diff --git a/api/publish.go b/api/publish.go
index 110dbe546..1cd0f009e 100644
--- a/api/publish.go
+++ b/api/publish.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func apiPublishList(c *gin.Context) {
 	result := make([]*deb.PublishedRepo, 0, collection.Len())
 
 	err := collection.ForEach(func(repo *deb.PublishedRepo) error {
-		err := collection.LoadComplete(repo, collectionFactory)
+		err := collection.LoadShallow(repo, collectionFactory)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/cmd/publish_list.go b/cmd/publish_list.go
index f4bbb2afb..e3a1d1a8f 100644
--- a/cmd/publish_list.go
+++ b/cmd/publish_list.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func aptlyPublishListTxt(cmd *commander.Command, _ []string) error {
 	published := make([]string, 0, collectionFactory.PublishedRepoCollection().Len())
 
 	err = collectionFactory.PublishedRepoCollection().ForEach(func(repo *deb.PublishedRepo) error {
-		e := collectionFactory.PublishedRepoCollection().LoadComplete(repo, collectionFactory)
+		e := collectionFactory.PublishedRepoCollection().LoadShallow(repo, collectionFactory)
 		if e != nil {
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Error found on one publish (prefix:%s / distribution:%s / component:%s\n)",
 				repo.StoragePrefix(), repo.Distribution, repo.Components())
diff --git a/deb/publish.go b/deb/publish.go
index 19f216b1c..337fd0069 100644
--- a/deb/publish.go
+++ b/deb/publish.go
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ func NewPublishedRepo(storage, prefix, distribution string, architectures []stri
 	return result, nil
 }
 
-// MarshalJSON requires object to be "loaded completely"
+// MarshalJSON requires object to filled by "LoadShallow" or "LoadComplete"
 func (p *PublishedRepo) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 	type sourceInfo struct {
 		Component, Name string
@@ -990,8 +990,11 @@ func (collection *PublishedRepoCollection) Update(repo *PublishedRepo) error {
 	return batch.Write()
 }
 
-// LoadComplete loads additional information for remote repo
-func (collection *PublishedRepoCollection) LoadComplete(repo *PublishedRepo, collectionFactory *CollectionFactory) (err error) {
+// LoadShallow loads basic information on the repo's sources
+//
+// This does not *fully* load in the sources themselves and their packages.
+// It's useful if you just want to use JSON serialization without loading in unnecessary things.
+func (collection *PublishedRepoCollection) LoadShallow(repo *PublishedRepo, collectionFactory *CollectionFactory) (err error) {
 	repo.sourceItems = make(map[string]repoSourceItem)
 
 	if repo.SourceKind == SourceSnapshot {
@@ -1002,10 +1005,6 @@ func (collection *PublishedRepoCollection) LoadComplete(repo *PublishedRepo, col
 			if err != nil {
 				return
 			}
-			err = collectionFactory.SnapshotCollection().LoadComplete(item.snapshot)
-			if err != nil {
-				return
-			}
 
 			repo.sourceItems[component] = item
 		}
@@ -1017,6 +1016,30 @@ func (collection *PublishedRepoCollection) LoadComplete(repo *PublishedRepo, col
 			if err != nil {
 				return
 			}
+
+			item.packageRefs = &PackageRefList{}
+			repo.sourceItems[component] = item
+		}
+	} else {
+		panic("unknown SourceKind")
+	}
+
+	return
+}
+
+// LoadComplete loads complete information on the sources of the repo *and* their packages
+func (collection *PublishedRepoCollection) LoadComplete(repo *PublishedRepo, collectionFactory *CollectionFactory) (err error) {
+	collection.LoadShallow(repo, collectionFactory)
+
+	if repo.SourceKind == SourceSnapshot {
+		for _, item := range repo.sourceItems {
+			err = collectionFactory.SnapshotCollection().LoadComplete(item.snapshot)
+			if err != nil {
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	} else if repo.SourceKind == SourceLocalRepo {
+		for component, item := range repo.sourceItems {
 			err = collectionFactory.LocalRepoCollection().LoadComplete(item.localRepo)
 			if err != nil {
 				return
@@ -1035,13 +1058,10 @@ func (collection *PublishedRepoCollection) LoadComplete(repo *PublishedRepo, col
 				}
 			}
 
-			item.packageRefs = &PackageRefList{}
 			err = item.packageRefs.Decode(encoded)
 			if err != nil {
 				return
 			}
-
-			repo.sourceItems[component] = item
 		}
 	} else {
 		panic("unknown SourceKind")