diff --git a/app/controllers/protocols_controller.rb b/app/controllers/protocols_controller.rb
index baead7713..6a9a68774 100644
--- a/app/controllers/protocols_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/protocols_controller.rb
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class ProtocolsController < ApplicationController
     copy_to_repository
   )
 
-  before_action :check_publish_permission, only: :publish
+  before_action :check_publish_permission, only: %i(publish version_comment update_version_comment)
   before_action :check_import_permissions, only: :import
   before_action :check_export_permissions, only: :export
   before_action :check_delete_draft_permissions, only: :destroy_draft
@@ -882,6 +882,14 @@ class ProtocolsController < ApplicationController
     end
   end
 
+  def version_comment
+    respond_to do |format|
+      format.json do
+        render json: { version_comment: @protocol.version_comment }
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   def update_version_comment
     respond_to do |format|
       format.json do
diff --git a/app/javascript/vue/protocol/container.vue b/app/javascript/vue/protocol/container.vue
index 2c92d9cdf..d05646e2e 100644
--- a/app/javascript/vue/protocol/container.vue
+++ b/app/javascript/vue/protocol/container.vue
@@ -338,7 +338,16 @@
         this.reordering = false;
       },
       startPublish() {
-        this.publishing = true;
+        $.ajax({
+          type: "GET",
+          url: this.urls.version_comment_url,
+          contentType: "application/json",
+          dataType: "json",
+          success: (result) => {
+            this.protocol.attributes.version_comment = result.version_comment;
+            this.publishing = true;
+          }
+        });
       },
       closePublishModal() {
         this.publishing = false;
diff --git a/app/serializers/protocol_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/protocol_serializer.rb
index 0a737a6ba..19cdc14ba 100644
--- a/app/serializers/protocol_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/protocol_serializer.rb
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ class ProtocolSerializer < ActiveModel::Serializer
       publish_url: publish_url,
       save_as_draft_url: save_as_draft_url,
       versions_modal_url: versions_modal_url,
+      version_comment_url: version_comment_url,
       print_protocol_url: print_protocol_url
     }
   end
@@ -217,6 +218,12 @@ class ProtocolSerializer < ActiveModel::Serializer
     publish_protocol_path(object)
   end
 
+  def version_comment_url
+    return unless can_publish_protocol_in_repository?(object)
+
+    version_comment_protocol_path(object)
+  end
+
   def save_as_draft_url
     return unless can_save_protocol_version_as_draft?(object)
 
diff --git a/app/views/protocols/index/_protocol_versions_modal.html.erb b/app/views/protocols/index/_protocol_versions_modal.html.erb
index 8120e8755..521ccb007 100644
--- a/app/views/protocols/index/_protocol_versions_modal.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/protocols/index/_protocol_versions_modal.html.erb
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
               </div>
             </div>
             <div class="protocol-version-comment">
-              <% if can_manage_protocol_draft_in_repository?(draft) %>
+              <% if can_manage_protocol_draft_in_repository?(draft) && can_publish_protocol_in_repository?(draft) %>
                 <div
                     class="protocol-comment-container inline-init-handler"
                     data-field-to-update="version_comment"
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index d7e9dd634..4b2f2933a 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -577,6 +577,7 @@ Rails.application.routes.draw do
         post :publish
         post :destroy_draft
         post :save_as_draft
+        get 'version_comment', to: 'protocols#version_comment'
         get 'print', to: 'protocols#print'
         get 'linked_children', to: 'protocols#linked_children'
         post 'linked_children_datatable',