diff --git a/ghost/admin/app/controllers/lexical-editor.js b/ghost/admin/app/controllers/lexical-editor.js
index 7d89311fd1..ecd2225159 100644
--- a/ghost/admin/app/controllers/lexical-editor.js
+++ b/ghost/admin/app/controllers/lexical-editor.js
@@ -475,8 +475,6 @@ export default class LexicalEditorController extends Controller {
         try {
             let post = yield this._savePostTask.perform({...options, adapterOptions});
 
-            post.set('statusScratch', null);
-
             // Clear any error notification (if any)
             this.notifications.clearAll();
 
diff --git a/ghost/admin/app/models/post.js b/ghost/admin/app/models/post.js
index 9f6ec1bccb..3cbc4b01a7 100644
--- a/ghost/admin/app/models/post.js
+++ b/ghost/admin/app/models/post.js
@@ -136,10 +136,6 @@ export default Model.extend(Comparable, ValidationEngine, {
     lexicalScratch: null,
     titleScratch: null,
 
-    // HACK: used for validation so that date/time can be validated based on
-    // eventual status rather than current status
-    statusScratch: null,
-
     // For use by date/time pickers - will be validated then converted to UTC
     // on save. Updated by an observer whenever publishedAtUTC changes.
     // Everything that revolves around publishedAtUTC only cares about the saved
diff --git a/ghost/admin/app/validators/post.js b/ghost/admin/app/validators/post.js
index 73aa67505b..f6ab868a99 100644
--- a/ghost/admin/app/validators/post.js
+++ b/ghost/admin/app/validators/post.js
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ export default BaseValidator.create({
 
         // don't validate the date if the time format is incorrect
         if (isEmpty(model.errors.errorsFor('publishedAtBlogTime'))) {
-            let status = model.statusScratch || model.status;
+            let status = model.status;
             let now = moment();
             let publishedAtBlogTZ = model.publishedAtBlogTZ;
             let isInFuture = publishedAtBlogTZ.isSameOrAfter(now);