diff --git a/admin/management/views.py b/admin/management/views.py
index f2052822f37..4ec96a4ea3a 100644
--- a/admin/management/views.py
+++ b/admin/management/views.py
@@ -179,7 +179,17 @@ def post(self, request):
 class SyncNotificationTemplates(ManagementCommandPermissionView):
 
     def post(self, request):
-        populate_notification_types()
+        run_type = request.POST.get('run_type')
+        if run_type == 'restore_one':
+            template_name = request.POST.get('template_name')
+            if not template_name:
+                messages.error(request, 'A template name must be specified when restoring one template. Check your inputs and try again')
+                return redirect(reverse('management:commands'))
+            populate_notification_types(restore_one=template_name)
+        elif run_type == 'restore_all':
+            populate_notification_types(restore_all=True)
+        else:
+            populate_notification_types()
         messages.success(request, 'Notification templates have been successfully synced.')
         return redirect(reverse('management:commands'))
 
diff --git a/admin/templates/management/commands.html b/admin/templates/management/commands.html
index edf242abfdd..87ff147f919 100644
--- a/admin/templates/management/commands.html
+++ b/admin/templates/management/commands.html
@@ -160,6 +160,16 @@ <h4><u>Sync Notification Templates</u></h4>
                 <form method="post"
                       action="{% url 'management:sync_notification_templates'%}">
                     {% csrf_token %}
+
+                    <label for="run_type">Select a command behavior:</label>
+                    <select id="run_type" name="run_type">
+                        <option value="">Default: Only upload new templates</option>
+                        <option value="restore_one">Restore specific template</option>
+                        <option value="restore_all">Restore all templates</option>
+                    </select><br>
+
+                    <label>Template name (when restoring one):</label> <input type="text" name="template_name"/><br>
+
                     <nav>
                         <input class="btn btn-success" type="submit" value="Run" />
                     </nav>
diff --git a/osf/management/commands/populate_notification_types.py b/osf/management/commands/populate_notification_types.py
index 302c1069a17..5f0145f08a9 100644
--- a/osf/management/commands/populate_notification_types.py
+++ b/osf/management/commands/populate_notification_types.py
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import sys
 import yaml
-from django.apps import apps
 from waffle import switch_is_active
 from osf import features
 
@@ -19,7 +18,7 @@
     'email_transactional': 'instantly',
 }
 
-def populate_notification_types(*args, **kwargs):
+def populate_notification_types(*args, restore_one=None, restore_all=False, **kwargs):
     if kwargs.get('sender'):  # exists when called as a post_migrate signal
         if not switch_is_active(features.POPULATE_NOTIFICATION_TYPES):
             if 'pytest' not in sys.modules:
@@ -28,64 +27,89 @@ def populate_notification_types(*args, **kwargs):
     logger.info('Populating notification types...')
     from django.contrib.contenttypes.models import ContentType
     from osf.models.notification_type import NotificationType
+
     try:
         with open(settings.NOTIFICATION_TYPES_YAML) as stream:
             notification_types = yaml.safe_load(stream)
-        for notification_type in notification_types['notification_types']:
-            notification_type.pop('__docs__', None)
-            notification_type.pop('tests', None)
-            object_content_type_model_name = notification_type.pop('object_content_type_model_name')
+
+        notification_types_dict = {
+            nt['name']: nt for nt in notification_types['notification_types']
+        }
+
+        all_names = set(notification_types_dict.keys())
+        existing_names = set(
+            NotificationType.objects.values_list('name', flat=True)
+        )
+
+        if restore_one:
+            if restore_one not in notification_types_dict:
+                raise ValueError(f'Notification type "{restore_one}" not found in YAML')
+            names_to_process = {restore_one}
+
+        elif restore_all:
+            names_to_process = all_names
+
+        else:
+            names_to_process = all_names - existing_names
+
+        logger.info(f'Processing {len(names_to_process)} notification types')
+
+        for name in names_to_process:
+            raw_nt = notification_types_dict[name].copy()
+
+            raw_nt.pop('__docs__', None)
+            raw_nt.pop('tests', None)
+
+            object_content_type_model_name = raw_nt.pop('object_content_type_model_name')
 
             if object_content_type_model_name == 'desk':
                 content_type = None
-            elif object_content_type_model_name == 'osfuser':
-                OSFUser = apps.get_model('osf', 'OSFUser')
-                content_type = ContentType.objects.get_for_model(OSFUser)
-            elif object_content_type_model_name == 'preprint':
-                Preprint = apps.get_model('osf', 'Preprint')
-                content_type = ContentType.objects.get_for_model(Preprint)
-            elif object_content_type_model_name == 'collectionsubmission':
-                CollectionSubmission = apps.get_model('osf', 'CollectionSubmission')
-                content_type = ContentType.objects.get_for_model(CollectionSubmission)
-            elif object_content_type_model_name == 'abstractprovider':
-                AbstractProvider = apps.get_model('osf', 'abstractprovider')
-                content_type = ContentType.objects.get_for_model(AbstractProvider)
-            elif object_content_type_model_name == 'osfuser':
-                OSFUser = apps.get_model('osf', 'OSFUser')
-                content_type = ContentType.objects.get_for_model(OSFUser)
-            elif object_content_type_model_name == 'draftregistration':
-                DraftRegistration = apps.get_model('osf', 'DraftRegistration')
-                content_type = ContentType.objects.get_for_model(DraftRegistration)
             else:
                 try:
-                    content_type = ContentType.objects.get(
-                        app_label='osf',
-                        model=object_content_type_model_name
-                    )
+                    content_type = ContentType.objects.get_by_natural_key(app_label='osf', model=object_content_type_model_name)
                 except ContentType.DoesNotExist:
                     raise ValueError(f'No content type for osf.{object_content_type_model_name}')
 
-            template_path = notification_type.pop('template')
+            template_path = raw_nt.pop('template')
+            template = None
+
             if template_path:
                 with open(template_path) as stream:
                     template = stream.read()
 
             nt, _ = NotificationType.objects.update_or_create(
-                name=notification_type['name'],
-                defaults=notification_type,
+                name=name,
+                defaults=raw_nt,
             )
+
             nt.object_content_type = content_type
-            if not nt.template or settings.DEV_MODE:
+            if template:
                 nt.template = template
+
             nt.save()
+
     except ProgrammingError:
         logger.info('Notification types failed potential side effect of reverse migration')
     logger.info('Finished populating notification types.')
 
-
 class Command(BaseCommand):
-    help = 'Population notification types.'
+    help = 'Populate notification types.'
+
+    def add_arguments(self, parser):
+        parser.add_argument(
+            '--restore-all',
+            action='store_true',
+            help='Restore all templates from files'
+        )
+        parser.add_argument(
+            '--restore',
+            type=str,
+            help='Restore specific template by name'
+        )
 
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
         with transaction.atomic():
-            populate_notification_types(args, options)
+            populate_notification_types(
+                restore_all=options['restore_all'],
+                restore_one=options['restore']
+            )