diff --git a/google-cloud-pubsublite/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/pubsublite/internal/wire/PublisherImpl.java b/google-cloud-pubsublite/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/pubsublite/internal/wire/PublisherImpl.java
index 0aa316b99..47466c6e0 100755
--- a/google-cloud-pubsublite/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/pubsublite/internal/wire/PublisherImpl.java
+++ b/google-cloud-pubsublite/src/main/java/com/google/cloud/pubsublite/internal/wire/PublisherImpl.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 
 import com.google.api.core.ApiFuture;
 import com.google.api.core.ApiFutures;
+import com.google.api.core.ApiService;
 import com.google.api.core.SettableApiFuture;
 import com.google.api.gax.batching.BatchingSettings;
 import com.google.cloud.pubsublite.Constants;
@@ -209,12 +210,11 @@ public ApiFuture<Offset> publish(Message message) {
       return ApiFutures.immediateFailedFuture(error.asException());
     }
     try (CloseableMonitor.Hold h = monitor.enter()) {
-      if (shutdown) {
-        return ApiFutures.immediateFailedFuture(
-            Status.FAILED_PRECONDITION
-                .withDescription("Published after the stream shut down.")
-                .asException());
-      }
+      ApiService.State currentState = state();
+      checkState(
+          currentState == ApiService.State.RUNNING,
+          String.format("Cannot publish when Publisher state is %s.", currentState.name()));
+      checkState(!shutdown, "Published after the stream shut down.");
       ApiFuture<Offset> messageFuture = batcher.add(proto);
       if (batcher.shouldFlush()) {
         processBatch(batcher.flush());
diff --git a/google-cloud-pubsublite/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/pubsublite/internal/wire/PublisherImplTest.java b/google-cloud-pubsublite/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/pubsublite/internal/wire/PublisherImplTest.java
index fe14542dd..f7a1f58e5 100755
--- a/google-cloud-pubsublite/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/pubsublite/internal/wire/PublisherImplTest.java
+++ b/google-cloud-pubsublite/src/test/java/com/google/cloud/pubsublite/internal/wire/PublisherImplTest.java
@@ -116,20 +116,25 @@ public void setUp() throws StatusException {
             INITIAL_PUBLISH_REQUEST.getInitialRequest(),
             BATCHING_SETTINGS_THAT_NEVER_FIRE);
     publisher.addListener(permanentErrorHandler, MoreExecutors.directExecutor());
+  }
+
+  private void startPublisher() {
     publisher.startAsync().awaitRunning();
+
     assertThat(leakedOffsetStream).isNotNull();
+    verify(mockPublisherFactory).New(any(), any(), eq(INITIAL_PUBLISH_REQUEST));
   }
 
   @Test
   public void construct_CallsFactoryNew() {
-    verify(mockPublisherFactory).New(any(), any(), eq(INITIAL_PUBLISH_REQUEST));
+    startPublisher();
     verifyNoMoreInteractions(mockPublisherFactory);
     verifyZeroInteractions(mockBatchPublisher);
   }
 
   @Test
   public void construct_FlushSendsBatched() throws Exception {
-    verify(mockPublisherFactory).New(any(), any(), eq(INITIAL_PUBLISH_REQUEST));
+    startPublisher();
     Message message = Message.builder().build();
     Future<Offset> future = publisher.publish(message);
 
@@ -151,7 +156,7 @@ public void construct_FlushSendsBatched() throws Exception {
 
   @Test
   public void construct_CloseSendsBatched() throws Exception {
-    verify(mockPublisherFactory).New(any(), any(), eq(INITIAL_PUBLISH_REQUEST));
+    startPublisher();
     Message message = Message.builder().build();
     Future<Offset> future = publisher.publish(message);
 
@@ -172,9 +177,18 @@ public void construct_CloseSendsBatched() throws Exception {
     verifyNoMoreInteractions(mockBatchPublisher);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void publishBeforeStart_IsPermanentError() throws Exception {
+    Message message = Message.builder().build();
+    assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class, () -> publisher.publish(message));
+    assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class, () -> publisher.startAsync().awaitRunning());
+    verifyZeroInteractions(mockPublisherFactory);
+    verifyZeroInteractions(mockBatchPublisher);
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void publishAfterError_IsError() throws Exception {
-    verify(mockPublisherFactory).New(any(), any(), eq(INITIAL_PUBLISH_REQUEST));
+    startPublisher();
     leakedOffsetStream.onError(Status.PERMISSION_DENIED.asRuntimeException());
     assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class, publisher::awaitTerminated);
     errorOccurredLatch.await();
@@ -191,7 +205,7 @@ public void publishAfterError_IsError() throws Exception {
 
   @Test
   public void multipleBatches_Ok() throws Exception {
-    verify(mockPublisherFactory).New(any(), any(), eq(INITIAL_PUBLISH_REQUEST));
+    startPublisher();
     Message message1 = Message.builder().build();
     Message message2 = Message.builder().setData(ByteString.copyFromUtf8("data")).build();
     Message message3 = Message.builder().setData(ByteString.copyFromUtf8("other_data")).build();
@@ -226,7 +240,7 @@ public void multipleBatches_Ok() throws Exception {
 
   @Test
   public void retryableError_RecreatesAndRetriesAll() throws Exception {
-    verify(mockPublisherFactory).New(any(), any(), eq(INITIAL_PUBLISH_REQUEST));
+    startPublisher();
     Message message1 = Message.builder().setData(ByteString.copyFromUtf8("message1")).build();
     Message message2 = Message.builder().setData(ByteString.copyFromUtf8("message2")).build();
     Future<Offset> future1 = publisher.publish(message1);
@@ -276,7 +290,7 @@ public void retryableError_RecreatesAndRetriesAll() throws Exception {
 
   @Test
   public void invalidOffsetSequence_SetsPermanentException() throws Exception {
-    verify(mockPublisherFactory).New(any(), any(), eq(INITIAL_PUBLISH_REQUEST));
+    startPublisher();
     Message message1 = Message.builder().build();
     Message message2 = Message.builder().setData(ByteString.copyFromUtf8("data")).build();
     Message message3 = Message.builder().setData(ByteString.copyFromUtf8("other_data")).build();