diff --git a/.yarn/install-state.gz b/.yarn/install-state.gz
index ee729a0d8b..c7e4a26324 100644
Binary files a/.yarn/install-state.gz and b/.yarn/install-state.gz differ
diff --git a/server/modules/nodeDef/manager/nodeDefManager.js b/server/modules/nodeDef/manager/nodeDefManager.js
index 77d17112b5..26032c3a1e 100644
--- a/server/modules/nodeDef/manager/nodeDefManager.js
+++ b/server/modules/nodeDef/manager/nodeDefManager.js
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ const _onAncestorCyclesUpdate = async ({ survey, nodeDefAncestor, cycles, cycles
   // perform updates in batch
   await client.batch(batchUpdates)
 
+  // a descendant left with no cycles is a dangling node def (invisible in every cycle, but still
+  // occupying its name); soft-delete it instead of leaving it as a live orphan
+  await NodeDefRepository.markNodeDefsWithoutCyclesDeleted(surveyId, client)
+
   return nodeDefsUpdated
 }
 
diff --git a/server/modules/survey/service/publish/jobs/nodeDefsValidationJob.js b/server/modules/survey/service/publish/jobs/nodeDefsValidationJob.js
index 2d1a1b8df0..0647af6639 100644
--- a/server/modules/survey/service/publish/jobs/nodeDefsValidationJob.js
+++ b/server/modules/survey/service/publish/jobs/nodeDefsValidationJob.js
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ export default class NodeDefsValidationJob extends Job {
     this.setContext({ surveyPublishedPrevious })
 
     await NodeDefManager.deleteOrphaneNodeDefs(surveyId, tx)
+    // self-heal node defs left with an empty cycles array by past bugs (e.g. narrowing an
+    // ancestor entity's cycles), which would otherwise remain invisible ghosts blocking publish
+    // with false duplicate-name errors
+    await NodeDefManager.markNodeDefsWithoutCyclesDeleted(surveyId, tx)
 
     const surveySummary = await SurveyManager.fetchSurveyById({ surveyId, draft: true }, tx)
     const cycleKeys = R.pipe(Survey.getSurveyInfo, Survey.getCycleKeys)(surveySummary)