diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/actions/project.js b/client/modules/IDE/actions/project.js
index 7787f879bb..cb7a4ee760 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/actions/project.js
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/actions/project.js
@@ -306,6 +306,7 @@ export function cloneProject(project) {
     generateNewIdsForChildren(rootFile, newFiles);
 
     // duplicate all files hosted on S3
+    const copiedAssetKeys = [];
     each(
       newFiles,
       (file, callback) => {
@@ -319,10 +320,16 @@ export function cloneProject(project) {
           const formParams = {
             url: file.url
           };
-          apiClient.post('/S3/copy', formParams).then((response) => {
-            file.url = response.data.url;
-            callback(null);
-          });
+          apiClient
+            .post('/S3/copy', formParams)
+            .then((response) => {
+              file.url = response.data.url;
+
+              const objectKeyFromUrl = file.url.split('/').pop();
+              copiedAssetKeys.push(objectKeyFromUrl);
+              callback(null);
+            })
+            .catch(callback);
         } else {
           callback(null);
         }
@@ -343,6 +350,12 @@ export function cloneProject(project) {
             dispatch(setNewProject(response.data));
           })
           .catch((error) => {
+            copiedAssetKeys.forEach((assetKey) => {
+              apiClient.delete(
+                `/S3/delete?objectKey=${encodeURIComponent(assetKey)}`
+              );
+            });
+
             dispatch({
               type: ActionTypes.PROJECT_SAVE_FAIL,
               error: error?.response?.data
diff --git a/server/controllers/aws.controller.js b/server/controllers/aws.controller.js
index b6e03db13c..88807b2aa6 100644
--- a/server/controllers/aws.controller.js
+++ b/server/controllers/aws.controller.js
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ export async function signS3(req, res) {
     const acl = 'public-read';
     const policy = S3Policy.generate({
       acl,
-      key: `${req.body.userId}/${filename}`,
+      key: `pending/${req.user.id}/${filename}`,
       bucket: process.env.S3_BUCKET,
       contentType: req.body.type,
       region: process.env.AWS_REGION,
diff --git a/server/controllers/project.controller.js b/server/controllers/project.controller.js
index 57eda81381..1a34006381 100644
--- a/server/controllers/project.controller.js
+++ b/server/controllers/project.controller.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import Project from '../models/project';
 import { User } from '../models/user';
 import { resolvePathToFile } from '../utils/filePath';
 import { generateFileSystemSafeName } from '../utils/generateFileSystemSafeName';
+import { commitPendingFiles } from '../utils/pendingAssets';
 
 const s3Client = new S3Client({
   credentials: {
@@ -60,6 +61,11 @@ export async function updateProject(req, res) {
     // only allow whitelisted fields so ownership/slug etc can't be overwritten
     const allowedFields = ['name', 'files', 'updatedAt', 'visibility'];
     const updateData = {};
+
+    if (req.body.files !== undefined) {
+      updateData.files = await commitPendingFiles(req.body.files, req.user.id);
+    }
+
     allowedFields.forEach((field) => {
       if (req.body[field] !== undefined) {
         updateData[field] = req.body[field];
@@ -77,21 +83,7 @@ export async function updateProject(req, res) {
     )
       .populate('user', 'username')
       .exec();
-    if (
-      req.body.files &&
-      updatedProject.files.length !== req.body.files.length
-    ) {
-      const oldFileIds = updatedProject.files.map((file) => file.id);
-      const newFileIds = req.body.files.map((file) => file.id);
-      const staleIds = oldFileIds.filter((id) => newFileIds.indexOf(id) === -1);
-      staleIds.forEach((staleId) => {
-        updatedProject.files.id(staleId).deleteOne();
-      });
-      const savedProject = await updatedProject.save();
-      res.json(savedProject);
-    } else {
-      res.json(updatedProject);
-    }
+    res.json(updatedProject);
   } catch (error) {
     console.error(error);
     res.status(500).json({ success: false });
diff --git a/server/utils/pendingAssets.js b/server/utils/pendingAssets.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..348d592dbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/utils/pendingAssets.js
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import {
+  s3Client,
+  CopyObjectCommand,
+  DeleteObjectsCommand
+} from '@aws-sdk/client-s3';
+
+export async function commitPendingFiles(files, userId) {
+  if (!files) {
+    return [];
+  }
+
+  const s3Base = process.env.S3_BUCKET_URL_BASE;
+  const s3Bucket = process.env.S3_BUCKET;
+
+  return Promise.all(
+    files.map(async (file) => {
+      if (!file.url || !file.url.startsWith(s3Base)) {
+        return [];
+      }
+
+      const assetKey = decodeURIComponent(file.url.slice(s3Base.length));
+      console.log('asset key: ', assetKey);
+
+      if (!assetKey.startsWith(`pending/${userId}/`)) {
+        return [];
+      }
+
+      const fileName = assetKey.split('/').pop();
+      const newKey = `${userId}/${fileName}`;
+
+      console.log('filename, newKey: ', fileName, newKey);
+
+      await s3Client.send(
+        new CopyObjectCommand({
+          Bucket: s3Bucket,
+          CopySource: `${s3Bucket}/${assetKey}`,
+          Key: newKey,
+          ACL: 'public-read'
+        })
+      );
+
+      await s3Client.send(
+        new DeleteObjectsCommand({
+          Bucket: s3Bucket,
+          Delete: { Objects: [{ Key: assetKey }] }
+        })
+      );
+
+      return {
+        ...file,
+        url: `${s3Base}${newKey}`
+      };
+    })
+  );
+}
+
+export default commitPendingFiles;