diff --git a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/htmlpreview/HTMLPreviewPresenter.java b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/htmlpreview/HTMLPreviewPresenter.java
index 7e6529ec087..b7e2cffa997 100644
--- a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/htmlpreview/HTMLPreviewPresenter.java
+++ b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/htmlpreview/HTMLPreviewPresenter.java
@@ -19,12 +19,15 @@
 import org.rstudio.core.client.files.FileSystemItem;
 import org.rstudio.core.client.widget.ProgressIndicator;
 import org.rstudio.core.client.widget.ProgressOperationWithInput;
+import org.rstudio.studio.client.RStudioGinjector;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.application.Desktop;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.application.events.EventBus;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.common.FileDialogs;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.common.GlobalDisplay;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.common.SimpleRequestCallback;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.common.fileexport.FileExport;
+import org.rstudio.studio.client.common.filetypes.FileType;
+import org.rstudio.studio.client.common.filetypes.FileTypeRegistry;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.common.satellite.Satellite;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.htmlpreview.events.HTMLPreviewCompletedEvent;
 import org.rstudio.studio.client.htmlpreview.events.HTMLPreviewOutputEvent;
@@ -70,7 +73,8 @@ public interface Display extends IsWidget
       
       void showPreview(String url,
                        String htmlFile, 
-                       boolean enableSaveAs);
+                       boolean enableSaveAs,
+                       boolean enablePublish);
       
       void print();
    }
@@ -96,12 +100,8 @@ public HTMLPreviewPresenter(Display view,
       fileSystemContext_ = fileSystemContext;
       pFileExport_ = pFileExport;
       
-      binder.bind(commands, this);
+      binder.bind(commands, this);  
       
-      // remove publish if it's not supported
-      if (!session.getSessionInfo().getRPubsEnabled())
-         commands.publishHTML().remove();
-         
       // map Ctrl-R to our internal refresh handler
       Event.addNativePreviewHandler(new NativePreviewHandler() {
          @Override
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ public void onHTMLPreviewCompleted(HTMLPreviewCompletedEvent event)
          {
             previewRunning_ = false;
             
-            HTMLPreviewResult result = event.getResult();
+            HTMLPreviewResult result = event.getResult();           
             if (result.getSucceeded())
             {
                lastSuccessfulPreview_ = result;
@@ -180,7 +180,9 @@ public void onHTMLPreviewCompleted(HTMLPreviewCompletedEvent event)
                view_.showPreview(
                   server_.getApplicationURL(result.getPreviewURL()),
                   result.getHtmlFile(),
-                  result.getEnableSaveAs());
+                  result.getEnableSaveAs(),
+                  session_.getSessionInfo().getRPubsEnabled() &&
+                  isMarkdownFile(result.getSourceFile()));
             }
             else
             {
@@ -210,6 +212,15 @@ protected String getValue()
       };
    }
    
+   private boolean isMarkdownFile(String file)
+   {
+      FileSystemItem fsi = FileSystemItem.createFile(file);
+      FileTypeRegistry ftReg = RStudioGinjector.INSTANCE.getFileTypeRegistry();
+      FileType fileType = ftReg.getTypeForFile(fsi);
+      return fileType.equals(FileTypeRegistry.MARKDOWN) ||
+             fileType.equals(FileTypeRegistry.RMARKDOWN);
+   }
+   
    public void onActivated(HTMLPreviewParams params)
    {
       lastPreviewParams_ =  params;
diff --git a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/htmlpreview/ui/HTMLPreviewPanel.java b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/htmlpreview/ui/HTMLPreviewPanel.java
index 7f8b49d6c72..3b2022aec60 100644
--- a/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/htmlpreview/ui/HTMLPreviewPanel.java
+++ b/src/gwt/src/org/rstudio/studio/client/htmlpreview/ui/HTMLPreviewPanel.java
@@ -99,8 +99,9 @@ private Toolbar createToolbar(Commands commands)
          
       }
       
-      toolbar.addLeftSeparator();
-      toolbar.addLeftWidget(commands.publishHTML().createToolbarButton());
+      publishButtonSeparator_ = toolbar.addLeftSeparator();
+      toolbar.addLeftWidget(
+               publishButton_ = commands.publishHTML().createToolbarButton());
       
       
       findTextBox_ = new FindTextBox("Find");
@@ -198,7 +199,8 @@ public void closeProgress()
    @Override
    public void showPreview(String url, 
                            String htmlFile,
-                           boolean enableSaveAs)
+                           boolean enableSaveAs,
+                           boolean enablePublish)
    {
       String shortFileName = StringUtil.shortPathName(
             FileSystemItem.createFile(htmlFile), 
@@ -207,6 +209,8 @@ public void showPreview(String url,
       fileLabel_.setText(shortFileName);
       saveHtmlPreviewAsSeparator_.setVisible(enableSaveAs);
       saveHtmlPreviewAs_.setVisible(enableSaveAs);
+      publishButtonSeparator_.setVisible(enablePublish);
+      publishButton_.setVisible(enablePublish);
       previewFrame_.navigate(url);
    }
    
@@ -272,5 +276,7 @@ protected WindowEx getWindow()
    private FindTextBox findTextBox_;
    private Widget saveHtmlPreviewAsSeparator_;
    private Widget saveHtmlPreviewAs_;
+   private Widget publishButtonSeparator_;
+   private Widget publishButton_;
    private HTMLPreviewProgressDialog activeProgressDialog_;
 }