diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/directives/components/localization/localize.directive.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/directives/components/localization/localize.directive.js
index 3833dc50b9..c3093eee9e 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/directives/components/localization/localize.directive.js
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/common/directives/components/localization/localize.directive.js
@@ -31,13 +31,15 @@ angular.module("umbraco.directives")
         return {
             restrict: 'E',
             scope:{
-                key: '@'
+                key: '@',
+                tokens: '='
             },
             replace: true,
 
             link: function (scope, element, attrs) {
                 var key = scope.key;
-                localizationService.localize(key).then(function(value){
+                var tokens = scope.tokens ? scope.tokens : null;
+                localizationService.localize(key, tokens).then(function(value){
                     element.html(value);
                 });
             }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publishdescendants.controller.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publishdescendants.controller.js
index b6fcb8391f..0536863e6b 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publishdescendants.controller.js
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publishdescendants.controller.js
@@ -7,16 +7,53 @@
 
         function onInit() {
 
+            vm.includeUnpublished = false;
             vm.variants = $scope.model.variants;
+            vm.labels = {};
 
             if (!$scope.model.title) {
                 localizationService.localize("buttons_publishDescendants").then(function (value) {
                     $scope.model.title = value;
                 });
             }
+
+            if (vm.variants.length > 1) {
+
+                //now sort it so that the current one is at the top
+                vm.variants = _.sortBy(vm.variants, function (v) {
+                    return v.active ? 0 : 1;
+                });
+
+                var active = _.find(vm.variants, function (v) {
+                    return v.active;
+                });
+
+                if (active) {
+                    //ensure that the current one is selected
+                    active.publishDescendants = true;
+                    active.save = true;
+                }
+                
+            } else {
+                // localize help text for invariant content
+                vm.labels.help = {
+                    "key": "content_publishDescendantsHelp",
+                    "tokens": []
+                };
+                // add the node name as a token so it will show up in the translated text
+                vm.labels.help.tokens.push(vm.variants[0].name);
+            }
             
         }
 
+        //when this dialog is closed, reset all 'publish' flags
+        $scope.$on('$destroy', function () {
+            for (var i = 0; i < vm.variants.length; i++) {
+                vm.variants[i].publishDescendants = false;
+                vm.variants[i].save = false;
+            }
+        });
+
         onInit();
 
     }
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publishdescendants.html b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publishdescendants.html
index a5b035c82c..ba515c892c 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publishdescendants.html
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publishdescendants.html
@@ -1,24 +1,17 @@
 <div ng-controller="Umbraco.Overlays.PublishDescendantsController as vm">
 
-        
     <div ng-if="vm.variants.length === 1">
         <div style="margin-bottom: 15px;">
-            Click <em>Publish with descendants</em> to publish <strong>{{vm.variants[0].name}}</strong> 
-            and all content items underneath and thereby making their content publicly available.
+            <p><localize key="{{vm.labels.help.key}}" tokens="vm.labels.help.tokens"></localize></p>
         </div>
 
         <div style="margin-bottom: 15px;">
-            <h5>Include drafts</h5>
             <label> 
                 <input 
-                    id="{{variant.htmlId}}"
-                    name="publishVariantSelector"
                     type="checkbox"
-                    ng-model="variant.publish"
-                    ng-change="vm.changeSelection(variant)"
-                    style="margin-right: 8px;"
-                    val-server-field="{{variant.htmlId}}" />
-                Also publish unpublished content items
+                    ng-model="vm.includeUnpublished"
+                    style="margin-right: 8px;" />
+                    <localize key="content_includeUnpublished"></localize>
             </label>
         </div>
 
@@ -27,21 +20,16 @@
     <div ng-if="vm.variants.length > 1">
 
         <div style="margin-bottom: 15px;">
-            Click <em>Publish with descendants</em> to publish <strong>the selected languages</strong> 
-            and the same languages of all content items underneath and thereby making their content publicly available.
+            <p><localize key="content_publishDescendantsWithVariantsHelp"></localize></p>
         </div>
 
         <div style="margin-bottom: 15px;">
             <label> 
                 <input 
-                    id="{{variant.htmlId}}"
-                    name="publishVariantSelector"
                     type="checkbox"
-                    ng-model="variant.publish"
-                    ng-change="vm.changeSelection(variant)"
-                    style="margin-right: 8px;"
-                    val-server-field="{{variant.htmlId}}" />
-                    Include drafts: also publish unpublished Languages
+                    ng-model="vm.includeUnpublished"
+                    style="margin-right: 8px;" />
+                    <localize key="content_includeUnpublished"></localize>
             </label>
         </div>
 
@@ -55,7 +43,7 @@
                         <input id="{{variant.htmlId}}"
                             name="publishVariantSelector"
                             type="checkbox"
-                            ng-model="variant.publish"
+                            ng-model="variant.publishDescendants"
                             ng-change="vm.changeSelection(variant)"
                             style="margin-right: 8px;"
                             val-server-field="{{variant.htmlId}}" />
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/Umbraco/config/lang/en_us.xml b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/Umbraco/config/lang/en_us.xml
index f78e25821d..b76bed49cd 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/Umbraco/config/lang/en_us.xml
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI/Umbraco/config/lang/en_us.xml
@@ -226,6 +226,8 @@
     <key alias="published">Published</key>
     <key alias="publishedPendingChanges">Published (pending changes)</key>&gt;
     <key alias="publishStatus">Publication Status</key>
+    <key alias="publishDescendantsHelp"><![CDATA[Click <em>Publish with descendants</em> to publish <strong>%0%</strong> and all content items underneath and thereby making their content publicly available.]]></key>
+    <key alias="publishDescendantsWithVariantsHelp"><![CDATA[Click <em>Publish with descendants</em> to publish <strong>the selected languages</strong> and the same languages of content items underneath and thereby making their content publicly available.]]></key>
     <key alias="releaseDate">Publish at</key>
     <key alias="unpublishDate">Unpublish at</key>
     <key alias="removeDate">Clear Date</key>
@@ -252,6 +254,7 @@
     <key alias="addTextBox">Add another text box</key>
     <key alias="removeTextBox">Remove this text box</key>
     <key alias="contentRoot">Content root</key>
+    <key alias="includeUnpublished">Include drafts: also publish unpublished content items.</key>
     <key alias="isSensitiveValue">This value is hidden. If you need access to view this value please contact your website administrator.</key>
     <key alias="isSensitiveValue_short">This value is hidden.</key>
     <key alias="languagesToPublish">What languages would you like to publish?</key>
@@ -1148,7 +1151,6 @@ To manage your website, simply open the Umbraco back office and start adding con
     <key alias="contentPublishedFailedByParent"><![CDATA[
       %0% can not be published, because a parent page is not published.
     ]]></key>
-    <key alias="includeUnpublished">Include unpublished subpages</key>
     <key alias="inProgress">Publishing in progress - please wait...</key>
     <key alias="inProgressCounter">%0% out of %1% pages have been published...</key>
     <key alias="nodePublish">%0% has been published</key>