diff --git a/prow/cluster/jobs/istio-private/istio/istio-private.istio.master.gen.yaml b/prow/cluster/jobs/istio-private/istio/istio-private.istio.master.gen.yaml
index e4f84d6f52b..5bc30a4af79 100644
--- a/prow/cluster/jobs/istio-private/istio/istio-private.istio.master.gen.yaml
+++ b/prow/cluster/jobs/istio-private/istio/istio-private.istio.master.gen.yaml
@@ -1438,7 +1438,7 @@ presubmits:
           path: /tmp/prow/cache
           type: DirectoryOrCreate
         name: build-cache
-  - always_run: true
+  - always_run: false
     annotations:
       testgrid-create-test-group: "false"
     branches:
@@ -1453,6 +1453,7 @@ presubmits:
       preset-service-account: "true"
       preset-use-go-control-plane-api-private: "true"
     name: release-test_istio_priv
+    optional: true
     path_alias: istio.io/istio
     spec:
       containers:
diff --git a/prow/cluster/jobs/istio/istio/istio.istio.master.gen.yaml b/prow/cluster/jobs/istio/istio/istio.istio.master.gen.yaml
index c6141353361..8b9271c33f0 100644
--- a/prow/cluster/jobs/istio/istio/istio.istio.master.gen.yaml
+++ b/prow/cluster/jobs/istio/istio/istio.istio.master.gen.yaml
@@ -1562,7 +1562,7 @@ presubmits:
           path: /tmp/prow/cache
           type: DirectoryOrCreate
         name: build-cache
-  - always_run: true
+  - always_run: false
     annotations:
       testgrid-dashboards: istio_istio
     branches:
@@ -1571,6 +1571,7 @@ presubmits:
     labels:
       preset-service-account: "true"
     name: release-test_istio
+    optional: true
     path_alias: istio.io/istio
     spec:
       containers:
diff --git a/prow/config/jobs/istio.yaml b/prow/config/jobs/istio.yaml
index 2d82e639187..ca109e1abb1 100644
--- a/prow/config/jobs/istio.yaml
+++ b/prow/config/jobs/istio.yaml
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ jobs:
   - name: unit-tests
     command: [entrypoint, make, -e, "T=-v -count=1", build, racetest, binaries-test]
 
+  # TODO(https://github.com/istio/istio/issues/32985) make this required again
   - name: release-test
     types: [presubmit]
+    modifiers: [optional, skipped]
     command: [entrypoint, prow/release-test.sh]
     requirements: [gcp, docker]