diff --git a/tests/trace/test_objects.py b/tests/trace/test_saving_symmetry.py
similarity index 72%
rename from tests/trace/test_objects.py
rename to tests/trace/test_saving_symmetry.py
index 29853834f15c..485a4e038fb5 100644
--- a/tests/trace/test_objects.py
+++ b/tests/trace/test_saving_symmetry.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from copy import deepcopy
 from typing import Self
 
 import pytest
@@ -72,7 +73,7 @@ def test_failed_publish_maintains_old_object_ref(client, custom_object, monkeypa
             def fail_publish(*args, **kwargs):
                 raise Exception("Publish failed")  # noqa: TRY002
 
-            m.setattr("weave.publish", fail_publish)
+            m.setattr("weave._publish", fail_publish)
             custom_object.publish()
 
     assert custom_object.ref == old_ref
@@ -87,3 +88,32 @@ class UnregisteredObject(weave.Object):
 
     with pytest.raises(NotImplementedError):
         unregistered_object.publish()
+
+
+def test_saving_symmetry(client, custom_object):
+    custom_object2 = deepcopy(custom_object)
+
+    ref = weave.publish(custom_object)
+    ref2 = custom_object2.publish()
+
+    assert ref == ref2
+
+
+def test_delete_symmetry(client, custom_object):
+    # publishing the same object will result in dedupe,
+    # so change a value to test deleting
+    custom_object2 = deepcopy(custom_object)
+    custom_object2.a = 2
+
+    ref = weave.publish(custom_object)
+    ref2 = weave.publish(custom_object2)
+
+    ref.delete()
+    obj2 = ref2.get()
+    obj2.delete()
+
+    with pytest.raises(ObjectDeletedError):
+        ref.get()
+
+    with pytest.raises(ObjectDeletedError):
+        ref2.get()
diff --git a/weave/flow/obj.py b/weave/flow/obj.py
index a8252c2261ed..20217cbd96e7 100644
--- a/weave/flow/obj.py
+++ b/weave/flow/obj.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from typing_extensions import Self
 
 from weave.trace import api
+from weave.trace.api import publish as weave_publish
 from weave.trace.objectify import Objectifyable, is_registered
 from weave.trace.op import ObjectRef, Op
 from weave.trace.vals import WeaveObject, pydantic_getattribute
@@ -69,20 +70,7 @@ def publish(self, name: Union[str, None] = None) -> ObjectRef:
         if not is_registered(cls_name):
             raise NotImplementedError("Publish is not supported for this object!")
 
-        import weave
-
-        if name is None:
-            name = self.name
-
-        old_ref, self.ref = self.ref, None
-        try:
-            new_ref = weave.publish(self, name)
-        except Exception:
-            self.ref = old_ref
-            raise
-
-        self.ref = new_ref
-        return new_ref
+        return weave_publish(self, name)
 
     def delete(self) -> None:
         if self.ref is None:
diff --git a/weave/trace/api.py b/weave/trace/api.py
index 7acb11781637..39ad728d44ed 100644
--- a/weave/trace/api.py
+++ b/weave/trace/api.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 import threading
 import time
 from collections.abc import Iterator
-from typing import Any
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
 # TODO: type_handlers is imported here to trigger registration of the image serializer.
 # There is probably a better place for this, but including here for now to get the fix in.
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@
 from weave.trace.table import Table
 from weave.trace_server.interface.builtin_object_classes import leaderboard
 
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from weave.flow.obj import Object
+
 _global_postprocess_inputs: PostprocessInputsFunc | None = None
 _global_postprocess_output: PostprocessOutputFunc | None = None
 
@@ -120,6 +123,23 @@ def publish(obj: Any, name: str | None = None) -> weave_client.ObjectRef:
     Returns:
         A weave Ref to the saved object.
     """
+    import weave
+
+    if not isinstance(obj, weave.Object):
+        return _publish(obj, name)
+
+    old_ref, obj.ref = obj.ref, None
+    try:
+        new_ref = _publish(obj, name)
+    except Exception:
+        obj.ref = old_ref
+        raise
+
+    obj.ref = new_ref
+    return new_ref
+
+
+def _publish(obj: Any, name: str | None = None) -> weave_client.ObjectRef:
     client = weave_client_context.require_weave_client()
 
     save_name: str
@@ -156,9 +176,19 @@ def publish(obj: Any, name: str | None = None) -> weave_client.ObjectRef:
                 ref.digest,
             )
         print(f"{TRACE_OBJECT_EMOJI} Published to {url}")
+
     return ref
 
 
+def delete(obj: Object | ObjectRef) -> None:
+    import weave
+
+    if not isinstance(obj, (weave.Object, weave.ObjectRef)):
+        raise ValueError("Expected an Object or ObjectRef")  # noqa: TRY004
+
+    obj.delete()
+
+
 def ref(location: str) -> weave_client.ObjectRef:
     """Construct a Ref to a Weave object.