diff --git a/packages/ui/src/elements/PublishButton/index.tsx b/packages/ui/src/elements/PublishButton/index.tsx
index d14bbfe0cb..26001be3d9 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/elements/PublishButton/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/elements/PublishButton/index.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import type { PublishButtonClientProps } from 'payload'
 
 import { useModal } from '@faceless-ui/modal'
 import * as qs from 'qs-esm'
-import React, { useCallback } from 'react'
+import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from 'react'
 
 import { useForm, useFormModified } from '../../forms/Form/context.js'
 import { FormSubmit } from '../../forms/Submit/index.js'
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { useEditDepth } from '../../providers/EditDepth/index.js'
 import { useLocale } from '../../providers/Locale/index.js'
 import { useOperation } from '../../providers/Operation/index.js'
 import { useTranslation } from '../../providers/Translation/index.js'
+import { traverseForLocalizedFields } from '../../utilities/traverseForLocalizedFields.js'
 import { PopupList } from '../Popup/index.js'
 import { ScheduleDrawer } from './ScheduleDrawer/index.js'
 
@@ -86,6 +87,15 @@ export function PublishButton({ label: labelProp }: PublishButtonClientProps) {
       (hasAutosave || !modified),
   )
 
+  const [hasLocalizedFields, setHasLocalizedFields] = useState(false)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const hasLocalizedField = traverseForLocalizedFields(entityConfig?.fields)
+    setHasLocalizedFields(hasLocalizedField)
+  }, [entityConfig?.fields])
+
+  const canPublishSpecificLocale = localization && hasLocalizedFields && hasPublishPermission
+
   const operation = useOperation()
 
   const disabled = operation === 'update' && !modified
@@ -213,7 +223,7 @@ export function PublishButton({ label: labelProp }: PublishButtonClientProps) {
         onClick={defaultPublish}
         size="medium"
         SubMenuPopupContent={
-          localization || canSchedulePublish
+          canPublishSpecificLocale || canSchedulePublish
             ? ({ close }) => {
                 return (
                   <React.Fragment>
@@ -227,7 +237,7 @@ export function PublishButton({ label: labelProp }: PublishButtonClientProps) {
                         </PopupList.Button>
                       </PopupList.ButtonGroup>
                     )}
-                    {localization && canPublish && (
+                    {canPublishSpecificLocale && (
                       <PopupList.ButtonGroup>
                         <PopupList.Button id="publish-locale" onClick={secondaryPublish}>
                           {secondaryLabel}
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/utilities/traverseForLocalizedFields.ts b/packages/ui/src/utilities/traverseForLocalizedFields.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2b801b5bed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ui/src/utilities/traverseForLocalizedFields.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import type { ClientField } from 'payload'
+
+export const traverseForLocalizedFields = (fields: ClientField[]): boolean => {
+  for (const field of fields) {
+    if ('localized' in field && field.localized) {
+      return true
+    }
+
+    switch (field.type) {
+      case 'array':
+      case 'collapsible':
+      case 'group':
+      case 'row':
+        if (field.fields && traverseForLocalizedFields(field.fields)) {
+          return true
+        }
+        break
+
+      case 'blocks':
+        if (field.blocks) {
+          for (const block of field.blocks) {
+            if (block.fields && traverseForLocalizedFields(block.fields)) {
+              return true
+            }
+          }
+        }
+        break
+
+      case 'tabs':
+        if (field.tabs) {
+          for (const tab of field.tabs) {
+            if ('localized' in tab && tab.localized) {
+              return true
+            }
+            if ('fields' in tab && tab.fields && traverseForLocalizedFields(tab.fields)) {
+              return true
+            }
+          }
+        }
+        break
+    }
+  }
+
+  return false
+}
diff --git a/test/localization/collections/NoLocalizedFields/index.ts b/test/localization/collections/NoLocalizedFields/index.ts
index e04739bea1..7714ba10d5 100644
--- a/test/localization/collections/NoLocalizedFields/index.ts
+++ b/test/localization/collections/NoLocalizedFields/index.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ export const noLocalizedFieldsCollectionSlug = 'no-localized-fields'
 
 export const NoLocalizedFieldsCollection: CollectionConfig = {
   slug: noLocalizedFieldsCollectionSlug,
+  versions: {
+    drafts: true,
+  },
   fields: [
     {
       name: 'text',
diff --git a/test/localization/e2e.spec.ts b/test/localization/e2e.spec.ts
index f5d4c17244..b2468ceecc 100644
--- a/test/localization/e2e.spec.ts
+++ b/test/localization/e2e.spec.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import { initPayloadE2ENoConfig } from '../helpers/initPayloadE2ENoConfig.js'
 import { POLL_TOPASS_TIMEOUT, TEST_TIMEOUT_LONG } from '../playwright.config.js'
 import { arrayCollectionSlug } from './collections/Array/index.js'
 import { nestedToArrayAndBlockCollectionSlug } from './collections/NestedToArrayAndBlock/index.js'
+import { noLocalizedFieldsCollectionSlug } from './collections/NoLocalizedFields/index.js'
 import { richTextSlug } from './collections/RichText/index.js'
 import {
   arrayWithFallbackCollectionSlug,
@@ -61,6 +62,7 @@ let urlCannotCreateDefaultLocale: AdminUrlUtil
 let urlPostsWithDrafts: AdminUrlUtil
 let urlArray: AdminUrlUtil
 let arrayWithFallbackURL: AdminUrlUtil
+let noLocalizedFieldsURL: AdminUrlUtil
 
 const title = 'english title'
 const spanishTitle = 'spanish title'
@@ -87,6 +89,7 @@ describe('Localization', () => {
     urlPostsWithDrafts = new AdminUrlUtil(serverURL, localizedDraftsSlug)
     urlArray = new AdminUrlUtil(serverURL, arrayCollectionSlug)
     arrayWithFallbackURL = new AdminUrlUtil(serverURL, arrayWithFallbackCollectionSlug)
+    noLocalizedFieldsURL = new AdminUrlUtil(serverURL, noLocalizedFieldsCollectionSlug)
 
     context = await browser.newContext()
     page = await context.newPage()
@@ -671,6 +674,13 @@ describe('Localization', () => {
       await expect(page.locator('#field-title')).toBeEmpty()
     })
   })
+
+  test('should not show publish specific locale button when no localized fields exist', async () => {
+    await page.goto(urlPostsWithDrafts.create)
+    await expect(page.locator('#publish-locale')).toHaveCount(1)
+    await page.goto(noLocalizedFieldsURL.create)
+    await expect(page.locator('#publish-locale')).toHaveCount(0)
+  })
 })
 
 async function createLocalizedArrayItem(page: Page, url: AdminUrlUtil) {