diff --git a/opencog/persist/ipfs/IPFSAtomStorage.cc b/opencog/persist/ipfs/IPFSAtomStorage.cc
index 21238f0..ece09e1 100644
--- a/opencog/persist/ipfs/IPFSAtomStorage.cc
+++ b/opencog/persist/ipfs/IPFSAtomStorage.cc
@@ -223,7 +223,9 @@ void IPFSAtomStorage::resolve_atomspace(void)
 	if (0 == _key_cid.size()) return;
 
 	// Caution: as of this writing, name resolution takes
-	// exactly 60 seconds.
+	// exactly 60 seconds. This is a bug; see
+	// https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/issues/3860
+	// for details.
 	std::string ipfs_path;
 	ipfs::Client* conn = conn_pool.pop();
 	conn->NameResolve(_key_cid, &ipfs_path);
@@ -271,15 +273,16 @@ ipfs::Json IPFSAtomStorage::get_atom_json(const Handle& atom)
 }
 
 /**
- * Publish the AtomSpace CID to IPNS.
+ * Use IPNS to publish the latest IPFS cid for this AtomSpace.
  *
  * We run IPNS publication in it's own thread, because it's so
  * horridly slow.  As of this writing, either 60 sec or 90 sec.
  * This is a well-known problem, see
  * https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/issues/3860
  */
-void IPFSAtomStorage::publish(void)
+void IPFSAtomStorage::publish_atomspace(void)
 {
+	if (0 == _key_cid.size()) return;
 	_publish_cv.notify_one();
 }
 
@@ -398,7 +401,7 @@ void IPFSAtomStorage::flushStoreQueue()
 void IPFSAtomStorage::barrier()
 {
 	flushStoreQueue();
-	publish();
+	// publish();
 }
 
 /* ================================================================ */
@@ -448,7 +451,6 @@ void IPFSAtomStorage::kill_data(void)
 
 	// Special case for TruthValues - must always have this atom.
 	do_store_single_atom(tvpred);
-	publish();
 }
 
 /* ================================================================ */
diff --git a/opencog/persist/ipfs/IPFSAtomStorage.h b/opencog/persist/ipfs/IPFSAtomStorage.h
index 6dcb068..cf1fcc2 100644
--- a/opencog/persist/ipfs/IPFSAtomStorage.h
+++ b/opencog/persist/ipfs/IPFSAtomStorage.h
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@ class IPFSAtomStorage : public BackingStore
 		std::condition_variable _publish_cv;
 		bool _publish_keep_going;
 		static void publish_thread(IPFSAtomStorage*);
-		void publish(void);
 
 		// The Main IPNS key under which to publish the AtomSpace.
 		std::string _keyname;