diff --git a/packages/auth/src/db/Replication.js b/packages/auth/src/db/Replication.js
index 931bc3d496..7af3c2eb9d 100644
--- a/packages/auth/src/db/Replication.js
+++ b/packages/auth/src/db/Replication.js
@@ -45,22 +45,6 @@ class Replication {
     return this.replication
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Set up an ongoing live sync between 2 CouchDB databases.
-   * @param {Object} opts - PouchDB replication options
-   */
-  subscribe(opts = {}) {
-    this.replication = this.source.replicate
-      .to(this.target, {
-        live: true,
-        retry: true,
-        ...opts,
-      })
-      .on("error", function (err) {
-        throw new Error(`Replication Error: ${err}`)
-      })
-  }
-
   /**
    * Rollback the target DB back to the state of the source DB
    */
diff --git a/packages/builder/src/pages/builder/app/[application]/_layout.svelte b/packages/builder/src/pages/builder/app/[application]/_layout.svelte
index 603fb62d99..da4317c8b7 100644
--- a/packages/builder/src/pages/builder/app/[application]/_layout.svelte
+++ b/packages/builder/src/pages/builder/app/[application]/_layout.svelte
@@ -1,21 +1,24 @@
 <script>
   import { store, automationStore } from "builderStore"
   import { roles } from "stores/backend"
-  import { Icon, ActionGroup, Tabs, Tab } from "@budibase/bbui"
+  import { Icon, ActionGroup, Tabs, Tab, notifications } from "@budibase/bbui"
   import DeployModal from "components/deploy/DeployModal.svelte"
   import RevertModal from "components/deploy/RevertModal.svelte"
   import VersionModal from "components/deploy/VersionModal.svelte"
   import NPSFeedbackForm from "components/feedback/NPSFeedbackForm.svelte"
-  import { get } from "builderStore/api"
+  import { get, post } from "builderStore/api"
   import { auth, admin } from "stores/portal"
   import { isActive, goto, layout, redirect } from "@roxi/routify"
   import Logo from "assets/bb-emblem.svg"
   import { capitalise } from "helpers"
   import UpgradeModal from "../../../../components/upgrade/UpgradeModal.svelte"
+  import { onMount } from "svelte"
 
   // Get Package and set store
   export let application
   let promise = getPackage()
+  // sync once when you load the app
+  let hasSynced = false
   $: selected = capitalise(
     $layout.children.find(layout => $isActive(layout.path))?.title ?? "data"
   )
@@ -67,6 +70,16 @@
       return state
     })
   }
+
+  onMount(async () => {
+    if (!hasSynced && application) {
+      const res = await post(`/api/applications/${application}/sync`)
+      if (res.status !== 200) {
+        notifications.error("Failed to sync with production database")
+      }
+      hasSynced = true
+    }
+  })
 </script>
 
 {#await promise}
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.js
index e3aac8bd63..e2e42c20f9 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/application.js
@@ -25,7 +25,12 @@ const { BASE_LAYOUTS } = require("../../constants/layouts")
 const { createHomeScreen } = require("../../constants/screens")
 const { cloneDeep } = require("lodash/fp")
 const { processObject } = require("@budibase/string-templates")
-const { getAllApps } = require("@budibase/auth/db")
+const {
+  getAllApps,
+  isDevAppID,
+  getDeployedAppID,
+  Replication,
+} = require("@budibase/auth/db")
 const { USERS_TABLE_SCHEMA } = require("../../constants")
 const {
   getDeployedApps,
@@ -134,7 +139,7 @@ async function createInstance(template) {
   return { _id: appId }
 }
 
-exports.fetch = async function (ctx) {
+exports.fetch = async ctx => {
   const dev = ctx.query && ctx.query.status === AppStatus.DEV
   const all = ctx.query && ctx.query.status === AppStatus.ALL
   const apps = await getAllApps(CouchDB, { dev, all })
@@ -159,7 +164,7 @@ exports.fetch = async function (ctx) {
   ctx.body = apps
 }
 
-exports.fetchAppDefinition = async function (ctx) {
+exports.fetchAppDefinition = async ctx => {
   const db = new CouchDB(ctx.params.appId)
   const layouts = await getLayouts(db)
   const userRoleId = getUserRoleId(ctx)
@@ -175,7 +180,7 @@ exports.fetchAppDefinition = async function (ctx) {
   }
 }
 
-exports.fetchAppPackage = async function (ctx) {
+exports.fetchAppPackage = async ctx => {
   const db = new CouchDB(ctx.params.appId)
   const application = await db.get(DocumentTypes.APP_METADATA)
   const layouts = await getLayouts(db)
@@ -196,7 +201,7 @@ exports.fetchAppPackage = async function (ctx) {
   }
 }
 
-exports.create = async function (ctx) {
+exports.create = async ctx => {
   const { useTemplate, templateKey, templateString } = ctx.request.body
   const instanceConfig = {
     useTemplate,
@@ -252,13 +257,13 @@ exports.create = async function (ctx) {
   ctx.body = newApplication
 }
 
-exports.update = async function (ctx) {
+exports.update = async ctx => {
   const data = await updateAppPackage(ctx, ctx.request.body, ctx.params.appId)
   ctx.status = 200
   ctx.body = data
 }
 
-exports.updateClient = async function (ctx) {
+exports.updateClient = async ctx => {
   // Get current app version
   const db = new CouchDB(ctx.params.appId)
   const application = await db.get(DocumentTypes.APP_METADATA)
@@ -280,7 +285,7 @@ exports.updateClient = async function (ctx) {
   ctx.body = data
 }
 
-exports.revertClient = async function (ctx) {
+exports.revertClient = async ctx => {
   // Check app can be reverted
   const db = new CouchDB(ctx.params.appId)
   const application = await db.get(DocumentTypes.APP_METADATA)
@@ -303,7 +308,7 @@ exports.revertClient = async function (ctx) {
   ctx.body = data
 }
 
-exports.delete = async function (ctx) {
+exports.delete = async ctx => {
   const db = new CouchDB(ctx.params.appId)
 
   const result = await db.destroy()
@@ -318,6 +323,35 @@ exports.delete = async function (ctx) {
   ctx.body = result
 }
 
+exports.sync = async ctx => {
+  const appId = ctx.params.appId
+  if (!isDevAppID(appId)) {
+    ctx.throw(400, "This action cannot be performed for production apps")
+  }
+  const prodAppId = getDeployedAppID(appId)
+  const replication = new Replication({
+    source: prodAppId,
+    target: appId,
+  })
+  let error
+  try {
+    await replication.replicate({
+      filter: function (doc) {
+        return doc._id !== DocumentTypes.APP_METADATA
+      },
+    })
+  } catch (err) {
+    error = err
+  }
+  if (error) {
+    ctx.throw(400, error)
+  } else {
+    ctx.body = {
+      message: "App sync completed successfully.",
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 const updateAppPackage = async (ctx, appPackage, appId) => {
   const url = await getAppUrlIfNotInUse(ctx)
   const db = new CouchDB(appId)
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/deploy/index.js b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/deploy/index.js
index d68b2064d7..13002476fc 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/controllers/deploy/index.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/controllers/deploy/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 const CouchDB = require("../../../db")
 const Deployment = require("./Deployment")
-const { Replication } = require("@budibase/auth/db")
+const { Replication, getDeployedAppID } = require("@budibase/auth/db")
 const { DocumentTypes, getAutomationParams } = require("../../../db/utils")
 const {
   disableAllCrons,
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ async function initDeployedApp(prodAppId) {
 
 async function deployApp(deployment) {
   try {
-    const productionAppId = deployment.appId.replace("_dev", "")
+    const productionAppId = getDeployedAppID(deployment.appId)
 
     const replication = new Replication({
       source: deployment.appId,
@@ -104,23 +104,8 @@ async function deployApp(deployment) {
     appDoc.instance._id = productionAppId
     await db.put(appDoc)
     console.log("New app doc written successfully.")
-
-    console.log("Setting up live repl between dev and prod")
-    // Set up live sync between the live and dev instances
-    const liveReplication = new Replication({
-      source: productionAppId,
-      target: deployment.appId,
-    })
-    liveReplication.subscribe({
-      filter: function (doc) {
-        return doc._id !== DocumentTypes.APP_METADATA
-      },
-    })
-    console.log("Set up live repl between dev and prod")
-
-    console.log("Initialising deployed app")
     await initDeployedApp(productionAppId)
-    console.log("Init complete, setting deployment to successful")
+    console.log("Deployed app initialised, setting deployment to successful")
     deployment.setStatus(DeploymentStatus.SUCCESS)
     await storeDeploymentHistory(deployment)
   } catch (err) {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/api/routes/application.js b/packages/server/src/api/routes/application.js
index 4d67a0f4f4..1a21cc8216 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/api/routes/application.js
+++ b/packages/server/src/api/routes/application.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const usage = require("../../middleware/usageQuota")
 const router = Router()
 
 router
+  .post("/api/applications/:appId/sync", authorized(BUILDER), controller.sync)
   .post("/api/applications", authorized(BUILDER), usage, controller.create)
   .get("/api/applications/:appId/definition", controller.fetchAppDefinition)
   .get("/api/applications", controller.fetch)