diff --git a/crates/signed_state/src/backend.rs b/crates/signed_state/src/backend.rs
index 32e2aed..5c6a164 100644
--- a/crates/signed_state/src/backend.rs
+++ b/crates/signed_state/src/backend.rs
@@ -812,7 +812,6 @@ impl Backend {
                     let relays = relays.clone();
                     let refs = refs.clone();
                     let head = head.clone();
-                    let executor = cx.background_executor().clone();
                     async move {
                         push_staged_to_grasps(
                             &client,
@@ -823,7 +822,6 @@ impl Backend {
                             &path,
                             &owner,
                             &relays,
-                            &executor,
                             |path, base, owner, repo_id| {
                                 Repo::open(path)?.push_all(base, owner, repo_id)
                             },
@@ -1234,7 +1232,6 @@ async fn announce_repository_and_push(
             let servers = servers.to_vec();
             let head = head.clone();
             let path = path.to_path_buf();
-            let executor = cx.background_executor().clone();
             cx.background_spawn(async move {
                 push_staged_to_grasps(
                     &client,
@@ -1245,7 +1242,6 @@ async fn announce_repository_and_push(
                     &path,
                     &owner,
                     &servers,
-                    &executor,
                     push,
                 )
                 .await
diff --git a/crates/signed_state/src/push.rs b/crates/signed_state/src/push.rs
index a5471a4..920bcd6 100644
--- a/crates/signed_state/src/push.rs
+++ b/crates/signed_state/src/push.rs
@@ -1,17 +1,11 @@
 use std::path::Path;
-use std::time::Duration;
 
 use anyhow::Error;
-use gpui::BackgroundExecutor;
 use nostr::prelude::Url;
 use nostr_sdk::prelude::*;
 use signed_core::RepoState;
-use signed_git::{Repo, RepoRefState};
 use signed_nostr::UniversalSigner;
 
-const GRASP_PUSH_ATTEMPTS: usize = 3;
-const GRASP_RETRY_DELAY: Duration = Duration::from_secs(1);
-
 /// `ws://` grasp servers, like ngit, use `http(s)://<host>`.
 pub(crate) fn grasp_base_url(relay: &RelayUrl) -> Option<String> {
     let parsed = Url::parse(relay.as_str()).ok()?;
@@ -135,109 +129,6 @@ impl PushOutcome {
     }
 }
 
-/// Signs with a `created_at` strictly newer than `last_created_at`,
-/// since a relay treats a same-id resend as a duplicate.
-async fn sign_state_event(
-    signer: &UniversalSigner,
-    repo_id: &str,
-    refs: &[(String, String)],
-    head: Option<&str>,
-    last_created_at: u64,
-) -> Result<(Event, u64), String> {
-    let now = Timestamp::now().as_secs();
-    let created_at = if now > last_created_at {
-        now
-    } else {
-        last_created_at + 1
-    };
-
-    let event = RepoState::build(repo_id, refs, head)
-        .custom_created_at(Timestamp::from_secs(created_at))
-        .finalize_async(signer)
-        .await
-        .map_err(|e| format!("could not sign the state event: {e}"))?;
-
-    Ok((event, created_at))
-}
-
-/// On a grasp relay an accepted event is parked in purgatory, which authorizes the paired git push.
-async fn stage_event_on_relay(
-    client: &Client,
-    relay: &RelayUrl,
-    event: &Event,
-) -> Result<(), String> {
-    client
-        .add_relay(relay)
-        .and_connect()
-        .await
-        .map_err(|e| format!("could not add relay {relay}: {e}"))?;
-
-    let output = client
-        .send_event(event)
-        .to([relay.clone()])
-        .await
-        .map_err(|e| format!("could not send the state event to {relay}: {e}"))?;
-
-    if output.success.contains_key(relay) {
-        Ok(())
-    } else {
-        let reason = output
-            .failed
-            .get(relay)
-            .cloned()
-            .unwrap_or_else(|| "relay did not confirm the event".to_owned());
-        Err(reason)
-    }
-}
-
-/// Refresh the repo's ref state, keeping the current branch as the head if it is still present.
-fn refresh_ref_state(path: &Path, head: Option<&str>) -> Option<RepoRefState> {
-    let state = Repo::open(path).and_then(|repo| repo.ref_state()).ok()?;
-
-    if state.refs.is_empty() {
-        return None;
-    }
-
-    let head = match head {
-        Some(current) => {
-            let name = format!("refs/heads/{current}");
-            if state.refs.iter().any(|(known, _)| *known == name) {
-                Some(current.to_owned())
-            } else {
-                state.head
-            }
-        }
-        None => state.head,
-    };
-
-    Some(RepoRefState {
-        refs: state.refs,
-        head,
-    })
-}
-
-/// Denials that staging a fresh state event and pushing against the refreshed advertisement resolve.
-fn is_transient_grasp_denial(stderr: &str) -> bool {
-    let error = stderr.to_lowercase();
-    [
-        "no state events in purgatory",
-        "no matching state event",
-        "doesn't match push",
-        "none from authorized publishers",
-        "no repository announcement found",
-        "cannot lock ref",
-        "incorrect old value provided",
-    ]
-    .iter()
-    .any(|marker| error.contains(marker))
-}
-
-/// The server's own ref alignment moved a ref mid-push; the pushed data is usually already there.
-fn is_stale_advertisement_race(stderr: &str) -> bool {
-    let error = stderr.to_lowercase();
-    error.contains("cannot lock ref") || error.contains("incorrect old value provided")
-}
-
 #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
 pub(crate) async fn push_staged_to_grasps(
     client: &Client,
@@ -248,12 +139,9 @@ pub(crate) async fn push_staged_to_grasps(
     path: &Path,
     owner: &str,
     servers: &[RelayUrl],
-    executor: &BackgroundExecutor,
     push: impl Fn(&Path, &str, &str, &str) -> Result<(), Error>,
 ) -> PushOutcome {
     let mut outcome = PushOutcome::default();
-    let mut refs = refs.to_vec();
-    let mut head = head.map(str::to_owned);
 
     for relay in servers {
         let Some(base) = grasp_base_url(relay) else {
@@ -263,86 +151,53 @@ pub(crate) async fn push_staged_to_grasps(
             continue;
         };
 
-        let git_url = format!("{base}/{owner}/{repo_id}.git");
-
-        let mut reason = None;
-        let mut last_created_at = 0;
-        let mut staged_event = None;
-
-        'server: for attempt in 1..=GRASP_PUSH_ATTEMPTS {
-            if attempt > 1 {
-                executor.timer(GRASP_RETRY_DELAY).await;
-                // The repo's refs may have moved since the last attempt, so refresh the state.
-                if let Some(state) = refresh_ref_state(path, head.as_deref()) {
-                    refs = state.refs;
-                    head = state.head;
-                }
-            }
-
-            let (event, created_at) =
-                match sign_state_event(signer, repo_id, &refs, head.as_deref(), last_created_at)
-                    .await
-                {
-                    Ok(signed) => signed,
-                    Err(e) => {
-                        reason = Some(e);
-                        break 'server;
-                    }
-                };
-
-            last_created_at = created_at;
-
-            // Stage the event on the relay,
-            // so that the push can be accepted if the relay's state is aligned.
-            if let Err(e) = stage_event_on_relay(client, relay, &event).await {
-                let retried =
-                    attempt == 1 && stage_event_on_relay(client, relay, &event).await.is_ok();
-                if !retried {
-                    reason = Some(e);
-                    break 'server;
-                }
-            }
-            staged_event = Some(event.clone());
-
-            match push(path, &base, owner, repo_id) {
-                Ok(()) => {
-                    outcome.keep_newest(event);
-                    break 'server;
-                }
-                Err(e) => {
-                    let text = e.to_string();
-                    let retriable =
-                        attempt < GRASP_PUSH_ATTEMPTS && is_transient_grasp_denial(&text);
-                    reason = Some(text);
-                    if !retriable {
-                        break 'server;
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        }
-
-        // If the relay's denial was a stale-ref race,
-        // check if the repo has moved on and retry the push.
-        if let Some(last_reason) = &reason
-            && is_stale_advertisement_race(last_reason)
-            && Repo::open(path)
-                .and_then(|repo| repo.remote_has_refs(&git_url, &refs))
-                .unwrap_or(false)
+        let event = match RepoState::build(repo_id, refs, head)
+            .finalize_async(signer)
+            .await
         {
-            if let Some(event) = staged_event {
-                outcome.keep_newest(event);
-            }
-            reason = None;
-        }
-
-        match reason {
-            Some(reason) => {
-                log::warn!("grasp push failed: {relay}: {reason}");
+            Ok(event) => event,
+            Err(e) => {
+                let reason = format!("could not sign the state event: {e}");
                 outcome
                     .servers
                     .push(GraspServer::failed(relay.clone(), reason));
+                continue;
+            }
+        };
+
+        // The relay parks the accepted event in purgatory, authorizing the paired git push.
+        let staging = match client.add_relay(relay).and_connect().await {
+            Ok(_) => match client.send_event(&event).to([relay.clone()]).await {
+                Ok(output) if output.success.contains_key(relay) => Ok(()),
+                Ok(output) => Err(output
+                    .failed
+                    .get(relay)
+                    .cloned()
+                    .unwrap_or_else(|| "relay did not confirm the event".to_owned())),
+                Err(e) => Err(format!("could not send the state event to {relay}: {e}")),
+            },
+            Err(e) => Err(format!("could not add relay {relay}: {e}")),
+        };
+
+        if let Err(reason) = staging {
+            log::warn!("grasp push failed: {relay}: {reason}");
+            outcome
+                .servers
+                .push(GraspServer::failed(relay.clone(), reason));
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        match push(path, &base, owner, repo_id) {
+            Ok(()) => {
+                outcome.keep_newest(event);
+                outcome.servers.push(GraspServer::ok(relay.clone()));
+            }
+            Err(e) => {
+                log::warn!("grasp push failed: {relay}: {e}");
+                outcome
+                    .servers
+                    .push(GraspServer::failed(relay.clone(), e.to_string()));
             }
-            None => outcome.servers.push(GraspServer::ok(relay.clone())),
         }
     }