diff --git a/packages/backend-core/src/db/Replication.ts b/packages/backend-core/src/db/Replication.ts
index b46f6072be..e0bd3c7a43 100644
--- a/packages/backend-core/src/db/Replication.ts
+++ b/packages/backend-core/src/db/Replication.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { dangerousGetDB, closeDB } from "."
+import { DocumentType } from "./constants"
 
 class Replication {
   source: any
@@ -53,6 +54,14 @@ class Replication {
     return this.replication
   }
 
+  appReplicateOpts() {
+    return {
+      filter: (doc: any) => {
+        return doc._id !== DocumentType.APP_METADATA
+      },
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Rollback the target DB back to the state of the source DB
    */
@@ -60,6 +69,7 @@ class Replication {
     await this.target.destroy()
     // Recreate the DB again
     this.target = dangerousGetDB(this.target.name)
+    // take the opportunity to remove deleted tombstones
     await this.replicate()
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.ts
index 926fe0ec52..ce3649f082 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.ts
@@ -553,11 +553,7 @@ export const sync = async (ctx: any, next: any) => {
   })
   let error
   try {
-    await replication.replicate({
-      filter: function (doc: any) {
-        return doc._id !== DocumentType.APP_METADATA
-      },
-    })
+    await replication.replicate(replication.appReplicateOpts())
   } catch (err) {
     error = err
   } finally {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/deploy/index.ts b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/deploy/index.ts
index d63e167dfb..86718294de 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/deploy/index.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/deploy/index.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   getAppId,
   getAppDB,
   getProdAppDB,
+  getDevAppDB,
 } from "@budibase/backend-core/context"
 import { quotas } from "@budibase/pro"
 import { events } from "@budibase/backend-core"
@@ -110,17 +111,29 @@ async function deployApp(deployment: any) {
       target: productionAppId,
     }
     replication = new Replication(config)
-
+    const devDb = getDevAppDB()
+    console.log("Compacting development DB")
+    await devDb.compact()
     console.log("Replication object created")
-    await replication.replicate()
+    await replication.replicate(replication.appReplicateOpts())
     console.log("replication complete.. replacing app meta doc")
+    // app metadata is excluded as it is likely to be in conflict
+    // replicate the app metadata document manually
     const db = getProdAppDB()
-    const appDoc = await db.get(DocumentType.APP_METADATA)
+    const appDoc = await devDb.get(DocumentType.APP_METADATA)
+    try {
+      const prodAppDoc = await db.get(DocumentType.APP_METADATA)
+      appDoc._rev = prodAppDoc._rev
+    } catch (err) {
+      // ignore the error - doesn't exist
+    }
 
+    // switch to production app ID
     deployment.appUrl = appDoc.url
-
     appDoc.appId = productionAppId
     appDoc.instance._id = productionAppId
+    // remove automation errors if they exist
+    delete appDoc.automationErrors
     await db.put(appDoc)
     await appCache.invalidateAppMetadata(productionAppId)
     console.log("New app doc written successfully.")