diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 4964d0a..7fed88b 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ ALERT_AFTER='48h'
 
 # Optional: leave NOTIFICATION_TYPE empty to disable alerts.
 # Use 'ntfy' or 'smtp'. If NOTIFICATION_NTFY_URL is set, ntfy is selected automatically.
+NOTIFICATION_DRY_RUN='false'
 NOTIFICATION_TYPE=''
 
 # ntfy.sh example: https://ntfy.sh/your-secret-topic
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1c4ffe8..60ac033 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ DRY_RUN='false'
 ALERT_AFTER='48h'
 
 # Optional notifications: set NOTIFICATION_TYPE to 'ntfy' or 'smtp'.
+NOTIFICATION_DRY_RUN='false'
 NOTIFICATION_TYPE=''
 
 NOTIFICATION_NTFY_URL=''
@@ -33,6 +34,8 @@ NOTIFICATION_SMTP_TO=''
 
 `DRY_RUN=false` is the default and will call qBittorrent `setForceStart` and `reannounce`. Use `--dry-run=true` when you only want to preview matches.
 
+Use `--notification-dry-run=true` to print the manual-needed notification subject/body without sending it.
+
 Set `NOTIFICATION_TYPE=ntfy` and `NOTIFICATION_NTFY_URL='https://ntfy.sh/your-secret-topic'` to send manual-needed alerts through ntfy. For compatibility, old `NOTIFY_URL` values still work as the ntfy URL.
 
 Set `NOTIFICATION_TYPE=smtp` to send manual-needed alerts by email. For Gmail, use:
@@ -58,6 +61,12 @@ Preview without qBittorrent actions:
 go run ./cmd/ncore-hnr --dry-run=true
 ```
 
+Preview the notification body without sending it:
+
+```bash
+go run ./cmd/ncore-hnr --dry-run=true --alert-after=0s --notification-dry-run=true
+```
+
 JSON output:
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/internal/app/app.go b/internal/app/app.go
index a2b3473..d6be6c6 100644
--- a/internal/app/app.go
+++ b/internal/app/app.go
@@ -122,6 +122,11 @@ func Run(cfg config.Config) (model.RunSummary, error) {
 		return summary, err
 	}
 
+	if cfg.NotificationDryRun {
+		printNotificationPreview(cfg.NotificationType, summary.Results)
+		return summary, nil
+	}
+
 	notifier := newNotifier(cfg)
 	if notifier != nil {
 		if err := notifier.SendManualNeeded(summary.Results); err != nil {
@@ -300,3 +305,17 @@ func newNotifier(cfg config.Config) notify.Sender {
 		return nil
 	}
 }
+
+func printNotificationPreview(notificationType string, results []model.ActionResult) {
+	subject, body, ok := notify.ManualNeededMessage(results)
+	if !ok {
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "notification dry-run: no manual-needed torrents, nothing would be sent")
+		return
+	}
+
+	if notificationType == "" {
+		notificationType = "unconfigured"
+	}
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "notification dry-run: type=%s\n", notificationType)
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Subject: %s\n\n%s", subject, body)
+}
diff --git a/internal/config/config.go b/internal/config/config.go
index 7609ae3..568044d 100644
--- a/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/internal/config/config.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	AlertAfter  time.Duration
 	HTTPTimeout time.Duration
 
+	NotificationDryRun       bool
 	NotificationType         string
 	NotificationNTFYURL      string
 	NotificationSMTPHost     string
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ func Load(args []string) (Config, error) {
 		AlertAfter:     envDuration("ALERT_AFTER", 48*time.Hour),
 		HTTPTimeout:    envDuration("HTTP_TIMEOUT", 30*time.Second),
 
+		NotificationDryRun:       envBool("NOTIFICATION_DRY_RUN", false),
 		NotificationType:         env("NOTIFICATION_TYPE", ""),
 		NotificationNTFYURL:      env("NOTIFICATION_NTFY_URL", env("NOTIFY_URL", "")),
 		NotificationSMTPHost:     env("NOTIFICATION_SMTP_HOST", ""),
@@ -72,6 +74,7 @@ func Load(args []string) (Config, error) {
 	fs.BoolVar(&cfg.SkipQBit, "skip-qbit", cfg.SkipQBit, "skip qBittorrent matching/actions")
 	fs.BoolVar(&cfg.JSONOutput, "json", cfg.JSONOutput, "print JSON summary")
 	fs.DurationVar(&cfg.AlertAfter, "alert-after", cfg.AlertAfter, "mark active torrents manual-needed after this duration")
+	fs.BoolVar(&cfg.NotificationDryRun, "notification-dry-run", cfg.NotificationDryRun, "print the manual-needed notification without sending it")
 	fs.StringVar(&cfg.NotificationType, "notification-type", cfg.NotificationType, "notification sender: ntfy, smtp, or empty")
 	fs.StringVar(&cfg.NotificationNTFYURL, "notification-ntfy-url", cfg.NotificationNTFYURL, "ntfy topic URL for manual-needed alerts")
 	fs.StringVar(&cfg.NotificationNTFYURL, "notify-url", cfg.NotificationNTFYURL, "deprecated: use --notification-ntfy-url")
@@ -99,7 +102,11 @@ func Load(args []string) (Config, error) {
 			return cfg, fmt.Errorf("set QBITTORRENT_URL, QBITTORRENT_USERNAME and QBITTORRENT_PASSWORD, or use --dry-run/--skip-qbit")
 		}
 	}
-	if err := validateNotification(cfg); err != nil {
+	if !cfg.NotificationDryRun {
+		if err := validateNotification(cfg); err != nil {
+			return cfg, err
+		}
+	} else if err := validateNotificationType(cfg); err != nil {
 		return cfg, err
 	}
 
@@ -179,6 +186,9 @@ func normalizeNotificationType(cfg Config) string {
 }
 
 func validateNotification(cfg Config) error {
+	if err := validateNotificationType(cfg); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	switch cfg.NotificationType {
 	case "":
 		return nil
@@ -207,3 +217,12 @@ func validateNotification(cfg Config) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func validateNotificationType(cfg Config) error {
+	switch cfg.NotificationType {
+	case "", "ntfy", "smtp":
+		return nil
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("unsupported NOTIFICATION_TYPE %q", cfg.NotificationType)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/notify/notify.go b/internal/notify/notify.go
index 99c416e..33582dc 100644
--- a/internal/notify/notify.go
+++ b/internal/notify/notify.go
@@ -104,6 +104,11 @@ func (s NotificationSMTP) SendManualNeeded(results []model.ActionResult) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func ManualNeededMessage(results []model.ActionResult) (string, string, bool) {
+	body, ok := manualNeededText(results)
+	return manualNeededSubject, body, ok
+}
+
 func manualNeededText(results []model.ActionResult) (string, bool) {
 	var body strings.Builder
 	manualCount := 0
diff --git a/internal/qbit/client.go b/internal/qbit/client.go
index d58f577..431961c 100644
--- a/internal/qbit/client.go
+++ b/internal/qbit/client.go
@@ -7,11 +7,14 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/cookiejar"
 	"net/url"
+	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 
 	"ncore-hnr/internal/model"
 )
 
+var releaseSeparator = regexp.MustCompile(`[._\-\[\]()+]+`)
+
 type Client struct {
 	baseURL    string
 	httpClient *http.Client
@@ -87,7 +90,8 @@ func MatchByName(ncoreName string, torrents []model.QBitTorrent) (model.QBitTorr
 
 	normalized := normalizeName(ncoreName)
 	for _, torrent := range torrents {
-		if normalizeName(torrent.Name) == normalized {
+		torrentName := normalizeName(torrent.Name)
+		if torrentName == normalized || strings.HasPrefix(torrentName, normalized+" ") {
 			return torrent, true
 		}
 	}
@@ -112,5 +116,6 @@ func (c *Client) endpoint(path string) string {
 }
 
 func normalizeName(value string) string {
+	value = releaseSeparator.ReplaceAllString(value, " ")
 	return strings.ToLower(strings.Join(strings.Fields(value), " "))
 }
diff --git a/internal/qbit/client_test.go b/internal/qbit/client_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a723de6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/qbit/client_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package qbit
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"ncore-hnr/internal/model"
+)
+
+func TestMatchByNameMatchesLongerReleaseName(t *testing.T) {
+	torrents := []model.QBitTorrent{
+		{Name: "The.Black.Dagger.Brotherhood.S01E01.720p.WEB.h264-GROUP", Hash: "match"},
+	}
+
+	match, ok := MatchByName("The Black Dagger Brotherhood S01E01 720p", torrents)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected qBittorrent release name to match nCore display name")
+	}
+	if match.Hash != "match" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected match hash %q, got %q", "match", match.Hash)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMatchByNameDoesNotMatchDifferentEpisode(t *testing.T) {
+	torrents := []model.QBitTorrent{
+		{Name: "The.Black.Dagger.Brotherhood.S01E02.720p.WEB.h264-GROUP", Hash: "wrong"},
+	}
+
+	if _, ok := MatchByName("The Black Dagger Brotherhood S01E01 720p", torrents); ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected different episode not to match")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/k8s/secret.example.yaml b/k8s/secret.example.yaml
index 69c7fd2..87eecfd 100644
--- a/k8s/secret.example.yaml
+++ b/k8s/secret.example.yaml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ stringData:
   QBITTORRENT_URL: "http://qbittorrent.default.svc.cluster.local:8080"
   QBITTORRENT_USERNAME: "admin"
   QBITTORRENT_PASSWORD: "your-qbit-password"
+  NOTIFICATION_DRY_RUN: "false"
   NOTIFICATION_TYPE: ""
   NOTIFICATION_NTFY_URL: ""
   NOTIFICATION_SMTP_HOST: ""