diff --git a/roles/bodhi2/backend/files/new-updates-sync b/roles/bodhi2/backend/files/new-updates-sync
index 57fb457fc5..cbc8b93003 100755
--- a/roles/bodhi2/backend/files/new-updates-sync
+++ b/roles/bodhi2/backend/files/new-updates-sync
@@ -28,9 +28,13 @@ RELEASES = {'f29': {'topic': 'fedora',
                         'ostrees': [{'ref': 'fedora/29/%(arch)s/updates/atomic-host',
                                      'dest': ATOMICDEST,
                                      'arches': ['x86_64', 'ppc64le', 'aarch64']},
+                                    # sync base ref for now until f29 is released
+                                    {'ref': 'fedora/29/%(arch)s/atomic-host',
+                                     'dest': ATOMICDEST,
+                                     'arches': ['x86_64', 'ppc64le', 'aarch64']},
                                     {'ref': 'fedora/29/x86_64/updates/silverblue',
                                      'dest': ATOMICDEST},
-                                    # Hack around for the fact that ostree on f25 doesn't know links
+                                    # sync base ref for now until f29 is released
                                     {'ref': 'fedora/29/x86_64/silverblue',
                                      'dest': ATOMICDEST}],
                         'to': [{'arches': ['x86_64', 'armhfp', 'aarch64', 'source'],