diff --git a/packages/ditto/storages/DittoAPIStore.ts b/packages/ditto/storages/DittoAPIStore.ts
index 9d8a60ae..9a8fc570 100644
--- a/packages/ditto/storages/DittoAPIStore.ts
+++ b/packages/ditto/storages/DittoAPIStore.ts
@@ -103,19 +103,21 @@ export class DittoAPIStore implements NRelay {
     return relay.req(filters, opts);
   }
 
-  async event(event: NostrEvent, opts?: { signal?: AbortSignal }): Promise<void> {
+  async event(event: NostrEvent, opts?: { publish?: boolean; signal?: AbortSignal }): Promise<void> {
     const { pool } = this.opts;
     const { id, kind } = event;
 
     await this.handleEvent(event, opts);
 
-    (async () => {
-      try {
-        await pool.event(purifyEvent(event), opts);
-      } catch (e) {
-        logi({ level: 'error', ns: this.ns, source: 'publish', id, kind, error: errorJson(e) });
-      }
-    })();
+    if (opts?.publish) {
+      (async () => {
+        try {
+          await pool.event(purifyEvent(event), opts);
+        } catch (e) {
+          logi({ level: 'error', ns: this.ns, source: 'publish', id, kind, error: errorJson(e) });
+        }
+      })();
+    }
   }
 
   /** Open a firehose to the relay. */
diff --git a/packages/ditto/utils/api.ts b/packages/ditto/utils/api.ts
index 58740917..b5d4fc3b 100644
--- a/packages/ditto/utils/api.ts
+++ b/packages/ditto/utils/api.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ async function createEvent<E extends (DittoEnv & { Variables: { user?: User } })
     ...t,
   });
 
-  await relay.event(event, { signal });
+  await relay.event(event, { signal, publish: true });
   return event;
 }
 
@@ -89,7 +89,8 @@ async function createAdminEvent(t: EventStub, c: AppContext): Promise<NostrEvent
     ...t,
   });
 
-  await relay.event(event, { signal });
+  // @ts-ignore `publish` is important for `DittoAPIStore`.
+  await relay.event(event, { signal, publish: true });
   return event;
 }