diff --git a/app/services/publish/metadata_transfer_service.rb b/app/services/publish/metadata_transfer_service.rb
index 837d63af2..47904413e 100644
--- a/app/services/publish/metadata_transfer_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/publish/metadata_transfer_service.rb
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ def transfer_metadata(public_cocina)
                                              thumbnail_service: @thumbnail_service)
       transfer_to_document_store(public_cocina.to_json, 'cocina.json')
       transfer_to_document_store(public_nokogiri.to_xml, 'public')
-      transfer_to_document_store(PublicDescMetadataService.new(public_cocina).to_xml, 'mods')
     end
 
     # Clear out the document cache for this item
diff --git a/spec/services/publish/metadata_transfer_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/publish/metadata_transfer_service_spec.rb
index 975999109..7d23f7134 100644
--- a/spec/services/publish/metadata_transfer_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/publish/metadata_transfer_service_spec.rb
@@ -112,7 +112,6 @@
         before do
           expect_any_instance_of(described_class).to receive(:transfer_to_document_store).with(/{"cocinaVersion"/, 'cocina.json')
           expect_any_instance_of(described_class).to receive(:transfer_to_document_store).with(/<publicObject/, 'public')
-          expect_any_instance_of(described_class).to receive(:transfer_to_document_store).with(/<mods:mods/, 'mods')
           expect_any_instance_of(described_class).to receive(:publish_notify_on_success).with(cocina_object)
         end
 
@@ -121,7 +120,6 @@
         it 'identityMetadata, contentMetadata, rightsMetadata, generated dublin core, and public xml' do
           service.publish
           expect(Publish::PublicXmlService).to have_received(:new).with(public_cocina: Cocina::Models::DRO, thumbnail_service:)
-          expect(Publish::PublicDescMetadataService).to have_received(:new).with(Cocina::Models::DRO)
         end
       end
 
@@ -135,7 +133,6 @@
         before do
           expect_any_instance_of(described_class).to receive(:transfer_to_document_store).with(/{"cocinaVersion"/, 'cocina.json')
           expect_any_instance_of(described_class).to receive(:transfer_to_document_store).with(/<publicObject/, 'public')
-          expect_any_instance_of(described_class).to receive(:transfer_to_document_store).with(/<mods:mods/, 'mods')
           expect_any_instance_of(described_class).to receive(:publish_notify_on_success).with(cocina_object)
           expect_any_instance_of(described_class).to receive(:republish_members!).with(no_args)
         end