diff --git a/repo/handler.go b/repo/handler.go
index c641521b7..1e5bac943 100644
--- a/repo/handler.go
+++ b/repo/handler.go
@@ -57,6 +57,12 @@ func (h *handler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		h.Publish(otf.Event{
 			Type:    otf.EventVCS,
 			Payload: event,
+			// publish vcs events only to the local node; a "run spawner" and a
+			// "module publisher" subscribe to vcs events on each node, so it is
+			// only necessary to send event to local node; sending it to other
+			// nodes would lead to duplicate runs and modules being spawned and
+			// published.
+			Local: true,
 		})
 	}
 }
diff --git a/repo/handler_test.go b/repo/handler_test.go
index 05d59ba49..0a2aeed62 100644
--- a/repo/handler_test.go
+++ b/repo/handler_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestWebhookHandler(t *testing.T) {
 	publisher := &fakePublisher{}
-	want := otf.Event{Type: otf.EventVCS, Payload: cloud.VCSPushEvent{}}
+	want := otf.Event{Type: otf.EventVCS, Payload: cloud.VCSPushEvent{}, Local: true}
 	f := newTestFactory(t, cloud.VCSPushEvent{})
 	hook := newTestHook(t, f, otf.String("123"))
 	handler := handler{