diff --git a/rs/cli/src/cli.rs b/rs/cli/src/cli.rs
index 3eb58c24..11b9dcc9 100644
--- a/rs/cli/src/cli.rs
+++ b/rs/cli/src/cli.rs
@@ -293,6 +293,10 @@ pub(crate) mod version {
 
             /// Git tag for the release.
             release_tag: String,
+
+            /// Force proposal submission, ignoring missing download URLs
+            #[clap(long)]
+            force: bool,
         },
         /// Update the elected/blessed HostOS versions in the registry
         /// by adding a new version and potentially removing obsolete versions
@@ -302,6 +306,10 @@ pub(crate) mod version {
 
             /// Git tag for the release.
             release_tag: String,
+
+            /// Force proposal submission, ignoring missing download URLs
+            #[clap(long)]
+            force: bool,
         },
     }
     impl From<UpdateCommands> for Artifact {
diff --git a/rs/cli/src/ic_admin.rs b/rs/cli/src/ic_admin.rs
index 2719ce16..5e182c46 100644
--- a/rs/cli/src/ic_admin.rs
+++ b/rs/cli/src/ic_admin.rs
@@ -500,6 +500,7 @@ impl IcAdminWrapper {
     async fn download_images_and_validate_sha256(
         image: &Artifact,
         version: &String,
+        ignore_missing_urls: bool,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<(Vec<String>, String)> {
         let update_urls = vec![
             Self::get_s3_cdn_image_url(version, &image.s3_folder()),
@@ -560,7 +561,13 @@ impl IcAdminWrapper {
                 update_urls.join(", ")
             ));
         } else if update_urls.len() == 1 {
-            warn!("Only 1 update image is available. At least 2 should be present in the proposal");
+            if ignore_missing_urls {
+                warn!("Only 1 update image is available. At least 2 should be present in the proposal");
+            } else {
+                return Err(anyhow::anyhow!(
+                    "Only 1 update image is available. At least 2 should be present in the proposal"
+                ));
+            }
         }
         Ok((update_urls, expected_hash))
     }
@@ -569,9 +576,11 @@ impl IcAdminWrapper {
         release_artifact: &Artifact,
         version: &String,
         release_tag: &String,
+        force: bool,
         retire_versions: Option<Vec<String>>,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<UpdateVersion> {
-        let (update_urls, expected_hash) = Self::download_images_and_validate_sha256(release_artifact, version).await?;
+        let (update_urls, expected_hash) =
+            Self::download_images_and_validate_sha256(release_artifact, version, force).await?;
 
         let template = format!(
             r#"Elect new {release_artifact} binary revision [{version}](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/tree/{release_tag})
diff --git a/rs/cli/src/main.rs b/rs/cli/src/main.rs
index 84e4d880..d35119df 100644
--- a/rs/cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/rs/cli/src/main.rs
@@ -221,11 +221,12 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), anyhow::Error> {
                         let release_artifact: &Artifact = &update_command.subcommand.clone().into();
 
                         let update_version = match &update_command.subcommand {
-                            cli::version::UpdateCommands::Replica { version, release_tag} | cli::version::UpdateCommands::HostOS { version, release_tag} => {
+                            cli::version::UpdateCommands::Replica { version, release_tag, force} | cli::version::UpdateCommands::HostOS { version, release_tag, force} => {
                                 ic_admin::IcAdminWrapper::prepare_to_propose_to_update_elected_versions(
                                     release_artifact,
                                     version,
                                     release_tag,
+                                    *force,
                                     runner.prepare_versions_to_retire(release_artifact, false).await.map(|res| res.1)?,
                                 )
                             }