diff --git a/lib/agent.js b/lib/agent.js
index ebb3bc7d..0f3c3389 100644
--- a/lib/agent.js
+++ b/lib/agent.js
@@ -748,13 +748,10 @@ Agent.prototype._broadcastPresence = function(presence, callback) {
   };
   backend.trigger(backend.MIDDLEWARE_ACTIONS.receivePresence, this, context, function(error) {
     if (error) return callback(error);
-    backend.transformPresenceToLatestVersion(agent, presence, function(error, presence) {
+    var channel = agent._getPresenceChannel(presence.ch);
+    agent.backend.pubsub.publish([channel], presence, function(error) {
       if (error) return callback(error);
-      var channel = agent._getPresenceChannel(presence.ch);
-      agent.backend.pubsub.publish([channel], presence, function(error) {
-        if (error) return callback(error);
-        callback(null, presence);
-      });
+      callback(null, presence);
     });
   });
 };
diff --git a/lib/backend.js b/lib/backend.js
index 017d49de..c21aa664 100644
--- a/lib/backend.js
+++ b/lib/backend.js
@@ -858,22 +858,6 @@ Backend.prototype._buildSnapshotFromOps = function(id, startingSnapshot, ops, ca
   callback(error, snapshot);
 };
 
-Backend.prototype.transformPresenceToLatestVersion = function(agent, presence, callback) {
-  if (!presence.c || !presence.d) return callback(null, presence);
-  this.getOps(agent, presence.c, presence.d, presence.v, null, function(error, ops) {
-    if (error) return callback(error);
-    for (var i = 0; i < ops.length; i++) {
-      var op = ops[i];
-      var isOwnOp = op.src === presence.src;
-      var transformError = ot.transformPresence(presence, op, isOwnOp);
-      if (transformError) {
-        return callback(transformError);
-      }
-    }
-    callback(null, presence);
-  });
-};
-
 function pluckIds(snapshots) {
   var ids = [];
   for (var i = 0; i < snapshots.length; i++) {
diff --git a/test/client/presence/doc-presence.js b/test/client/presence/doc-presence.js
index ea0bdfe7..4cb7714e 100644
--- a/test/client/presence/doc-presence.js
+++ b/test/client/presence/doc-presence.js
@@ -232,38 +232,28 @@ describe('DocPresence', function() {
     var localPresence1 = presence1.create('presence-1');
 
     async.series([
+      presence1.subscribe.bind(presence1),
       presence2.subscribe.bind(presence2),
       doc1.unsubscribe.bind(doc1),
       doc2.submitOp.bind(doc2, {index: 5, value: 'ern'}),
       function(next) {
         expect(doc1.version).to.eql(1);
         expect(doc2.version).to.eql(2);
-
+        next();
+      },
+      localPresence1.submit.bind(localPresence1, {index: 12}),
+      function(next) {
         localPresence1.submit({index: 12}, errorHandler(done));
-        presence2.once('receive', function(id, presence) {
-          expect(doc2.version).to.eql(2);
-          expect(presence).to.eql({index: 15});
-          next();
-        });
-      }
-    ], done);
-  });
 
-  it('returns errors when failing to transform old presence to the latest doc', function(done) {
-    var localPresence1 = presence1.create('presence-1');
+        var handlePresence = function(id, presence) {
+          if (presence.index !== 15) return;
+          presence2.off('receive', handlePresence);
+          next();
+        };
 
-    async.series([
-      presence2.subscribe.bind(presence2),
-      doc1.unsubscribe.bind(doc1),
-      doc2.submitOp.bind(doc2, {index: 5, value: 'ern'}),
-      function(next) {
-        expect(doc1.version).to.eql(1);
-        expect(doc2.version).to.eql(2);
+        presence2.on('receive', handlePresence);
 
-        localPresence1.submit({badProp: 'foo'}, function(error) {
-          expect(error.code).to.equal('ERR_PRESENCE_TRANSFORM_FAILED');
-          next();
-        });
+        doc1.subscribe(errorHandler(next));
       }
     ], done);
   });
diff --git a/test/ot.js b/test/ot.js
index 090ea036..323a6306 100644
--- a/test/ot.js
+++ b/test/ot.js
@@ -316,6 +316,21 @@ describe('ot', function() {
       expect(error.code).to.eql('ERR_OT_OP_BADLY_FORMED');
     });
 
+    it('returns a transformation error if the presence cannot be transformed', function() {
+      var presence = {
+        p: {index: 5},
+        t: presenceType.uri,
+        v: 1
+      };
+
+      var op = {
+        op: {badProp: 'foo'}
+      };
+      var error = ot.transformPresence(presence, op);
+
+      expect(error.code).to.eql('ERR_PRESENCE_TRANSFORM_FAILED');
+    });
+
     it('considers isOwnOp', function() {
       var presence = {
         p: {index: 5},