diff --git a/src/main/frontend/db.cljs b/src/main/frontend/db.cljs
index e03ddd166..c841d1c8f 100644
--- a/src/main/frontend/db.cljs
+++ b/src/main/frontend/db.cljs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
             [frontend.db.migrate :as db-migrate]
             [frontend.namespaces :refer [import-vars]]
             [frontend.state :as state]
+            [frontend.config :as config]
             [frontend.util :as util]
             [promesa.core :as p]
             [electron.ipc :as ipc]))
@@ -123,7 +124,9 @@
                ;; reactive components
                (react/refresh! repo tx-report)
 
-               (when-not (:new-graph? (:tx-meta tx-report)) ; skip initial txs
+               (when (and
+                      (not config/publishing?)
+                      (not (:new-graph? (:tx-meta tx-report)))) ; skip initial txs
                  (if (util/electron?)
                    (when-not (:dbsync? (:tx-meta tx-report))
                      ;; sync with other windows if needed
diff --git a/src/main/frontend/publishing.cljs b/src/main/frontend/publishing.cljs
index 330291a5b..9bc17dc6a 100644
--- a/src/main/frontend/publishing.cljs
+++ b/src/main/frontend/publishing.cljs
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@
   (restore-state!)
   (shortcut/refresh!)
   (events/run!)
+  ;; actually, there's no persist for publishing
+  (db/listen-and-persist! (state/get-current-repo))
   (start))
 
 (defn stop []