diff --git a/src/api/endpoint/api/publish.ts b/src/api/endpoint/api/publish.ts
index b41bff5c5..f88071298 100644
--- a/src/api/endpoint/api/publish.ts
+++ b/src/api/endpoint/api/publish.ts
@@ -216,8 +216,8 @@ export function publishPackage(storage: IStorageHandler, config: Config, auth: I
 
     try {
       const metadata = validateMetadata(req.body, packageName);
-      // treating deprecation as updating a package
-      if (req.params._rev || isRelatedToDeprecation(req.body)) {
+      // check _attachments to distinguish publish and deprecate
+      if (req.params._rev || (isRelatedToDeprecation(req.body) && _.isEmpty(req.body._attachments))) {
         debug('updating a new version for %o', packageName);
         // we check unpublish permissions, an update is basically remove versions
         const remote = req.remote_user;
diff --git a/test/unit/modules/api/api.spec.ts b/test/unit/modules/api/api.spec.ts
index bd47a7b74..6037689be 100644
--- a/test/unit/modules/api/api.spec.ts
+++ b/test/unit/modules/api/api.spec.ts
@@ -1073,6 +1073,28 @@ describe('endpoint unit test', () => {
         expect(res.body.versions['1.0.1'].deprecated).toEqual('get deprecated');
         done();
       });
+
+      test('should deprecate when publish new version with deprecate field', async (done) => {
+        await Promise.all([
+          putPackage(request(app), `/${pkgName}`, generatePackageMetadata(pkgName, '2.0.0'), token),
+          putPackage(request(app), `/${pkgName}`, generatePackageMetadata(pkgName, '2.0.1'), token),
+          putPackage(request(app), `/${pkgName}`, generatePackageMetadata(pkgName, '2.0.2'), token)
+        ]);
+
+        const pkg = generatePackageMetadata(pkgName, '2.0.3');
+        pkg.versions['2.0.3'].deprecated = 'get deprecated';
+        await putPackage(request(app), `/${encodeScopedUri(pkgName)}`, pkg, token);
+
+        const [, res] = await getPackage(request(app), '', pkgName);
+        const versions = Object.keys(res.body.versions);
+
+        expect(res.body.versions['2.0.3'].deprecated).toEqual('get deprecated');
+        expect(versions).toContain('2.0.0');
+        expect(versions).toContain('2.0.1');
+        expect(versions).toContain('2.0.2');
+        expect(versions).toContain('2.0.3');
+        done();
+      });
     });
   });
 });