diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/build-apps.yml b/.gitea/workflows/build-apps.yml
index 2d2a6ec..e9ca41a 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/build-apps.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/build-apps.yml
@@ -96,32 +96,41 @@ jobs:
         if: success()
         run: |
           export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"
-          APP="$HOME/checklist-app"
-          cd "$APP"
+          cd "$HOME/checklist-app"
           V="$(node -e 'const c=require("./mobile/release.config.json");console.log(`${c.version} (ios build ${c.iosBuild}, android code ${c.androidVersionCode})`)')"
-          node scripts/alert.js "Apps rebuilt and waiting — shipped versions are now behind" \
-"A change landed that the iOS and Android apps bundle, so they were rebuilt on the
-ingest Mac. Both built cleanly and are signed and ready.
+          # The body is built with a heredoc rather than a bare multi-line argument: an
+          # argument that starts at column 0 ends the YAML block scalar and makes this whole
+          # file unparseable, which Gitea reports only by silently never running it.
+          BODY="$(cat <<MSG
+          A change landed that the iOS and Android apps bundle, so they were rebuilt on the
+          ingest Mac. Both built cleanly and are signed and ready.
 
-They are NOT on anyone's phone yet, and will not be until you ship them:
+          They are NOT on anyone's phone yet, and will not be until you ship them:
 
-    cd ~/Documents/recurring-checklist-app
-    ./release.sh --ios --android
+              cd ~/Documents/recurring-checklist-app
+              ./release.sh --ios --android
 
-Current numbering: $V
+          Current numbering: $V
 
-The website already has this change — it deploys on push. Only the apps, which carry
-their own copy of the UI, are waiting." || true
+          The website already has this change — it deploys on push. Only the apps, which
+          carry their own copy of the UI, are waiting.
+          MSG
+          )"
+          node scripts/alert.js "Apps rebuilt and waiting — shipped versions are now behind" "$BODY" || true
 
       - name: Tell Christian the build broke
         if: failure()
         run: |
           export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"
           cd "$HOME/checklist-app"
-          node scripts/alert.js "App build FAILED on the ingest Mac" \
-"A push changed something the apps bundle, and the rebuild did not compile.
+          BODY="$(cat <<MSG
+          A push changed something the apps bundle, and the rebuild did not compile.
 
-The website is unaffected — it deploys separately and is already live with this
-change. But the apps cannot be shipped until this builds again.
+          The website is unaffected — it deploys separately and is already live with this
+          change. But the apps cannot be shipped until this builds again.
 
-Full log: http://chronicles-ab.waterschurch.org:3000/christian/recurring-checklist/actions" || true
+          Full log:
+          http://chronicles-ab.waterschurch.org:3000/christian/recurring-checklist/actions
+          MSG
+          )"
+          node scripts/alert.js "App build FAILED on the ingest Mac" "$BODY" || true