diff --git a/react/containers/ChannelSelect/index.js b/react/containers/ChannelSelect/index.js
index f90d0dc2..80084296 100644
--- a/react/containers/ChannelSelect/index.js
+++ b/react/containers/ChannelSelect/index.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const mapStateToProps = ({ channel, publish }) => {
     loggedInChannelName: channel.loggedInChannel.name,
     publishInChannel   : publish.publishInChannel,
     selectedChannel    : publish.selectedChannel,
+    channelError       : publish.error.channel,
   };
 };
 
diff --git a/react/containers/ChannelSelect/view.jsx b/react/containers/ChannelSelect/view.jsx
index 3042895d..9f4abf40 100644
--- a/react/containers/ChannelSelect/view.jsx
+++ b/react/containers/ChannelSelect/view.jsx
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ class ChannelSelect extends React.Component {
   render () {
     return (
       <div>
+        <p id="input-error-channel-select" className="info-message-placeholder info-message--failure">{this.props.channelError}</p>
         <form>
           <div className="column column--3 column--med-10">
             <input type="radio" name="anonymous-or-channel" id="anonymous-radio" className="input-radio" value="anonymous" checked={!this.props.publishInChannel} onChange={this.toggleAnonymousPublish}/>
@@ -36,7 +37,6 @@ class ChannelSelect extends React.Component {
         </form>
         { this.props.publishInChannel && (
           <div>
-            <p id="input-error-channel-select" className="info-message-placeholder info-message--failure">{this.props.channelError}</p>
             <div className="column column--3">
               <label className="label" htmlFor="channel-name-select">Channel:</label>
             </div><div className="column column--7">
diff --git a/react/containers/PublishForm/index.js b/react/containers/PublishForm/index.js
index e83ae9e1..df1614b6 100644
--- a/react/containers/PublishForm/index.js
+++ b/react/containers/PublishForm/index.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const mapStateToProps = ({ channel, publish }) => {
     license           : publish.metadata.license,
     nsfw              : publish.metadata.nsfw,
     publishInChannel  : publish.publishInChannel,
+    selectedChannel   : publish.selectedChannel,
     fileError         : publish.error.file,
     urlError          : publish.error.url,
     publishSubmitError: publish.error.publishSubmit,
@@ -34,6 +35,9 @@ const mapDispatchToProps = dispatch => {
     onPublishStatusChange: (status, message) => {
       dispatch(updatePublishStatus(status, message));
     },
+    onChannelSelectionError: (value) => {
+      dispatch(updateError('channel', value));
+    },
     onPublishSubmitError: (value) => {
       dispatch(updateError('publishSubmit', value));
     },
diff --git a/react/containers/PublishForm/view.jsx b/react/containers/PublishForm/view.jsx
index 56bf769b..5e596240 100644
--- a/react/containers/PublishForm/view.jsx
+++ b/react/containers/PublishForm/view.jsx
@@ -10,11 +10,24 @@ import * as publishStates from 'constants/publish_claim_states';
 class PublishForm extends React.Component {
   constructor (props) {
     super(props);
-    this.validatePublishRequest = this.validatePublishRequest.bind(this);
+    this.validateChannelSelection = this.validateChannelSelection.bind(this);
+    this.validatePublishParams = this.validatePublishParams.bind(this);
     this.makePublishRequest = this.makePublishRequest.bind(this);
     this.publish = this.publish.bind(this);
   }
-  validatePublishRequest () {
+  validateChannelSelection () {
+    // make sure all required data is provided
+    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      // if publishInChannel is true, is a channel selected & logged in?
+      if (this.props.publishInChannel && (this.props.selectedChannel !== this.props.loggedInChannel.name)) {
+        // update state with error
+        this.props.onChannelSelectionError('Select "Anonymous" or log in to a channel');
+        // reject this promise
+        return reject(new Error('Fix the channel'));
+      }
+    });
+  }
+  validatePublishParams () {
     // make sure all required data is provided
     return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       // is there a file?
@@ -28,10 +41,6 @@ class PublishForm extends React.Component {
       if (this.props.urlError) {
         return reject(new Error('Fix the url'));
       }
-      // if publishInChannel is true, is a channel logged in (or selected)
-      if (this.props.publishInChannel && !this.props.loggedInChannel.name) {
-        return reject(new Error('Select "Anonymous" or log in to a channel'));
-      }
       // is the claim available?
       resolve();
     });
@@ -85,7 +94,7 @@ class PublishForm extends React.Component {
       thumbnail  : this.props.thumbnail,
     };
     if (this.props.publishInChannel) {
-      metadata['channelName'] = this.props.loggedInChannel.name;
+      metadata['channelName'] = this.props.selectedChannel;
     }
     return metadata;
   }
@@ -103,7 +112,10 @@ class PublishForm extends React.Component {
   publish () {
     // publish the asset
     const that = this;
-    this.validatePublishRequest()
+    this.validateChannelSelection()
+      .then(() => {
+        return that.validatePublishRequest();
+      })
       .then(() => {
         const metadata = that.createMetadata();
         // publish the claim
diff --git a/react/reducers/publish.js b/react/reducers/publish.js
index 108d84bf..1195a37d 100644
--- a/react/reducers/publish.js
+++ b/react/reducers/publish.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const initialState = {
   error: {
     file         : null,
     url          : null,
+    channel      : null,
     publishSubmit: null,
   },
   file    : null,