diff --git a/.github/workflows/maven-release.yml b/.github/workflows/maven-release.yml
index 8bf4c60..fa31f37 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/maven-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/maven-release.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ name: maven-release
 # version, then creates the tag and the GitHub release.
 on:
   workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      maven-args:
+        description: Extra arguments for the publishing build, such as a switch that skips tests needing services the runner lacks
+        type: string
+        default: ''
     secrets:
       CENTRAL_USERNAME:
         required: true
@@ -113,6 +118,7 @@ jobs:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
           CENTRAL_DONE: ${{ steps.check.outputs.central }}
           GITHUB_DONE: ${{ steps.check.outputs.github }}
+          ARGS: ${{ inputs.maven-args }}
         run: |
           cat > "$RUNNER_TEMP/settings.xml" <<'EOF'
           <settings>
@@ -138,7 +144,7 @@ jobs:
           [ "$GITHUB_DONE" = false ] && goals="$goals deploy:deploy -DaltDeploymentRepository=github::https://maven.pkg.github.com/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY"
 
           # Central can take longer than the plugin's default 30-minute wait
-          ./mvnw -B -ntp -s "$RUNNER_TEMP/settings.xml" -Ppublish -Dgpg.signer=bc -DwaitMaxTime=3600 $goals
+          ./mvnw -B -ntp -s "$RUNNER_TEMP/settings.xml" -Ppublish -Dgpg.signer=bc -DwaitMaxTime=3600 $ARGS $goals
 
       - name: Tag and create the GitHub release
         env:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 24e31cd..8f7e568 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -86,3 +86,5 @@ jobs:
 ```
 
 A release is a pull request titled `Release X.Y.Z` that sets that version in `pom.xml` and adds a `## [X.Y.Z] - YYYY-MM-DD` section to `CHANGELOG.md`. Merging it publishes the release to Maven Central and to GitHub Packages. Maven Central is where users get the library; GitHub Packages requires a token even to download public packages. The library also needs the Maven Wrapper (`./mvnw`) and access to the four release secrets, which are organization secrets limited to selected repositories.
+
+Both shared workflows take an optional `maven-args` input, set with `with:` under the calling job. In `maven-build.yml` it replaces `verify`; in `maven-release.yml` it adds arguments to the publishing build. A library whose tests need a service the runner does not have, such as a Redis server, uses it to skip those tests in both.