diff --git a/scripts/backfillReportingChannel.ts b/scripts/backfillReportingChannel.ts
index 97011e4..693ef7e 100644
--- a/scripts/backfillReportingChannel.ts
+++ b/scripts/backfillReportingChannel.ts
@@ -55,11 +55,15 @@ async function main() {
 
     try {
       const slack = getSlackClientForEvent(event);
-      const channelId = await resolveSlackChannelId(slack, event.slackReportingChannelId);
+      const channelId = await resolveSlackChannelId(
+        slack,
+        force ? null : event.slackReportingChannelId,
+        channelName,
+      );
 
       if (!channelId) {
         skippedNotFound += 1;
-        console.log(`- ${event.id}: no configured reporting channel ID, skipping`);
+        console.log(`- ${event.id}: could not find #${channelName} in this workspace, skipping`);
         continue;
       }
 
diff --git a/src/slack/findSlackChannelByName.ts b/src/slack/findSlackChannelByName.ts
index 305ab54..2b108b5 100644
--- a/src/slack/findSlackChannelByName.ts
+++ b/src/slack/findSlackChannelByName.ts
@@ -27,9 +27,17 @@ export async function findSlackChannelByName(
   ));
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns the channel ID to use for reporting: the already-configured ID if
+ * one is set, otherwise looks up `channelName` in the workspace by name.
+ */
 export async function resolveSlackChannelId(
-  _slack: Pick<WebClient, 'paginate'>,
+  slack: Pick<WebClient, 'paginate'>,
   configuredChannelId: string | null,
+  channelName: string,
 ): Promise<string | null> {
-  return configuredChannelId;
+  if (configuredChannelId) return configuredChannelId;
+
+  const channel = await findSlackChannelByName(slack, channelName);
+  return channel?.id ?? null;
 }
\ No newline at end of file