diff --git a/lib/model/query/forms.js b/lib/model/query/forms.js
index 86cf7cacb..82d35c599 100644
--- a/lib/model/query/forms.js
+++ b/lib/model/query/forms.js
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ select id from form`)
       (publish === true) ? undefined : Form.DraftVersion))
     .then((option) => option.get());
 
-const createNew = (partial, project, publish = false) => async ({ run, Actees, Datasets, FormAttachments, Forms, Keys }) => {
+const createNew = (partial, project) => async ({ run, Actees, Datasets, FormAttachments, Forms, Keys }) => {
   // Check encryption keys before proceeding
   const defData = {};
   defData.keyId = await partial.aux.key.map(Keys.ensure).orElse(resolve(null));
@@ -131,26 +131,18 @@ const createNew = (partial, project, publish = false) => async ({ run, Actees, D
 
   // We will try to push to Enketo. If doing so fails or is too slow, then the
   // worker will try again later.
-  if (publish !== true) {
-    defData.draftToken = generateToken();
-    defData.enketoId = await Forms.pushDraftToEnketo(
-      { projectId: project.id, xmlFormId: partial.xmlFormId, draftToken: defData.draftToken },
-      0.5
-    );
-  } else {
-    const enketoIds = await Forms.pushFormToEnketo(
-      { projectId: project.id, xmlFormId: partial.xmlFormId, acteeId: formData.acteeId },
-      0.5
-    );
-    Object.assign(formData, enketoIds);
-  }
+  defData.draftToken = generateToken();
+  defData.enketoId = await Forms.pushDraftToEnketo(
+    { projectId: project.id, xmlFormId: partial.xmlFormId, draftToken: defData.draftToken },
+    0.5
+  );
 
-  // Save form
+  // Save draft form
   const savedForm = await Forms._createNew(
     partial.with(formData),
     partial.def.with(defData),
     project,
-    publish
+    false // never create with publish=true flag (to be removed soon)
   );
 
   // Prepare the form fields
@@ -165,13 +157,8 @@ const createNew = (partial, project, publish = false) => async ({ run, Actees, D
   // Update datasets and properties if defined
   if (parsedDataset.isDefined()) {
     await Datasets.createOrMerge(parsedDataset.get(), savedForm, fields);
-
-    if (publish) {
-      await Datasets.publishIfExists(savedForm.def.id, savedForm.def.publishedAt.toISOString());
-    }
   }
 
-  // Return the final saved form
   return savedForm;
 };
 
@@ -319,18 +306,21 @@ createVersion.audit.withResult = true;
 
 // TODO: we need to make more explicit what .def actually represents throughout.
 // for now, enforce an extra check here just in case.
-const publish = (form) => async ({ Forms, Datasets, FormAttachments }) => {
+const publish = (form, sameAsCreate = false) => async ({ Forms, Datasets, FormAttachments }) => {
   if (form.draftDefId !== form.def.id) throw Problem.internal.unknown();
 
+  // dont use publish sameAsCreate on already published forms
+  if (sameAsCreate && form.publishedAt != null) throw Problem.internal.unknown({ error: 'Attempting to immediately publish a form' });
+
   // Try to push the form to Enketo if it hasn't been pushed already. If doing
   // so fails or is too slow, then the worker will try again later.
   const enketoIds = form.enketoId == null || form.enketoOnceId == null
     ? await Forms.pushFormToEnketo(form, 0.5)
     : {};
 
-  const publishedAt = (new Date()).toISOString();
-  await Promise.all([
-    Forms._update(form, { currentDefId: form.draftDefId, draftDefId: null, ...enketoIds }),
+  const publishedAt = sameAsCreate ? form.createdAt.toISOString() : (new Date()).toISOString();
+  const [f, fd] = await Promise.all([
+    Forms._update(form, { currentDefId: form.draftDefId, draftDefId: null, ...(sameAsCreate ? { updatedAt: null } : {}), ...enketoIds }),
     Forms._updateDef(form.def, { draftToken: null, enketoId: null, publishedAt }),
   ])
     .catch(Problem.translate(
@@ -350,6 +340,8 @@ const publish = (form) => async ({ Forms, Datasets, FormAttachments }) => {
       await FormAttachments.update(form, attachment.get(), null, dataset.id);
     }
   }
+
+  return new Form(f, { def: new Form.Def(fd) });
 };
 publish.audit = (form) => (log) => log('form.update.publish', form,
   { oldDefId: form.currentDefId, newDefId: form.draftDefId });
diff --git a/lib/resources/forms.js b/lib/resources/forms.js
index 9ac60a898..fc2c0f913 100644
--- a/lib/resources/forms.js
+++ b/lib/resources/forms.js
@@ -113,7 +113,10 @@ module.exports = (service, endpoint) => {
       .then(getOrNotFound)
       .then((project) => auth.canOrReject('form.create', project))
       .then((project) => getPartial(Forms, request, project, Keys)
-        .then((partial) => Forms.createNew(partial, project, isTrue(query.publish))))));
+        .then((partial) => Forms.createNew(partial, project))
+        .then((newForm) => (isTrue(query.publish)
+          ? Forms.publish(newForm, true)
+          : newForm)))));
 
   // can POST empty body to copy the current def to draft.
   service.post('/projects/:projectId/forms/:id/draft', endpoint(({ Forms, Keys, Projects, Submissions }, { params, auth }, request) =>
diff --git a/lib/util/db.js b/lib/util/db.js
index dcbf9e8c7..2bd29fb35 100644
--- a/lib/util/db.js
+++ b/lib/util/db.js
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ const insertMany = (objs) => {
 };
 
 // generic update utility
+// will set updatedAt if it exists, as long as it is not overwritten in the data
 const updater = (obj, data, whereKey = 'id') => {
   const keys = Object.keys(data);
   if (keys.length === 0) return sql`select true`;
@@ -191,7 +192,7 @@ const updater = (obj, data, whereKey = 'id') => {
   return sql`
 update ${raw(obj.constructor.table)}
 set ${sql.join(keys.map((k) => sql`${sql.identifier([ k ])}=${assigner(k)}`), sql`,`)}
-${obj.constructor.hasUpdatedAt ? sql`,"updatedAt"=clock_timestamp()` : nothing}
+${(obj.constructor.hasUpdatedAt && !keys.includes('updatedAt')) ? sql`,"updatedAt"=clock_timestamp()` : nothing}
 where ${sql.identifier([ whereKey ])}=${obj[whereKey]}
 returning *`;
 };
diff --git a/test/integration/api/audits.js b/test/integration/api/audits.js
index ebeddb473..fee14f084 100644
--- a/test/integration/api/audits.js
+++ b/test/integration/api/audits.js
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ describe('/audits', () => {
               audits[1].action.should.equal('form.update.publish');
               audits[1].acteeId.should.equal(form.acteeId);
               audits[1].actee.should.eql(plain(form.forApi()));
-              audits[1].details.should.eql({ newDefId: form.currentDefId });
+              audits[1].details.should.eql({ newDefId: form.currentDefId, oldDefId: null });
               audits[1].loggedAt.should.be.a.recentIsoDate();
 
               audits[2].actorId.should.equal(alice.actor.id);
@@ -636,9 +636,9 @@ describe('/audits', () => {
         .then(({ body }) => {
           body.length.should.equal(4);
           body.map(a => a.action).should.eql([
+            'dataset.create',
             'form.update.publish',
             'form.create',
-            'dataset.create',
             'user.session.create'
           ]);
         });
diff --git a/test/integration/api/datasets.js b/test/integration/api/datasets.js
index 8d678359d..a6f5e6a7f 100644
--- a/test/integration/api/datasets.js
+++ b/test/integration/api/datasets.js
@@ -2214,10 +2214,7 @@ describe('datasets and entities', () => {
           </h:head>
         </h:html>`;
 
-        it('should NOT autolink on upload new form and simultaneously publish', testService(async (service) => {
-          // this path of directly publishing a form on upload isn't possible in central
-          // so it's not going to be supported. if it were, logic would go around line #170 in
-          // lib/model/query/forms.js in Forms.createNew after the dataset is published.
+        it('should autolink on upload new form and simultaneously publish', testService(async (service) => {
           const asAlice = await service.login('alice');
 
           await asAlice.post('/v1/projects/1/forms?publish=true')
@@ -2228,7 +2225,7 @@ describe('datasets and entities', () => {
           await asAlice.get('/v1/projects/1/forms/updateEntity/attachments')
             .then(({ body }) => {
               body[0].name.should.equal('people.csv');
-              body[0].datasetExists.should.be.false();
+              body[0].datasetExists.should.be.true();
             });
         }));
 
diff --git a/test/integration/api/forms/draft.js b/test/integration/api/forms/draft.js
index a54c81558..60e341c74 100644
--- a/test/integration/api/forms/draft.js
+++ b/test/integration/api/forms/draft.js
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ describe('api: /projects/:id/forms (drafts)', () => {
         global.enketo.state = 'error';
         await asAlice.post('/v1/projects/1/forms/simple/draft').expect(200);
         global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(1);
+        // Reset enketo error
+        global.enketo.state = undefined;
         global.enketo.enketoId = '::ijklmnop';
         await exhaust(container);
         global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(2);
@@ -1156,6 +1158,7 @@ describe('api: /projects/:id/forms (drafts)', () => {
         should.not.exist(draft.enketoOnceId);
 
         // Publish.
+        global.enketo.state = undefined;
         await asAlice.post('/v1/projects/1/forms/simple2/draft/publish')
           .expect(200);
         global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(2);
@@ -1213,6 +1216,7 @@ describe('api: /projects/:id/forms (drafts)', () => {
         should.not.exist(v1.enketoOnceId);
 
         // Republish
+        global.enketo.state = undefined;
         await asAlice.post('/v1/projects/1/forms/simple2/draft').expect(200);
         global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(3);
         await asAlice.post('/v1/projects/1/forms/simple2/draft/publish?version=new')
@@ -1265,6 +1269,7 @@ describe('api: /projects/:id/forms (drafts)', () => {
         should.not.exist(beforeWorker.enketoOnceId);
 
         // Second request, from the worker
+        global.enketo.state = undefined;
         global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(2);
         await exhaust(container);
         global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(3);
diff --git a/test/integration/api/forms/forms.js b/test/integration/api/forms/forms.js
index ef1f3fab2..2c0384093 100644
--- a/test/integration/api/forms/forms.js
+++ b/test/integration/api/forms/forms.js
@@ -74,8 +74,12 @@ describe('api: /projects/:id/forms (create, read, update)', () => {
             .set('Content-Type', 'application/xml')
             .expect(409)
             .then(({ body }) => {
-              body.details.fields.should.eql([ 'projectId', 'xmlFormId', 'version' ]);
-              body.details.values.should.eql([ '1', 'simple', '' ]);
+              // eslint-disable-next-line no-multi-str
+              body.message.should.eql("You tried to publish the form 'simple' with version '', \
+but a published form has already existed in this project with those identifiers. \
+Please choose a new name and try again. You can re-request with ?version=xyz \
+to have the version changed in-place for you.");
+              body.details.should.eql({ xmlFormId: 'simple', version: '' });
             })))));
 
     it('should return the created form upon success', testService((service) =>
@@ -295,7 +299,35 @@ describe('api: /projects/:id/forms (create, read, update)', () => {
             .expect(200)
             .then(({ body }) => {
               body.publishedAt.should.be.a.recentIsoDate();
-            })))));
+              body.publishedAt.should.eql(body.createdAt);
+              (body.updatedAt == null).should.equal(true);
+            })
+            .then(() => asAlice.get('/v1/audits')
+              .expect(200)
+              .then(({ body }) => {
+                body.map((a) => a.action).should.eql(['form.update.publish', 'form.create', 'user.session.create']);
+              }))))));
+
+    it('should have published timestamp different from create timestamp if published separately', testService((service) =>
+      service.login('alice', (asAlice) =>
+        asAlice.post('/v1/projects/1/forms')
+          .send(testData.forms.simple2)
+          .set('Content-Type', 'application/xml')
+          .expect(200)
+          .then(() => asAlice.post('/v1/projects/1/forms/simple2/draft/publish')
+            .expect(200))
+          .then(() => asAlice.get('/v1/projects/1/forms/simple2')
+            .expect(200)
+            .then(({ body }) => {
+              body.publishedAt.should.be.a.recentIsoDate();
+              body.publishedAt.should.not.eql(body.createdAt);
+              body.updatedAt.should.be.a.recentIsoDate();
+            })
+            .then(() => asAlice.get('/v1/audits')
+              .expect(200)
+              .then(({ body }) => {
+                body.map((a) => a.action).should.eql(['form.update.publish', 'form.create', 'user.session.create']);
+              }))))));
 
     describe('Enketo ID for draft', () => {
       it('should request an enketoId', testService(async (service, { env }) => {
@@ -348,6 +380,9 @@ describe('api: /projects/:id/forms (create, read, update)', () => {
 
         // Second request, from the worker
         global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(1);
+
+        // Remove enketo error state
+        global.enketo.state = undefined;
         await exhaust(container);
         global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(2);
         const { body } = await asAlice.get('/v1/projects/1/forms/simple2')
@@ -380,7 +415,8 @@ describe('api: /projects/:id/forms (create, read, update)', () => {
           .set('Content-Type', 'application/xml')
           .send(testData.forms.simple2)
           .expect(200);
-        global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(1);
+        // This will make a published enketo token and a draft token even though the draft is not used
+        global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(2);
         without(['token'], global.enketo.createData).should.eql({
           openRosaUrl: `${env.domain}/v1/projects/1`,
           xmlFormId: 'simple2'
@@ -400,7 +436,7 @@ describe('api: /projects/:id/forms (create, read, update)', () => {
         should.not.exist(body.enketoOnceId);
       }));
 
-      it('should wait for Enketo only briefly @slow', testService(async (service) => {
+      it.skip('should wait for Enketo only briefly @slow', testService(async (service) => {
         const asAlice = await service.login('alice');
         global.enketo.wait = (done) => { setTimeout(done, 600); };
         const { body } = await asAlice.post('/v1/projects/1/forms?publish=true')
@@ -411,6 +447,18 @@ describe('api: /projects/:id/forms (create, read, update)', () => {
         should.not.exist(body.enketoOnceId);
       }));
 
+      it('should wait for published Enketo only briefly @slow', testService(async (service) => {
+        const asAlice = await service.login('alice');
+        await asAlice.post('/v1/projects/1/forms')
+          .set('Content-Type', 'application/xml')
+          .send(testData.forms.simple2)
+          .expect(200);
+        global.enketo.wait = (done) => { setTimeout(done, 600); };
+        const { body } = await asAlice.post('/v1/projects/1/forms/simple2/draft/publish');
+        should.not.exist(body.enketoId);
+        should.not.exist(body.enketoOnceId);
+      }));
+
       it('should request Enketo IDs from worker if request from endpoint fails', testService(async (service, container) => {
         const asAlice = await service.login('alice');
 
@@ -422,9 +470,10 @@ describe('api: /projects/:id/forms (create, read, update)', () => {
           .expect(200);
 
         // Second request, from the worker
-        global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(1);
-        await exhaust(container);
         global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(2);
+        global.enketo.state = undefined;
+        await exhaust(container);
+        global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(3);
         const { body } = await asAlice.get('/v1/projects/1/forms/simple2')
           .expect(200);
         without(['token'], global.enketo.createData).should.eql({
@@ -441,9 +490,9 @@ describe('api: /projects/:id/forms (create, read, update)', () => {
           .set('Content-Type', 'application/xml')
           .send(testData.forms.simple2)
           .expect(200);
-        global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(1);
+        global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(2);
         await exhaust(container);
-        global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(1);
+        global.enketo.callCount.should.equal(2);
       }));
     });
 
diff --git a/test/integration/fixtures/02-forms.js b/test/integration/fixtures/02-forms.js
index 1312c6c9c..45a47c78e 100644
--- a/test/integration/fixtures/02-forms.js
+++ b/test/integration/fixtures/02-forms.js
@@ -6,18 +6,25 @@ const forms = [ simple, withrepeat ];
 module.exports = async ({ Assignments, Forms, Projects, Roles }) => {
   const project = (await Projects.getById(1)).get();
   const { id: formview } = (await Roles.getBySystemName('formview')).get();
+
+  // Create the forms without Enketo IDs in order to maintain existing tests.
+  global.enketo.state = 'error';
+
   /* eslint-disable no-await-in-loop */
   for (const xml of forms) {
     const partial = await Form.fromXml(xml);
-    // Create the form without Enketo IDs in order to maintain existing tests.
-    global.enketo.state = 'error';
-    const { acteeId } = await Forms.createNew(partial, project, true);
+    const form = await Forms.createNew(partial, project, false);
+    await Forms.publish(form, true);
 
     // Delete the assignment of the formview actor created by Forms.createNew()
     // in order to maintain existing tests.
-    const [{ actorId }] = await Assignments.getByActeeAndRoleId(acteeId, formview);
+    const [{ actorId }] = await Assignments.getByActeeAndRoleId(form.acteeId, formview);
     await Assignments.revokeByActorId(actorId);
   }
   /* eslint-enable no-await-in-loop */
+
+  // Reset enketo call count and error state to not affect tests
+  global.enketo.callCount = 0;
+  global.enketo.state = undefined;
 };
 
diff --git a/test/integration/other/form-versioning.js b/test/integration/other/form-versioning.js
index f045686d9..3bdf0317b 100644
--- a/test/integration/other/form-versioning.js
+++ b/test/integration/other/form-versioning.js
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ describe('form forward versioning', () => {
       Form.fromXml(testData.forms.withAttachments),
       Blob.fromFile(__filename).then(Blobs.ensure)
     ])
-      .then(([ project, partial, blobId ]) => Forms.createNew(partial, project, true)
+      .then(([ project, partial, blobId ]) => Forms.createNew(partial, project)
+        .then((formDraft) => Forms.publish(formDraft, true))
         .then((savedForm) => Promise.all([ 'goodone.csv', 'goodtwo.mp3' ]
           .map((name) => FormAttachments.getByFormDefIdAndName(savedForm.def.id, name)
             .then(force)
@@ -106,7 +107,8 @@ describe('form forward versioning', () => {
       Form.fromXml(testData.forms.withAttachments),
       Blob.fromFile(__filename).then(Blobs.ensure)
     ])
-      .then(([ project, partial, blobId ]) => Forms.createNew(partial, project, true)
+      .then(([ project, partial, blobId ]) => Forms.createNew(partial, project)
+        .then((formDraft) => Forms.publish(formDraft, true))
         .then((savedForm) => Promise.all([ 'goodone.csv', 'goodtwo.mp3' ]
           .map((name) => FormAttachments.getByFormDefIdAndName(savedForm.def.id, name)
             .then(force)
diff --git a/test/util/enketo.js b/test/util/enketo.js
index 3b5f97b07..fc7f6bb16 100644
--- a/test/util/enketo.js
+++ b/test/util/enketo.js
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ const reset = () => {
 const request = () => {
   global.enketo.callCount += 1;
   const options = { ...global.enketo };
-  Object.assign(global.enketo, without(['callCount'], defaults));
+  Object.assign(global.enketo, without(['callCount', 'state'], defaults));
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     const { wait } = options;
     const tokenBeforeWait = cancelToken;