diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/tests/viewsets/base.py b/contentcuration/contentcuration/tests/viewsets/base.py
index 97f5cb52f7..8d34afeb24 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/tests/viewsets/base.py
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/tests/viewsets/base.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.utils import generate_publish_event as base_generate_publish_event
 from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.utils import generate_update_event as base_generate_update_event
 from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.utils import generate_update_descendants_event as base_generate_update_descendants_event
+from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.utils import generate_publish_next_event as base_generate_publish_next_event
 
 
 def generate_copy_event(*args, **kwargs):
@@ -66,6 +67,11 @@ def generate_publish_channel_event(channel_id):
     event["rev"] = random.randint(1, 10000000)
     return event
 
+def generate_publish_next_event(channel_id):
+    event = base_generate_publish_next_event(channel_id)
+    event["rev"] = random.randint(1, 10000000)
+    return event
+
 
 class SyncTestMixin(object):
     celery_task_always_eager = None
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/tests/viewsets/test_channel.py b/contentcuration/contentcuration/tests/viewsets/test_channel.py
index 76c5ac1ed3..afedc2a4db 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/tests/viewsets/test_channel.py
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/tests/viewsets/test_channel.py
@@ -17,14 +17,26 @@
 from contentcuration.tests.viewsets.base import generate_delete_event
 from contentcuration.tests.viewsets.base import generate_deploy_channel_event
 from contentcuration.tests.viewsets.base import generate_publish_channel_event
+from contentcuration.tests.viewsets.base import generate_publish_next_event
 from contentcuration.tests.viewsets.base import generate_sync_channel_event
 from contentcuration.tests.viewsets.base import generate_update_event
 from contentcuration.tests.viewsets.base import SyncTestMixin
 from contentcuration.viewsets.channel import _unpublished_changes_query
 from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.constants import CHANNEL
+from mock import patch
 
 
 class SyncTestCase(SyncTestMixin, StudioAPITestCase):
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpClass(cls):
+        super(SyncTestCase, cls).setUpClass()
+        cls.patch_copy_db = patch('contentcuration.utils.publish.save_export_database')
+        cls.mock_save_export = cls.patch_copy_db.start()
+
+    @classmethod
+    def tearDownClass(cls):
+        super(SyncTestCase, cls).tearDownClass()
+        cls.patch_copy_db.stop()
 
     @property
     def channel_metadata(self):
@@ -391,6 +403,61 @@ def test_publish_does_not_make_publishable(self):
 
         self.assertEqual(_unpublished_changes_query(channel).count(), 0)
 
+    def test_publish_next(self):
+        channel = testdata.channel()
+        user = testdata.user()
+        channel.editors.add(user)
+        self.client.force_authenticate(
+            user
+        )  # This will skip all authentication checks
+
+        channel.staging_tree = testdata.tree()
+        node = testdata.node({
+            'kind_id': 'video', 'title': 'title', 'children': []})
+        node.complete = True
+        node.parent = channel.staging_tree
+        node.save()
+        channel.staging_tree.save()
+        channel.save()
+        self.assertEqual(channel.staging_tree.published, False)
+
+        response = self.sync_changes(
+                    [
+                        generate_publish_next_event(channel.id)
+                    ]
+                )
+
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+        modified_channel = models.Channel.objects.get(id=channel.id)
+        self.assertEqual(modified_channel.staging_tree.published, True)
+
+    def test_publish_next_with_incomplete_staging_tree(self):
+        channel = testdata.channel()
+        user = testdata.user()
+        channel.editors.add(user)
+        self.client.force_authenticate(
+            user
+        )  # This will skip all authentication checks
+
+        channel.staging_tree = cc.ContentNode(
+            kind_id=content_kinds.TOPIC, title="test", node_id="aaa"
+        )
+        channel.staging_tree.save()
+        channel.save()
+        self.assertEqual(channel.staging_tree.published, False)
+
+        response = self.sync_changes(
+                    [
+                        generate_publish_next_event(channel.id)
+                    ]
+                )
+
+        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertTrue(
+            "Channel is not ready to be published" in response.json()["errors"][0]["errors"][0])
+        modified_channel = models.Channel.objects.get(id=channel.id)
+        self.assertEqual(modified_channel.staging_tree.published, False)
+
 
 class CRUDTestCase(StudioAPITestCase):
     @property
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/channel.py b/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/channel.py
index 5cd9b84104..f4f51a48f4 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/channel.py
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/channel.py
@@ -560,6 +560,55 @@ def publish(self, pk, version_notes="", language=None):
                 ], applied=True, unpublishable=True)
                 raise
 
+    def publish_next_from_changes(self, changes):
+        errors = []
+        for publish in changes:
+            try:
+                self.publish_next(publish["key"])
+            except Exception as e:
+                log_sync_exception(e, user=self.request.user, change=publish)
+                publish["errors"] = [str(e)]
+                errors.append(publish)
+        return errors
+
+    def publish_next(self, pk):
+        logging.debug("Entering the publish staging channel endpoint")
+
+        channel = self.get_edit_queryset().get(pk=pk)
+
+        if channel.deleted:
+            raise ValidationError("Cannot publish a deleted channel")
+        elif channel.staging_tree.publishing:
+            raise ValidationError("Channel staging tree is already publishing")
+
+        channel.staging_tree.publishing = True
+        channel.staging_tree.save()
+
+        with create_change_tracker(pk, CHANNEL, channel.id, self.request.user,
+                                   "export-channel-staging-tree") as progress_tracker:
+            try:
+                channel = publish_channel(
+                    self.request.user.pk,
+                    channel.id,
+                    progress_tracker=progress_tracker,
+                    use_staging_tree=True,
+                )
+                Change.create_changes([
+                    generate_update_event(
+                        channel.id, CHANNEL, {
+                            "primary_token": channel.get_human_token().token,
+                        }, channel_id=channel.id
+                    ),
+                ], applied=True)
+            except ChannelIncompleteError:
+                channel.staging_tree.publishing = False
+                channel.staging_tree.save()
+                raise ValidationError("Channel is not ready to be published")
+            except Exception:
+                channel.staging_tree.publishing = False
+                channel.staging_tree.save()
+                raise
+
     def sync_from_changes(self, changes):
         errors = []
         for sync in changes:
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/sync/base.py b/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/sync/base.py
index 0a0e515bf0..68fa0336e2 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/sync/base.py
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/sync/base.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.constants import DELETED
 from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.constants import DEPLOYED
 from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.constants import UPDATED_DESCENDANTS
+from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.constants import PUBLISHED_NEXT
 from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.constants import EDITOR_M2M
 from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.constants import FILE
 from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.constants import INVITATION
@@ -96,6 +97,7 @@ def get_change_type(obj):
     SYNCED: "sync_from_changes",
     DEPLOYED: "deploy_from_changes",
     UPDATED_DESCENDANTS: "update_descendants_from_changes",
+    PUBLISHED_NEXT: "publish_next_from_changes"
 }
 
 
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/sync/constants.py b/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/sync/constants.py
index 0f208813a1..4733aeeffe 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/sync/constants.py
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/sync/constants.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 SYNCED = 7
 DEPLOYED = 8
 UPDATED_DESCENDANTS = 9
+PUBLISHED_NEXT = 10
 
 
 ALL_CHANGES = set([
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@
     SYNCED,
     DEPLOYED,
     UPDATED_DESCENDANTS,
+    PUBLISHED_NEXT,
 ])
 
 # Client-side table constants
diff --git a/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/sync/utils.py b/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/sync/utils.py
index e47552735f..43bf280b22 100644
--- a/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/sync/utils.py
+++ b/contentcuration/contentcuration/viewsets/sync/utils.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.constants import PUBLISHED
 from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.constants import UPDATED
 from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.constants import UPDATED_DESCENDANTS
+from contentcuration.viewsets.sync.constants import PUBLISHED_NEXT
 
 
 def validate_table(table):
@@ -88,6 +89,12 @@ def generate_update_descendants_event(key, mods, channel_id=None, user_id=None):
     event["mods"] = mods
     return event
 
+def generate_publish_next_event(key, version_notes="", language=None):
+    event = _generate_event(key, CHANNEL, PUBLISHED_NEXT, key, None)
+    event["version_notes"] = version_notes
+    event["language"] = language
+    return event
+
 def log_sync_exception(e, user=None, change=None, changes=None):
     # Capture exception and report, but allow sync
     # to complete properly.