diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0fd2342..71eac1a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@ repository.json
 user.json
 tests/sample-test-release-v2.json
 tests/sample-test-release-v3.json
+tests/sample-test-release-null-body.json
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 49c5d10..7f51c4c 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ const convertLinksToMarkdown = (text) => {
  * @returns {string} The formatted description.
  */
 const formatDescription = (description) => {
-    let edit = removeCarriageReturn(description);
+    let edit = removeCarriageReturn(description ?? '');
     edit = removeHTMLComments(edit);
     edit = reduceNewlines(edit);
 
@@ -303,8 +303,8 @@ const run = async () => {
 
     const { body, html_url, name } = getContext();
 
-    if (!body || !name) {
-        return core.setFailed('No GitHub release payload found. When using workflow_dispatch, pass release_name and release_body inputs to the action.');
+    if (!name) {
+        return core.setFailed('No GitHub release payload found. When using workflow_dispatch, pass release_name to the action.');
     }
 
     const description = formatDescription(body);
diff --git a/tests/manual-dispatch.test.js b/tests/manual-dispatch.test.js
index 4bff355..e907a2e 100644
--- a/tests/manual-dispatch.test.js
+++ b/tests/manual-dispatch.test.js
@@ -34,6 +34,14 @@ const githubMock = {
     }
 };
 
+beforeEach(() => {
+    fetchMock.mockClear();
+    coreMock.setFailed.mockClear();
+    coreMock.info.mockClear();
+    coreMock.warning.mockClear();
+    githubMock.context.payload = {};
+});
+
 jest.unstable_mockModule('@actions/core', () => ({
     default: coreMock
 }));
@@ -72,4 +80,27 @@ describe('manual dispatch integration', () => {
         expect(coreMock.setFailed).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
         expect(coreMock.info).toHaveBeenCalledWith('{"id":"discord-message-id"}');
     });
+
+    test('run() tolerates a release payload with a null body', async () => {
+        githubMock.context.payload.release = {
+            name: 'v1.2.4',
+            body: null,
+            html_url: 'https://github.com/owner/repo/releases/tag/v1.2.4'
+        };
+
+        const { run } = await import('../index.js');
+
+        await run();
+
+        expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+        const request = JSON.parse(fetchMock.mock.calls[0][1].body);
+        expect(request.embeds[0]).toMatchObject({
+            title: 'v1.2.4',
+            url: 'https://github.com/owner/repo/releases/tag/v1.2.4',
+            description: ''
+        });
+
+        expect(coreMock.setFailed).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
 });