diff --git a/uSync8.BackOffice/uSync8BackOffice.cs b/uSync8.BackOffice/uSync8BackOffice.cs
index 12728dca..47bc2797 100644
--- a/uSync8.BackOffice/uSync8BackOffice.cs
+++ b/uSync8.BackOffice/uSync8BackOffice.cs
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ namespace uSync8.BackOffice
     public class uSync8BackOffice
     {
         public static bool eventsPaused { get; set; }
-
-        public static bool inStartup { get; set; }
     }
 
     internal class uSync
diff --git a/uSync8.BackOffice/uSyncBackofficeComponent.cs b/uSync8.BackOffice/uSyncBackofficeComponent.cs
index 2ea236b3..0bff24ef 100644
--- a/uSync8.BackOffice/uSyncBackofficeComponent.cs
+++ b/uSync8.BackOffice/uSyncBackofficeComponent.cs
@@ -27,12 +27,15 @@ public class uSyncBackofficeComponent : IComponent
         private readonly uSyncService uSyncService;
         private readonly IRuntimeState runtimeState;
 
+        private readonly IUmbracoContextFactory umbracoContextFactory;
+
         public uSyncBackofficeComponent(
             SyncHandlerFactory handlerFactory,
             IProfilingLogger logger,
             SyncFileService fileService,
             uSyncService uSyncService,
-            IRuntimeState runtimeState)
+            IRuntimeState runtimeState,
+            IUmbracoContextFactory umbracoContextFactory)
         {
             globalSettings = Current.Configs.uSync();
 
@@ -44,6 +47,8 @@ public uSyncBackofficeComponent(
             this.syncFileService = fileService;
             this.uSyncService = uSyncService;
 
+            this.umbracoContextFactory = umbracoContextFactory;
+
         }
 
         public void Initialize()
@@ -86,26 +91,29 @@ private void InitBackOffice()
         {
             try
             {
-                uSync8BackOffice.inStartup = true;
 
-                if (globalSettings.ExportAtStartup || (globalSettings.ExportOnSave && !syncFileService.RootExists(globalSettings.RootFolder)))
+                using (var reference = umbracoContextFactory.EnsureUmbracoContext())
                 {
-                    uSyncService.Export(globalSettings.RootFolder, default(SyncHandlerOptions));
-                }
 
-                if (globalSettings.ImportAtStartup)
-                {
-                    uSyncService.Import(globalSettings.RootFolder, false, default(SyncHandlerOptions));
-                }
+                    if (globalSettings.ExportAtStartup || (globalSettings.ExportOnSave && !syncFileService.RootExists(globalSettings.RootFolder)))
+                    {
+                        uSyncService.Export(globalSettings.RootFolder, default(SyncHandlerOptions));
+                    }
 
-                if (globalSettings.ExportOnSave)
-                {
-                    var handlers = handlerFactory.GetValidHandlers(new SyncHandlerOptions(handlerFactory.DefaultSet, HandlerActions.Save));
+                    if (globalSettings.ImportAtStartup)
+                    {
+                        uSyncService.Import(globalSettings.RootFolder, false, default(SyncHandlerOptions));
+                    }
 
-                    foreach (var syncHandler in handlers)
+                    if (globalSettings.ExportOnSave)
                     {
-                        logger.Debug<uSyncBackofficeComponent>($"Starting up Handler {syncHandler.Handler.Name}");
-                        syncHandler.Handler.Initialize(syncHandler.Settings);
+                        var handlers = handlerFactory.GetValidHandlers(new SyncHandlerOptions(handlerFactory.DefaultSet, HandlerActions.Save));
+
+                        foreach (var syncHandler in handlers)
+                        {
+                            logger.Debug<uSyncBackofficeComponent>($"Starting up Handler {syncHandler.Handler.Name}");
+                            syncHandler.Handler.Initialize(syncHandler.Settings);
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -113,10 +121,6 @@ private void InitBackOffice()
             {
                 logger.Warn<uSyncBackofficeComponent>($"Error Importing at startup {ex.Message}");
             }
-            finally
-            {
-                uSync8BackOffice.inStartup = true;
-            }
 
         }
 
diff --git a/uSync8.ContentEdition/Serializers/ContentSerializer.cs b/uSync8.ContentEdition/Serializers/ContentSerializer.cs
index df97f5f3..ced2526d 100644
--- a/uSync8.ContentEdition/Serializers/ContentSerializer.cs
+++ b/uSync8.ContentEdition/Serializers/ContentSerializer.cs
@@ -196,52 +196,40 @@ protected override void HandleTrashedState(IContent item, bool trashed)
 
         protected virtual Attempt<string> DoSaveOrPublish(IContent item, XElement node)
         {
-            // at the moment <= 8.1.5 we can't publish during startup.
-            if (!uSync8BackOffice.inStartup)
+            var publishedNode = node.Element("Info")?.Element("Published");
+            if (publishedNode != null)
             {
-                var publishedNode = node.Element("Info")?.Element("Published");
-                if (publishedNode != null)
+                if (publishedNode.HasElements)
                 {
-                    if (publishedNode.HasElements)
+                    // culture based publishing.
+                    var publishedCultures = new List<string>();
+                    foreach (var culturePublish in publishedNode.Elements("Published"))
                     {
-                        // culture based publishing.
-                        var publishedCultures = new List<string>();
-                        foreach (var culturePublish in publishedNode.Elements("Published"))
-                        {
-                            var culture = culturePublish.Attribute("Culture").ValueOrDefault(string.Empty);
-                            var status = culturePublish.ValueOrDefault(false);
-
-                            if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(culture) && status)
-                            {
-                                publishedCultures.Add(culture);
-                            }
-                        }
+                        var culture = culturePublish.Attribute("Culture").ValueOrDefault(string.Empty);
+                        var status = culturePublish.ValueOrDefault(false);
 
-                        if (publishedCultures.Count > 0)
+                        if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(culture) && status)
                         {
-                            var culturePublishResult = contentService.SaveAndPublish(item, publishedCultures.ToArray());
-                            if (culturePublishResult.Success)
-                                return Attempt.Succeed($"Published {publishedCultures.Count} Cultures");
-
-                            return Attempt.Fail("Publish Failed " + culturePublishResult.EventMessages);
+                            publishedCultures.Add(culture);
                         }
                     }
-                    else
-                    {
-                        // default publish the lot. 
-                        if (publishedNode.Attribute("Default").ValueOrDefault(false))
-                        {
-                            var publishResult = contentService.SaveAndPublish(item);
-                            if (publishResult.Success)
-                                return Attempt.Succeed("Published");
 
-                            return Attempt.Fail("Publish Failed " + publishResult.EventMessages);
-                        }
-                        else if (item.Published)
-                        {
-                            // unpublish
-                            contentService.Unpublish(item);
-                        }
+                    if (publishedCultures.Count > 0)
+                    {
+                        return PublishItem(item, publishedCultures.ToArray());
+                    }
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    // default publish the lot. 
+                    if (publishedNode.Attribute("Default").ValueOrDefault(false))
+                    {
+                        return PublishItem(item, null);
+                    }
+                    else if (item.Published)
+                    {
+                        // unpublish
+                        contentService.Unpublish(item);
                     }
                 }
             }
@@ -257,6 +245,25 @@ protected virtual Attempt<string> DoSaveOrPublish(IContent item, XElement node)
             // return Attempt.Fail("Save Failed " + result.EventMessages);
         }
 
+        private Attempt<string> PublishItem(IContent item, string[] cultures)
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                var culturePublishResult = contentService.SaveAndPublish(item, cultures);
+                if (culturePublishResult.Success)
+                    return Attempt.Succeed($"Published {cultures != null: cultures.Count : 'All'} Cultures");
+
+                return Attempt.Fail("Publish Failed " + culturePublishResult.EventMessages);
+            }
+            catch (ArgumentNullException ex)
+            {
+                // we can get thrown a null argument exception by the notifer, 
+                // which is non critical! but we are ignoring this error. ! <= 8.1.5
+                if (!ex.Message.Contains("siteUri")) throw ex;
+                return Attempt.Succeed($"Published");
+            }
+        }
+
         #endregion
 
         protected override IContent CreateItem(string alias, ITreeEntity parent, string itemType)