diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-uc2.yml b/.github/workflows/build-uc2.yml
index 554e3ec0e9..f48595afdd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-uc2.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-uc2.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,16 @@
 name: Build UC2
 
 on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      buildType:
+        description: 'Build Type'
+        required: false
+        default: ''
+        type: choice
+        options:
+          - 'Debug'
+          - 'Release'
   push:
     paths-ignore:
       - ".gitignore"
@@ -15,8 +25,8 @@ on:
   pull_request:
 
 env:
-  # Build Debug mode if not tag release
-  BUILD_TYPE: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags') && 'Release' || 'Debug' }}
+  # Specify build type either according to the tag release or manual override
+  BUILD_TYPE: ${{ inputs.buildType != '' && inputs.buildType || startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags') && 'Release' || 'Debug' }}
 
 jobs:
   Windows:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-wheels-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/build-wheels-publish.yml
index 39d860226d..4327b86901 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-wheels-publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-wheels-publish.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,16 @@
 name: Build wheels with cibuildwheel
 
 on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      debugMode:
+        description: 'Debug Mode'
+        required: false
+        default: ''
+        type: choice
+        options:
+          - '0'
+          - '1'
   push:
     paths-ignore:
       - ".gitignore"
@@ -15,8 +25,8 @@ on:
   pull_request:
 
 env:
-  # Enable DEBUG flag if not tag release
-  UNICORN_DEBUG: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags') && '0' || '1' }}
+  # Enable DEBUG flag either according to the tag release or manual override
+  UNICORN_DEBUG: ${{ inputs.debugMode != '' && inputs.debugMode || startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags') && '0' || '1' }}
 
 jobs:
   # job to be executed for every push - testing purpose
@@ -160,7 +170,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
-          name: cibw-wheels-${{ matrix.os }}-${{ strategy.job-index }}
+          name: cibw-wheels-${{ matrix.os }}-${{ strategy.job-index }}-py38
           path: ./wheelhouse/*.whl
 
   # Job to be executed to build all wheels for all platforms/architectures/python versions only for tag release
@@ -315,7 +325,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
-          name: cibw-wheels-${{ matrix.os }}-${{ strategy.job-index }}
+          name: cibw-wheels-${{ matrix.os }}-${{ strategy.job-index }}-all
           path: ./wheelhouse/*.whl
 
   make_sdist:
@@ -335,6 +345,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
+          name: sdist-archive
           path: bindings/python/dist/*.tar.gz
 
   publish: