diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 729427e9d..5839373bd 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ at anytime.
   * fixed token validation error when the dht node has just been started (https://github.com/lbryio/lbry/issues/1248)
   * fixed a race condition when inserting a blob into the database (https://github.com/lbryio/lbry/issues/1129)
   * reflector server incorrectly responding as if it has all the blobs for a stream that was only partially uploaded to it
+  * `publish` raising a database error when updating a claim that we don't have a file for (https://github.com/lbryio/lbry/issues/1165)
 
 ### Deprecated
   *
diff --git a/lbrynet/daemon/Publisher.py b/lbrynet/daemon/Publisher.py
index 283e478a9..3dc01664c 100644
--- a/lbrynet/daemon/Publisher.py
+++ b/lbrynet/daemon/Publisher.py
@@ -59,8 +59,10 @@ class Publisher(object):
     def publish_stream(self, name, bid, claim_dict, stream_hash, claim_address=None, change_address=None):
         """Make a claim without creating a lbry file"""
         claim_out = yield self.make_claim(name, bid, claim_dict, claim_address, change_address)
-        yield self.session.storage.save_content_claim(stream_hash, "%s:%i" % (claim_out['txid'], claim_out['nout']))
-        self.lbry_file = [f for f in self.lbry_file_manager.lbry_files if f.stream_hash == stream_hash][0]
+        if stream_hash:  # the stream_hash returned from the db will be None if this isn't a stream we have
+            yield self.session.storage.save_content_claim(stream_hash, "%s:%i" % (claim_out['txid'],
+                                                                                  claim_out['nout']))
+            self.lbry_file = [f for f in self.lbry_file_manager.lbry_files if f.stream_hash == stream_hash][0]
         defer.returnValue(claim_out)
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks