diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publish.controller.js b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publish.controller.js
index 9074834ee6..74d80b6ab9 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publish.controller.js
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publish.controller.js
@@ -109,8 +109,9 @@
                     if (!vm.hasPristineVariants) {
                         vm.hasPristineVariants = pristineVariantFilter(variant);
                     }
-
+                    
                     if(vm.isNew && hasAnyData(variant)){
+                        variant.publish = true;
                         variant.save = true;
                     }
                 });
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publish.html b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publish.html
index b33b7ccbfc..3fd3015de2 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publish.html
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/views/content/overlays/publish.html
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
                            type="checkbox"
                            ng-model="variant.publish"
                            ng-change="vm.changeSelection(variant)"
+                           ng-disabled="vm.isNew && variant.language.isMandatory"
                            style="margin-right: 8px;"
                            val-server-field="{{variant.htmlId}}" />
                     <div>