diff --git a/src/backend/DBHelpers.h b/src/backend/DBHelpers.h
index 06548e7d..b89c67ad 100644
--- a/src/backend/DBHelpers.h
+++ b/src/backend/DBHelpers.h
@@ -120,4 +120,6 @@ uint256ToString(ripple::uint256 const& uint)
 {
     return {reinterpret_cast<const char*>(uint.data()), uint.size()};
 }
+
+static constexpr uint32_t rippleEpochStart = 946684800;
 #endif
diff --git a/src/etl/ReportingETL.cpp b/src/etl/ReportingETL.cpp
index 6169b490..a29dc34a 100644
--- a/src/etl/ReportingETL.cpp
+++ b/src/etl/ReportingETL.cpp
@@ -658,11 +658,22 @@ ReportingETL::runETLPipeline(uint32_t startSequence, int numExtractors)
             // success is false if the ledger was already written
             if (success)
             {
-                /*
-                boost::asio::post(publishStrand_, [this, lgrInfo = lgrInfo]() {
-                    publishLedger(lgrInfo);
-                });
-                */
+                auto now =
+                    std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::seconds>(
+                        std::chrono::system_clock::now().time_since_epoch())
+                        .count();
+                auto closeTime = lgrInfo.closeTime.time_since_epoch().count();
+                auto age = now - (rippleEpochStart + closeTime);
+                // if the ledger closed over 10 seconds ago, assume we are still
+                // catching up and don't publish
+                if (age < 10)
+                {
+                    boost::asio::post(
+                        publishStrand_, [this, lgrInfo = lgrInfo]() {
+                            publishLedger(lgrInfo);
+                        });
+                }
+
                 backend_->updateRange(lgrInfo.seq);
                 lastPublishedSequence = lgrInfo.seq;
             }
diff --git a/test.py b/test.py
index 86529f68..2dec6755 100755
--- a/test.py
+++ b/test.py
@@ -825,17 +825,7 @@ async def subscribe(ip, port):
     address = 'ws://' + str(ip) + ':' + str(port)
     try:
         async with websockets.connect(address) as ws:
-            await ws.send(json.dumps({"command":"server_info"}));
-            print(json.loads(await ws.recv()))
-            await ws.send(json.dumps({"command":"server_info"}));
-            print(json.loads(await ws.recv()))
-            await ws.send(json.dumps({"command":"server_info"}));
-            await ws.send(json.dumps({"command":"server_info"}));
-            await ws.send(json.dumps({"command":"server_info"}));
-            print(json.loads(await ws.recv()))
-            print(json.loads(await ws.recv()))
-            print(json.loads(await ws.recv()))
-            await ws.send(json.dumps({"command":"subscribe","streams":["ledger"],"books":[{"snapshot":True,"taker_pays":{"currency":"XRP"},"taker_gets":{"currency":"USD","issuer":"rhub8VRN55s94qWKDv6jmDy1pUykJzF3wq"}}]}))
+            await ws.send(json.dumps({"command":"subscribe","streams":["ledger"]}))
             #await ws.send(json.dumps({"command":"subscribe","streams":["manifests"]}))
             while True:
                 res = json.loads(await ws.recv())