diff --git a/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/thread.py b/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/thread.py
index 73cafb9cde13..64186b130e94 100644
--- a/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/thread.py
+++ b/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/thread.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 import six
 
+import google.api_core.exceptions
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1 import types
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1.publisher import exceptions
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1.publisher import futures
@@ -199,10 +200,24 @@ def _commit(self):
             # Begin the request to publish these messages.
             # Log how long the underlying request takes.
             start = time.time()
-            response = self._client.api.publish(
-                self._topic,
-                self._messages,
-            )
+
+            try:
+                response = self._client.api.publish(
+                    self._topic,
+                    self._messages,
+                )
+            except google.api_core.exceptions.GoogleAPICallError as exc:
+                # We failed to publish, set the exception on all futures and
+                # exit.
+                self._status = base.BatchStatus.ERROR
+
+                for future in self._futures:
+                    future.set_exception(exc)
+
+                _LOGGER.exception(
+                    'Failed to publish %s messages.', len(self._futures))
+                return
+
             end = time.time()
             _LOGGER.debug('gRPC Publish took %s seconds.', end - start)
 
@@ -220,9 +235,14 @@ def _commit(self):
                 self._status = base.BatchStatus.ERROR
                 exception = exceptions.PublishError(
                     'Some messages were not successfully published.')
+
                 for future in self._futures:
                     future.set_exception(exception)
 
+                _LOGGER.error(
+                    'Only %s of %s messages were published.',
+                    len(response.message_ids), len(self._futures))
+
     def monitor(self):
         """Commit this batch after sufficient time has elapsed.
 
diff --git a/pubsub/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/test_thread.py b/pubsub/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/test_thread.py
index 1c08e1b3843a..fb62dbc6e550 100644
--- a/pubsub/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/test_thread.py
+++ b/pubsub/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/test_thread.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 import mock
 
+import google.api_core.exceptions
 from google.auth import credentials
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1 import publisher
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1 import types
@@ -201,6 +202,26 @@ def test_blocking__commit_wrong_messageid_length():
         assert isinstance(future.exception(), exceptions.PublishError)
 
 
+def test_block__commmit_api_error():
+    batch = create_batch()
+    futures = (
+        batch.publish({'data': b'blah blah blah'}),
+        batch.publish({'data': b'blah blah blah blah'}),
+    )
+
+    # Make the API throw an error when publishing.
+    error = google.api_core.exceptions.InternalServerError('uh oh')
+    patch = mock.patch.object(
+        type(batch.client.api), 'publish', side_effect=error)
+
+    with patch:
+        batch._commit()
+
+    for future in futures:
+        assert future.done()
+        assert future.exception() == error
+
+
 def test_monitor():
     batch = create_batch(max_latency=5.0)
     with mock.patch.object(time, 'sleep') as sleep: