diff --git a/cmd/verstak-gui/sync_apply.go b/cmd/verstak-gui/sync_apply.go
index 8d39bb6..375676a 100644
--- a/cmd/verstak-gui/sync_apply.go
+++ b/cmd/verstak-gui/sync_apply.go
@@ -207,7 +207,6 @@ func (a *App) ensureTemplateChildren(nodeID, templateID, parentFsPath, title str
 		_ = os.MkdirAll(fullPath, 0o755)
 
 		_ = a.activity.Record(nodeID, activity.TargetFolder, childNode.ID, "", activity.TypeNodeCreated, folderName, "")
-		_ = a.sync.RecordOp(syncsvc.EntityFolder, childNode.ID, syncsvc.OpCreate, nodePayload(childNode))
 	}
 
 	for _, df := range tmpl.DefaultFiles {
@@ -245,18 +244,6 @@ func (a *App) ensureTemplateChildren(nodeID, templateID, parentFsPath, title str
 			`INSERT OR IGNORE INTO notes (node_id, file_id, format) VALUES (?,?,?)`,
 			childNode.ID, fileID, "markdown")
 		_ = a.activity.Record(nodeID, activity.TargetNote, childNode.ID, "", activity.TypeNoteCreated, fileTitle, "")
-		_ = a.sync.RecordOp(syncsvc.EntityNote, childNode.ID, syncsvc.OpCreate, map[string]interface{}{
-			"node_id":    childNode.ID,
-			"parent_id":  nodeID,
-			"title":      fileTitle,
-			"file_id":    fileID,
-			"format":     "markdown",
-			"content":    content,
-			"filename":   filepath.Base(fpath),
-			"path":       relPath,
-			"created_at": nowRFC,
-			"updated_at": nowRFC,
-		})
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -631,11 +618,11 @@ func (a *App) moveNodeFiles(n *nodes.Node, newParentID, now string) error {
 	}
 
 	type fileMove struct {
-		id          string
-		oldPath     string
-		oldAbs      string
-		newRelPath  string
-		newAbs      string
+		id         string
+		oldPath    string
+		oldAbs     string
+		newRelPath string
+		newAbs     string
 	}
 	var fileMoves []fileMove
 	frows, ferr := a.db.Query(`SELECT id, path FROM files WHERE node_id=?`, n.ID)
diff --git a/cmd/verstak-gui/vault_layout_test.go b/cmd/verstak-gui/vault_layout_test.go
index 0369da5..87cdaa8 100644
--- a/cmd/verstak-gui/vault_layout_test.go
+++ b/cmd/verstak-gui/vault_layout_test.go
@@ -1448,6 +1448,14 @@ func TestVaultLayout_TemplateChildrenBackwardCompat(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	ops, err := app.sync.GetUnpushedOps()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("get unpushed ops: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(ops) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("remote template apply recorded %d outgoing sync ops, want 0", len(ops))
+	}
 }
 
 // --- helpers ---