diff --git a/scripts/publish-ift-aux-images.sh b/scripts/publish-ift-aux-images.sh
index aa2767b..ec52bb6 100644
--- a/scripts/publish-ift-aux-images.sh
+++ b/scripts/publish-ift-aux-images.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,21 @@ REGISTRY="${1:?registry}"
 TAG="${2:?sha-tag}"
 FILES="${3:-}"
 
+rebuild_image() {
+  local name="$1"
+  local context="$2"
+  local dockerfile="$3"
+  local reason="$4"
+
+  echo "== ${name}: rebuild (${reason})"
+  bash scripts/retry-docker-build.sh 3 30 -- \
+    docker buildx build -f "${dockerfile}" --push \
+      -t "${REGISTRY}/${name}:${TAG}" \
+      -t "${REGISTRY}/${name}:ift" \
+      --provenance=false --sbom=false \
+      "${context}"
+}
+
 publish_image() {
   local name="$1"
   local path_pattern="$2"
@@ -19,20 +34,14 @@ publish_image() {
   fi
 
   if echo "${FILES}" | grep -qE "${path_pattern}"; then
-    echo "== ${name}: rebuild (matched: ${path_pattern})"
-    bash scripts/retry-docker-build.sh 3 30 -- \
-      docker buildx build -f "${dockerfile}" --push \
-        -t "${REGISTRY}/${name}:${TAG}" \
-        -t "${REGISTRY}/${name}:ift" \
-        --provenance=false --sbom=false \
-        "${context}"
+    rebuild_image "${name}" "${context}" "${dockerfile}" "matched: ${path_pattern}"
     return
   fi
 
   echo "== ${name}: unchanged, promote :ift -> ${TAG}"
   if ! docker buildx imagetools inspect "${REGISTRY}/${name}:ift" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    echo "ERROR: ${name}:ift not found and no matching changes in this commit"
-    exit 1
+    rebuild_image "${name}" "${context}" "${dockerfile}" "bootstrap: :ift not found"
+    return
   fi
   docker buildx imagetools create \
     -t "${REGISTRY}/${name}:${TAG}" \