diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 4a8dcb09b725..cd4a4dfb40ea 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -83,6 +83,10 @@ jobs:
             case ${MESSAGE} in
               Bump* ) echo 'export ELECTRON_RELEASE=1' >> $BASH_ENV
             esac
+            if [ -n "${RUN_RELEASE_BUILD}" ]; then
+              echo 'release build triggered from api'
+              echo 'export ELECTRON_RELEASE=1 TRIGGERED_BY_API=1' >> $BASH_ENV
+            fi
       - run:
          name: Bootstrap
          command: |
@@ -119,6 +123,9 @@ jobs:
              if [ "$ELECTRON_RELEASE" == "1" ]; then
                 echo 'Uploading Electron release distribution'
                 script/upload.py
+             elif [ "$ELECTRON_RELEASE" == "1" ] && [ "$TRIGGERED_BY_API" == "1" ]; then
+                echo 'Uploading Electron release distribution to s3'
+                script/upload.py --upload_to_s3
              else
                 echo 'Skipping upload distribution because build is not for release'
              fi
@@ -140,6 +147,10 @@ jobs:
             case ${MESSAGE} in
               Bump* ) echo 'export ELECTRON_RELEASE=1' >> $BASH_ENV
             esac
+            if [ -n "${RUN_RELEASE_BUILD}" ]; then
+              echo 'release build triggered from api'
+              echo 'export ELECTRON_RELEASE=1 TRIGGERED_BY_API=1' >> $BASH_ENV
+            fi
       - run:
          name: Bootstrap
          command: |
@@ -176,6 +187,9 @@ jobs:
              if [ "$ELECTRON_RELEASE" == "1" ]; then
                 echo 'Uploading Electron release distribution'
                 script/upload.py
+             elif [ "$ELECTRON_RELEASE" == "1" ] && [ "$TRIGGERED_BY_API" == "1" ]; then
+                echo 'Uploading Electron release distribution to s3'
+                script/upload.py --upload_to_s3
              else
                 echo 'Skipping upload distribution because build is not for release'
              fi
@@ -198,6 +212,10 @@ jobs:
             case ${MESSAGE} in
               Bump* ) echo 'export ELECTRON_RELEASE=1' >> $BASH_ENV
             esac
+            if [ -n "${RUN_RELEASE_BUILD}" ]; then
+              echo 'release build triggered from api'
+              echo 'export ELECTRON_RELEASE=1 TRIGGERED_BY_API=1' >> $BASH_ENV
+            fi
       - run:
          name: Bootstrap
          command: |
@@ -234,6 +252,9 @@ jobs:
              if [ "$ELECTRON_RELEASE" == "1" ]; then
                 echo 'Uploading Electron release distribution'
                 script/upload.py
+             elif [ "$ELECTRON_RELEASE" == "1" ] && [ "$TRIGGERED_BY_API" == "1" ]; then
+                echo 'Uploading Electron release distribution to s3'
+                script/upload.py --upload_to_s3
              else
                 echo 'Skipping upload distribution because build is not for release'
              fi