diff --git a/api/censusdb/censusdb.go b/api/censusdb/censusdb.go
index f4aaa31ec..639a39985 100644
--- a/api/censusdb/censusdb.go
+++ b/api/censusdb/censusdb.go
@@ -109,9 +109,6 @@ func (c *CensusDB) New(censusID []byte, censusType models.Census_Type,
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	ref.tree = tree
-	if uri != "" {
-		ref.tree.Publish()
-	}
 	return ref, nil
 }
 
@@ -150,9 +147,6 @@ func (c *CensusDB) Load(censusID []byte, authToken *uuid.UUID) (*CensusRef, erro
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	if ref.URI != "" {
-		ref.tree.Publish()
-	}
 	root, err := ref.Tree().Root()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/api/censuses.go b/api/censuses.go
index bd51e95a9..1ce032b35 100644
--- a/api/censuses.go
+++ b/api/censuses.go
@@ -710,7 +710,6 @@ func (a *API) censusPublishHandler(msg *apirest.APIdata, ctx *httprouter.HTTPCon
 	if err := newRef.Tree().ImportDump(dump); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	newRef.Tree().Publish()
 
 	var data []byte
 	if data, err = json.Marshal(&Census{
diff --git a/censustree/censustree.go b/censustree/censustree.go
index 5bb3be4a3..75d35970d 100644
--- a/censustree/censustree.go
+++ b/censustree/censustree.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"math/big"
 	"sync"
-	"sync/atomic"
 
 	"go.vocdoni.io/dvote/db"
 	"go.vocdoni.io/dvote/db/prefixeddb"
@@ -24,7 +23,6 @@ var censusWeightKey = []byte("censusWeight")
 // updates it.
 type Tree struct {
 	tree        *tree.Tree
-	public      atomic.Bool
 	censusType  models.Census_Type
 	hashFunc    func(...[]byte) ([]byte, error)
 	hashLen     int
@@ -146,16 +144,6 @@ func (t *Tree) FromRoot(root []byte) (*Tree, error) {
 	return &Tree{tree: treeFromRoot, censusType: t.Type()}, nil
 }
 
-// Publish makes a merkle tree available for queries.  Application layer should
-// call Publish() before considering the Tree available.
-func (t *Tree) Publish() { t.public.Store(true) }
-
-// Unpublish makes a merkle tree not available for queries.
-func (t *Tree) Unpublish() { t.public.Store(false) }
-
-// IsPublic returns true if the tree is available.
-func (t *Tree) IsPublic() bool { return t.public.Load() }
-
 // Root wraps tree.Tree.Root.
 func (t *Tree) Root() ([]byte, error) {
 	return t.tree.Root(nil)
diff --git a/censustree/censustree_test.go b/censustree/censustree_test.go
index ad776d6a2..f25f6a239 100644
--- a/censustree/censustree_test.go
+++ b/censustree/censustree_test.go
@@ -16,28 +16,6 @@ import (
 // The proper tests are in tree package, here there are tests that check the
 // added code in the CensusTree wrapper.
 
-func TestPublish(t *testing.T) {
-	db := metadb.NewTest(t)
-	censusTree, err := New(Options{Name: "test", ParentDB: db, MaxLevels: DefaultMaxLevels,
-		CensusType: models.Census_ARBO_BLAKE2B})
-	qt.Assert(t, err, qt.IsNil)
-	rnd := testutil.NewRandom(0)
-	key, value := rnd.RandomBytes(DefaultMaxKeyLen), rnd.RandomBytes(32)
-	qt.Assert(t, censusTree.Add(key, value), qt.IsNil)
-
-	qt.Assert(t, censusTree.IsPublic(), qt.IsFalse)
-
-	censusTree.Publish()
-	qt.Assert(t, censusTree.IsPublic(), qt.IsTrue)
-
-	recValue, _, err := censusTree.GenProof(key)
-	qt.Assert(t, err, qt.IsNil)
-	qt.Assert(t, value, qt.DeepEquals, recValue)
-
-	censusTree.Unpublish()
-	qt.Assert(t, censusTree.IsPublic(), qt.IsFalse)
-}
-
 func TestImportWeighted(t *testing.T) {
 	db := metadb.NewTest(t)
 	censusTree, err := New(Options{Name: "test", ParentDB: db, MaxLevels: DefaultMaxLevels,
@@ -118,8 +96,6 @@ func TestWeightedProof(t *testing.T) {
 	err = censusTree.Add(userKey, userWeight)
 	qt.Assert(t, err, qt.IsNil)
 
-	censusTree.Publish()
-
 	// generate and test the proof
 	value, siblings, err := censusTree.GenProof(userKey)
 	qt.Assert(t, err, qt.IsNil)
diff --git a/test/testcommon/testvoteproof/voteproof.go b/test/testcommon/testvoteproof/voteproof.go
index 4850472fb..c8cee499d 100644
--- a/test/testcommon/testvoteproof/voteproof.go
+++ b/test/testcommon/testvoteproof/voteproof.go
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ func CreateKeysAndBuildCensus(t *testing.T, size int) ([]*ethereum.SignKeys, []b
 		hashedKeys = append(hashedKeys, c)
 	}
 
-	tr.Publish()
 	var proofs [][]byte
 	for i := range keys {
 		_, proof, err := tr.GenProof(hashedKeys[i])
diff --git a/vochain/vote_test.go b/vochain/vote_test.go
index 64549ca67..4a0cee0d1 100644
--- a/vochain/vote_test.go
+++ b/vochain/vote_test.go
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ func testCreateKeysAndBuildWeightedZkCensus(t *testing.T, size int, weight *big.
 		qt.Check(t, err, qt.IsNil)
 	}
 
-	tr.Publish()
-
 	root, err := tr.Root()
 	qt.Check(t, err, qt.IsNil)
 	var proofs [][]byte
@@ -74,7 +72,6 @@ func testCreateKeysAndBuildCensus(t *testing.T, size int) ([]*ethereum.SignKeys,
 		hashedKeys = append(hashedKeys, c)
 	}
 
-	tr.Publish()
 	var proofs [][]byte
 	for i := range keys {
 		_, proof, err := tr.GenProof(hashedKeys[i])