diff --git a/app/jobs/load_big_sam_job.rb b/app/jobs/load_big_sam_job.rb
index ea4093a..b7c195b 100644
--- a/app/jobs/load_big_sam_job.rb
+++ b/app/jobs/load_big_sam_job.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ class LoadBigSamJob < ApplicationJob
   queue_as :default
 
   def perform(*args)
-    FileUtils.touch('big_sam_loading')
+    FileUtils.touch('big_sam_loading') unless ENV['RAILS_ENV'] == 'test'
     logger.debug 'starting big sam load'
 
     big_sam = args.first
diff --git a/app/models/letter.rb b/app/models/letter.rb
index 0799ca7..3383f90 100644
--- a/app/models/letter.rb
+++ b/app/models/letter.rb
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ def all_entities
   private
 
   def check_published
-    self.published = repositories.any?(&:published)
+    self.published = repositories.any?(&:published) || letter_publisher.present?
   end
 
   def reindex_published
diff --git a/spec/factories/letters.rb b/spec/factories/letters.rb
index 75a4abf..104265b 100644
--- a/spec/factories/letters.rb
+++ b/spec/factories/letters.rb
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 
     factory :unpublished_letter do
       repositories { create_list(:repository, 1, published: false) }
+      letter_publisher { nil }
     end
 
     factory :new_letter do
diff --git a/spec/jobs/load_big_sam_job_spec.rb b/spec/jobs/load_big_sam_job_spec.rb
index 22e0f89..c9908c5 100644
--- a/spec/jobs/load_big_sam_job_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/jobs/load_big_sam_job_spec.rb
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
     big_sam_file = fixture_file_upload('big_sam.xlsx')
     create(:big_sam, big_sam: big_sam_file)
     Letter.find_each(&:save)
-    expect(Letter.published.count).to eq(18)
+    expect(Letter.published.count).to eq(19)
     expect(Repository.count).to eq(7)
     expect(Repository.published.count).to eq(4)
   end
diff --git a/spec/models/entity_spec.rb b/spec/models/entity_spec.rb
index 619ed43..4b576c7 100644
--- a/spec/models/entity_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/entity_spec.rb
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
   include ActionView::Helpers::SanitizeHelper
   include ActiveSupport::Inflector
 
-  it 'creates a hash of pubically avaliable letters where entity is mentioned' do
+  it 'creates a hash of publicly avaliable letters where entity is mentioned' do
     entity = create(:place_entity)
 
     create_list(:letter, 5)
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@
       4,
       date: Faker::Date.between(from: '1900-1-1', to: '1930-1-1'),
       repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: true),
-      entities: [entity]
+      entities: [entity],
+      letter_publisher: nil
     )
 
     create_list(
@@ -28,7 +29,8 @@
       date: Faker::Date.between(from: '1957-1-1', to: '1965-12-31'),
       repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: true),
       destinations: [entity],
-      recipients: create_list(:person_entity, 2)
+      recipients: create_list(:person_entity, 2),
+      letter_publisher: nil
     )
 
     create_list(
@@ -37,7 +39,8 @@
       date: Faker::Date.between(from: '1957-1-1', to: '1965-12-31'),
       repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: true),
       origins: [entity],
-      recipients: create_list(:person_entity, 2)
+      recipients: create_list(:person_entity, 2),
+      letter_publisher: nil
     )
 
     create_list(
@@ -46,7 +49,8 @@
       date: Faker::Date.between(from: '1957-1-1', to: '1965-12-31'),
       repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: true),
       entities: [entity],
-      recipients: create_list(:person_entity, 2)
+      recipients: create_list(:person_entity, 2),
+      letter_publisher: nil
     )
 
     create_list(
@@ -54,7 +58,8 @@
       2,
       date: Faker::Date.between(from: '1957-1-1', to: '1965-12-31'),
       repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: false),
-      entities: [entity]
+      entities: [entity],
+      letter_publisher: nil
     )
 
     create_list(
@@ -63,7 +68,8 @@
       date: Faker::Date.between(from: '1966-1-1', to: '2000-12-31'),
       repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: false),
       destinations: [entity],
-      recipients: create_list(:person_entity, 2)
+      recipients: create_list(:person_entity, 2),
+      letter_publisher: nil
     )
 
     expect(entity.all_letters.count).to be < Letter.count
diff --git a/spec/models/letter_spec.rb b/spec/models/letter_spec.rb
index 0651534..9a28df5 100644
--- a/spec/models/letter_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/letter_spec.rb
@@ -8,32 +8,43 @@
       :letter,
       4,
       date: Faker::Date.between(from: '1900-1-1', to: '1930-1-1'),
-      repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: true)
+      repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: true),
+      letter_publisher: nil
     )
 
     create_list(
       :letter,
       6,
       date: Faker::Date.between(from: '1957-1-1', to: '1965-12-31'),
-      repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: true)
+      repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: true),
+      letter_publisher: nil
     )
 
     create_list(
       :letter,
       2,
       date: Faker::Date.between(from: '1957-1-1', to: '1965-12-31'),
-      repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: false)
+      repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: false),
+      letter_publisher: nil
     )
 
     create_list(
       :letter,
       3,
       date: Faker::Date.between(from: '1966-1-1', to: '2000-12-31'),
+      repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: false),
+      letter_publisher: nil
+    )
+
+    create_list(
+      :letter,
+      2,
+      date: Faker::Date.between(from: '1957-1-1', to: '1965-12-31'),
       repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: false)
     )
 
-    expect(described_class.count).to eq(15)
-    expect(described_class.published.count).to eq(10)
+    expect(described_class.count).to eq(17)
+    expect(described_class.published.count).to eq(12)
   end
 
   it 'has distinct mentions' do
diff --git a/spec/models/published_entity_spec.rb b/spec/models/published_entity_spec.rb
index 06e3086..2e7ef9c 100644
--- a/spec/models/published_entity_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/published_entity_spec.rb
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
     entity.save!
     expect(described_class.search('*', where: { label: entity.label }).first.id).to eq(entity.id)
     entity.letters.first.repositories.first.update(published: false)
+    entity.letters.first.update(letter_publisher: nil)
     entity.letters.first.save
     entity.save!
     entity.reload
diff --git a/spec/models/published_letter_spec.rb b/spec/models/published_letter_spec.rb
index 248eeb9..6fc8e53 100644
--- a/spec/models/published_letter_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/published_letter_spec.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 RSpec.describe PublishedLetter do
   it 'only returns published entities' do
     create_list(:published_letter, 5)
-    create_list(:letter, 3, published: false)
+    create_list(:letter, 3, published: false, letter_publisher: nil)
 
     expect(described_class.all.map(&:published)).to all(be true)
     expect(described_class.count).to be < Letter.count
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
   end
 
   it 'updates index when letter is unpublished' do
-    letter = create(:published_letter)
+    letter = create(:published_letter, letter_publisher: nil)
     expect(described_class.search('*', where: { label: letter.label }).first.id).to eq(letter.id)
     letter.repositories.first.update(published: false)
     letter.save!
diff --git a/spec/models/repository_spec.rb b/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
index db5cf7f..cd2c940 100644
--- a/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/repository_spec.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 RSpec.describe Repository do
   it 'updates entity and letter published status' do
     repo = create(:repository, published: false)
-    create_list(:letter, 3, repositories: [repo])
+    create_list(:letter, 3, repositories: [repo], letter_publisher: nil)
     expect(repo.letters.count).to eq(3)
     expect(repo.letters.map(&:published)).to all(be false)
     repo.letters.each do |letter|
diff --git a/spec/requests/letters_spec.rb b/spec/requests/letters_spec.rb
index 6d4ee50..f752285 100644
--- a/spec/requests/letters_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/letters_spec.rb
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@
       expect(response).to be_successful
     end
 
-    it 'renders only plblically avaliable letters' do
+    it 'renders only publicly available letters' do
       create_list(:published_letter, 4)
-      create_list(:letter, 3, repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: false))
-      create_list(:new_letter, 5, repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: false))
+      create_list(:letter, 3, repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: false), letter_publisher: nil)
+      create_list(:new_letter, 5, repositories: create_list(:repository, 1, published: false), letter_publisher: nil)
       get "#{letters_url}.json", headers: valid_headers, as: :json
       expect(Letter.published.count).to eq(4)
       expect(json[:letters].count).to eq(4)
@@ -163,15 +163,22 @@
       expect(response).to be_successful
     end
 
+    it 'does not include private repositories when letter previously published' do
+      letter = create(:letter, repositories: [create(:repository, published: false)])
+      expect(letter.published).to be(true)
+      get letter_url(letter), as: :json
+      expect(json[:repositories]).to be_nil
+    end
+
     it 'renders unpublished when requested from beckettapi' do
-      letter = create(:letter)
+      letter = create(:letter, letter_publisher: nil)
       expect(letter.published).to be(false)
       get(letter_url(letter), headers: { HTTP_REFERER: 'beckettapi.ecdsdev.org' })
       expect(response).to be_successful
     end
 
     it 'return 404 when unpublished and not requested from beckettapi' do
-      letter = create(:letter)
+      letter = create(:letter, letter_publisher: nil)
       expect(letter.published).to be(false)
       get letter_url(letter)
       # The recommendation causes the test to fail.