-verify.py -t $TAG -r $RELEASE_CONFIG \
   -b $BUILDBOT_CONFIGS -p $platform --chunks $chunks --this-chunk $thisChunk \
   --config-dict $configDict --release-channel $channel \
     2>&1 | tee $SCRIPTS_DIR/../verify_log.txt
 else
+  # release promotion
+  if [ -n "$CHANNEL" ]; then
+    EXTRA_PARAMS="--verify-channel $CHANNEL"
+  else
+    EXTRA_PARAMS=""
+  fi
   $PYTHON $MY_DIR/chunked-verify.py --chunks $chunks --this-chunk $thisChunk \
-  --verify-config $VERIFY_CONFIG \
+  --verify-config $VERIFY_CONFIG $EXTRA_PARAMS \
   2>&1 | tee $SCRIPTS_DIR/../verify_log.txt
 fi
 
 print_failed_msg()
 {
   echo "-------------------------"
   echo "This run has failed, see the above log"
   echo