diff --git a/app/src/services/sync.js b/app/src/services/sync.js
index 82ef5d02..1477e3d2 100644
--- a/app/src/services/sync.js
+++ b/app/src/services/sync.js
@@ -159,22 +159,18 @@ const service = {
 
         // Case: already synced - record & update public status as needed
         if (comsObject) {
-          if (s3Public === undefined || s3Public === comsObject.public) {
-            response = await objectService.update({
-              id: comsObject.id,
-              userId: userId,
-              lastSyncedDate: new Date().toISOString()
-            }, trx);
-          } else {
-            response = await objectService.update({
-              id: comsObject.id,
-              userId: userId,
-              path: comsObject.path,
-              public: s3Public,
-              lastSyncedDate: new Date().toISOString()
-            }, trx);
-            modified = true;
-          }
+
+          response = await objectService.update({
+            id: comsObject.id,
+            userId: userId,
+            path: comsObject.path,
+            // update if public in s3
+            public: s3Public ? s3Public : comsObject.public,
+            lastSyncedDate: new Date().toISOString()
+          }, trx);
+
+          // if public flag changed mark as modified
+          if (s3Public && !comsObject.public) modified = true;
         }
 
         // Case: not in COMS - insert new COMS object
diff --git a/app/tests/unit/services/sync.spec.js b/app/tests/unit/services/sync.spec.js
index 8ff047df..c0d24a64 100644
--- a/app/tests/unit/services/sync.spec.js
+++ b/app/tests/unit/services/sync.spec.js
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@ describe('syncObject', () => {
     const result = await service.syncObject(path, bucketId);
 
     expect(result).toBeTruthy();
-    expect(result.modified).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(result.modified).toBeFalsy();
     expect(result.object).toEqual(comsObject);
 
     expect(ObjectModel.startTransaction).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ describe('syncObject', () => {
     expect(objectModelTrx.commit).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(updateSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(updateSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({
-      id: validUuidv4, path: path, public: false, lastSyncedDate: expect.anything(), userId: SYSTEM_USER
+      id: validUuidv4, path: path, public: true, lastSyncedDate: expect.anything(), userId: SYSTEM_USER
     }), expect.any(Object));
   });