diff --git a/src/libstore/ipfs-binary-cache-store.cc b/src/libstore/ipfs-binary-cache-store.cc
index 40db6450e67..8de3b035934 100644
--- a/src/libstore/ipfs-binary-cache-store.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/ipfs-binary-cache-store.cc
@@ -17,24 +17,15 @@ class IPFSBinaryCacheStore : public BinaryCacheStore
     std::string cacheUri;
     std::string daemonUri;
 
-    std::string ipfsHash;
-
-    enum struct AddrType { IPFS, IPNS } addrType;
-
     std::string getIpfsPath() {
-        switch (addrType) {
-        case AddrType::IPFS: {
-            return "/ipfs/" + ipfsHash;
-        }
-        case AddrType::IPNS: {
-            return "/ipns/" + ipfsHash;
-        }
-        }
+        auto state(_state.lock());
+        return state->ipfsPath;
     }
+    std::optional<string> optIpnsPath;
 
     struct State
     {
-        bool inProgressUpsert = false;
+        std::string ipfsPath;
     };
     Sync<State> _state;
 
@@ -45,19 +36,17 @@ class IPFSBinaryCacheStore : public BinaryCacheStore
             : BinaryCacheStore(params)
             , cacheUri(_cacheUri)
     {
+        auto state(_state.lock());
+
         if (cacheUri.back() == '/')
             cacheUri.pop_back();
 
-        if (hasPrefix(cacheUri, "ipfs://")) {
-            ipfsHash = std::string(cacheUri, 7);
-            addrType = AddrType::IPFS;
-        }
-        else if (hasPrefix(cacheUri, "ipns://")) {
-            ipfsHash = std::string(cacheUri, 7);
-            addrType = AddrType::IPNS;
-        }
+        if (hasPrefix(cacheUri, "ipfs://"))
+            state->ipfsPath = "/ipfs/" + std::string(cacheUri, 7);
+        else if (hasPrefix(cacheUri, "ipns://"))
+            optIpnsPath = "/ipns/" + std::string(cacheUri, 7);
         else
-            throw Error("unknown IPFS URI '%s'", cacheUri);
+            throw Error("unknown IPNS URI '%s'", cacheUri);
 
         std::string ipfsAPIHost(get(params, "host").value_or("127.0.0.1"));
         std::string ipfsAPIPort(get(params, "port").value_or("5001"));
@@ -72,9 +61,20 @@ class IPFSBinaryCacheStore : public BinaryCacheStore
         if (versionInfo.find("Version") == versionInfo.end())
             throw Error("daemon for IPFS is not running properly");
 
-        // root should already exist
-        if (!fileExists("") && addrType == AddrType::IPFS)
-            throw Error("path '%s' is not found", getIpfsPath());
+        // Resolve the IPNS name to an IPFS object
+        if (optIpnsPath) {
+            auto ipnsPath = *optIpnsPath;
+            debug("Resolving IPFS object of '%s', this could take a while.", ipnsPath);
+            auto uri = daemonUri + "/api/v0/name/resolve?offline=true&arg=" + getFileTransfer()->urlEncode(ipnsPath);
+            FileTransferRequest request(uri);
+            request.post = true;
+            request.tries = 1;
+            auto res = getFileTransfer()->download(request);
+            auto json = nlohmann::json::parse(*res.data);
+            if (json.find("Path") == json.end())
+                throw Error("daemon for IPFS is not running properly");
+            state->ipfsPath = json["Path"];
+        }
     }
 
     std::string getUri() override
@@ -85,9 +85,8 @@ class IPFSBinaryCacheStore : public BinaryCacheStore
     void init() override
     {
         std::string cacheInfoFile = "nix-cache-info";
-        if (!fileExists(cacheInfoFile)) {
+        if (!fileExists(cacheInfoFile))
             upsertFile(cacheInfoFile, "StoreDir: " + storeDir + "\n", "text/x-nix-cache-info");
-        }
         BinaryCacheStore::init();
     }
 
@@ -95,7 +94,7 @@ class IPFSBinaryCacheStore : public BinaryCacheStore
 
     bool fileExists(const std::string & path) override
     {
-        auto uri = daemonUri + "/api/v0/object/stat?offline=true&arg=" + getFileTransfer()->urlEncode(getIpfsPath());
+        auto uri = daemonUri + "/api/v0/object/stat?arg=" + getFileTransfer()->urlEncode(getIpfsPath() + "/" + path);
 
         FileTransferRequest request(uri);
         request.post = true;
@@ -112,52 +111,56 @@ class IPFSBinaryCacheStore : public BinaryCacheStore
         }
     }
 
-    void upsertFile(const std::string & path, const std::string & data, const std::string & mimeType) override
+    // IPNS publish can be slow, we try to do it rarely.
+    void sync() override
     {
-        if (addrType == AddrType::IPFS)
-            throw Error("%s is immutable, cannot modify", getIpfsPath());
+        if (!optIpnsPath)
+            return;
+        auto ipnsPath = *optIpnsPath;
 
-        // TODO: use callbacks
-
-        auto req1 = FileTransferRequest(daemonUri + "/api/v0/add");
-        req1.data = std::make_shared<string>(data);
-        req1.post = true;
-        req1.tries = 1;
-        try {
-            auto res1 = getFileTransfer()->upload(req1);
-            auto json1 = nlohmann::json::parse(*res1.data);
+        auto state(_state.lock());
 
-            auto addedPath = "/ipfs/" + (std::string) json1["Hash"];
+        debug("Publishing '%s' to '%s', this could take a while.", state->ipfsPath, ipnsPath);
 
-            auto state(_state.lock());
+        auto uri = daemonUri + "/api/v0/name/publish?offline=true&arg=" + getFileTransfer()->urlEncode(state->ipfsPath);
+        uri += "&key=" + std::string(ipnsPath, 6);
 
-            if (state->inProgressUpsert)
-                throw Error("a modification to the IPNS is already in progress");
-
-            state->inProgressUpsert = true;
+        auto req = FileTransferRequest(uri);
+        req.post = true;
+        req.tries = 1;
+        getFileTransfer()->download(req);
+    }
 
-            auto uri1 = daemonUri + "/api/v0/object/patch/add-link?offline=true&create=true";
-            uri1 += "&arg=" + getFileTransfer()->urlEncode(getIpfsPath());
-            uri1 += "&arg=" + getFileTransfer()->urlEncode(path);
-            uri1 += "&arg=" + getFileTransfer()->urlEncode(addedPath);
+    void addLink(std::string name, std::string ipfsObject)
+    {
+        auto state(_state.lock());
 
-            auto req2 = FileTransferRequest(uri1);
-            req2.post = true;
-            req2.tries = 1;
-            auto res2 = getFileTransfer()->download(req2);
-            auto json2 = nlohmann::json::parse(*res2.data);
+        auto uri = daemonUri + "/api/v0/object/patch/add-link?create=true";
+        uri += "&arg=" + getFileTransfer()->urlEncode(state->ipfsPath);
+        uri += "&arg=" + getFileTransfer()->urlEncode(name);
+        uri += "&arg=" + getFileTransfer()->urlEncode(ipfsObject);
 
-            auto newRoot = json2["Hash"];
+        auto req = FileTransferRequest(uri);
+        req.post = true;
+        req.tries = 1;
+        auto res = getFileTransfer()->download(req);
+        auto json = nlohmann::json::parse(*res.data);
 
-            auto uri2 = daemonUri + "/api/v0/name/publish?offline=true&arg=" + getFileTransfer()->urlEncode(newRoot);
-            uri2 += "&key=" + std::string(getIpfsPath(), 6);
+        state->ipfsPath = "/ipfs/" + (std::string) json["Hash"];
+    }
 
-            auto req3 = FileTransferRequest(uri2);
-            req3.post = true;
-            req3.tries = 1;
-            getFileTransfer()->download(req3);
+    void upsertFile(const std::string & path, const std::string & data, const std::string & mimeType) override
+    {
+        // TODO: use callbacks
 
-            state->inProgressUpsert = false;
+        auto req = FileTransferRequest(daemonUri + "/api/v0/add");
+        req.data = std::make_shared<string>(data);
+        req.post = true;
+        req.tries = 1;
+        try {
+            auto res = getFileTransfer()->upload(req);
+            auto json = nlohmann::json::parse(*res.data);
+            addLink(path, "/ipfs/" + (std::string) json["Hash"]);
         } catch (FileTransferError & e) {
             throw UploadToIPFS("while uploading to IPFS binary cache at '%s': %s", cacheUri, e.msg());
         }
@@ -166,7 +169,7 @@ class IPFSBinaryCacheStore : public BinaryCacheStore
     void getFile(const std::string & path,
         Callback<std::shared_ptr<std::string>> callback) noexcept override
     {
-        auto uri = daemonUri + "/api/v0/cat?offline=true&arg=" + getFileTransfer()->urlEncode(getIpfsPath() + "/" + path);
+        auto uri = daemonUri + "/api/v0/cat?arg=" + getFileTransfer()->urlEncode(getIpfsPath() + "/" + path);
 
         FileTransferRequest request(uri);
         request.post = true;
diff --git a/src/libstore/store-api.cc b/src/libstore/store-api.cc
index 095363d0c9b..5f86f4dba14 100644
--- a/src/libstore/store-api.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/store-api.cc
@@ -680,6 +680,8 @@ void copyPaths(ref<Store> srcStore, ref<Store> dstStore, const StorePathSet & st
             nrDone++;
             showProgress();
         });
+
+    dstStore->sync();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/libstore/store-api.hh b/src/libstore/store-api.hh
index b1e25fc7d66..7c6ee3595b4 100644
--- a/src/libstore/store-api.hh
+++ b/src/libstore/store-api.hh
@@ -680,6 +680,10 @@ public:
     virtual void createUser(const std::string & userName, uid_t userId)
     { }
 
+    /* Sync writes to commits written data, usually a no-op. */
+    virtual void sync()
+    { };
+
 protected:
 
     Stats stats;
diff --git a/src/nix-store/nix-store.cc b/src/nix-store/nix-store.cc
index 3a3060ad82d..bdde54dcff5 100644
--- a/src/nix-store/nix-store.cc
+++ b/src/nix-store/nix-store.cc
@@ -167,6 +167,8 @@ static void opAdd(Strings opFlags, Strings opArgs)
 
     for (auto & i : opArgs)
         cout << fmt("%s\n", store->printStorePath(store->addToStore(std::string(baseNameOf(i)), i)));
+
+    store->sync();
 }
 
 
@@ -188,6 +190,8 @@ static void opAddFixed(Strings opFlags, Strings opArgs)
 
     for (auto & i : opArgs)
         cout << fmt("%s\n", store->printStorePath(store->addToStore(std::string(baseNameOf(i)), i, recursive, hashAlgo)));
+
+    store->sync();
 }
 
 
@@ -952,6 +956,7 @@ static void opServe(Strings opFlags, Strings opArgs)
                 SizedSource sizedSource(in, info.narSize);
 
                 store->addToStore(info, sizedSource, NoRepair, NoCheckSigs);
+                store->sync();
 
                 // consume all the data that has been sent before continuing.
                 sizedSource.drainAll();
diff --git a/src/nix/add-to-store.cc b/src/nix/add-to-store.cc
index f43f774c1c8..8b7a5997a11 100644
--- a/src/nix/add-to-store.cc
+++ b/src/nix/add-to-store.cc
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ struct CmdAddToStore : MixDryRun, StoreCommand
         if (!dryRun) {
             auto source = StringSource { *sink.s };
             store->addToStore(info, source);
+            store->sync();
         }
 
         logger->stdout("%s", store->printStorePath(info.path));
diff --git a/src/nix/make-content-addressable.cc b/src/nix/make-content-addressable.cc
index 3e7ff544d6d..96bc119b32f 100644
--- a/src/nix/make-content-addressable.cc
+++ b/src/nix/make-content-addressable.cc
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ struct CmdMakeContentAddressable : StorePathsCommand, MixJSON
 
             remappings.insert_or_assign(std::move(path), std::move(info.path));
         }
+
+        store->sync();
     }
 };