diff --git a/passes/cmds/Makefile.inc b/passes/cmds/Makefile.inc
index 4ecaea7dd..5a48072a9 100644
--- a/passes/cmds/Makefile.inc
+++ b/passes/cmds/Makefile.inc
@@ -56,3 +56,4 @@ OBJS += passes/cmds/setenv.o
 OBJS += passes/cmds/abstract.o
 OBJS += passes/cmds/test_select.o
 OBJS += passes/cmds/timeest.o
+OBJS += passes/cmds/publish.o
diff --git a/passes/cmds/publish.cc b/passes/cmds/publish.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fda8d361b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/passes/cmds/publish.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#include "kernel/register.h"
+#include "kernel/rtlil.h"
+#include "kernel/log.h"
+
+USING_YOSYS_NAMESPACE
+PRIVATE_NAMESPACE_BEGIN
+
+struct PublishPass : public Pass {
+private:
+	static void publish(RTLIL::IdString& id) {
+		if (id.begins_with("$")) {
+			log_debug("publishing %s\n", id.c_str());
+			id = "\\" + id.str();
+			log_debug("published %s\n", id.c_str());
+		}
+	}
+public:
+	PublishPass() : Pass("publish", "publish private cell types") { }
+	void help() override
+	{
+		//   |---v---|---v---|---v---|---v---|---v---|---v---|---v---|---v---|---v---|---v---|
+		log("\n");
+		log("    publish\n");
+		log("Makes all module names and cell types public by prefixing\n");
+		log("% with \\.\n");
+	}
+	void execute(std::vector<std::string> args, RTLIL::Design *design) override
+	{
+		log_header(design, "Executing PUBLISH pass. (make cell types public)\n");
+		extra_args(args, 1, design);
+		for (auto& [name, mod] : design->modules_) {
+			publish(name);
+			publish(mod->name);
+			for (auto* cell : mod->cells())
+				publish(cell->type);
+		}
+	}
+} PublishPass;
+
+PRIVATE_NAMESPACE_END