diff --git a/tests/core/filtering/test_contract_createFilter_topic_merging.py b/tests/core/filtering/test_contract_createFilter_topic_merging.py
index 76b177ada6..61ed78c173 100644
--- a/tests/core/filtering/test_contract_createFilter_topic_merging.py
+++ b/tests/core/filtering/test_contract_createFilter_topic_merging.py
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+import pytest
+
+
 def test_merged_topic_list_event(
         web3,
         emitter,
@@ -9,22 +12,8 @@ def test_merged_topic_list_event(
         '0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000457',  # 1111
         '0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000457',  # 1111
     ]
-    log_filter = emitter.events.LogTripleWithIndex().createFilter(
-        fromBlock="latest",
-        topics=manual_topics,
-        argument_filters={'arg0': 2222, 'arg1': 2222, 'arg2': 2222})
-    event_id = getattr(emitter_event_ids, 'LogTripleWithIndex')
-    txn_hashes = [
-        emitter.functions.logTriple(event_id, 1111, 1111, 1111).transact(),
-        emitter.functions.logTriple(event_id, 1111, 1111, 2222).transact(),
-        emitter.functions.logTriple(event_id, 1111, 2222, 1111).transact(),
-        emitter.functions.logTriple(event_id, 2222, 1111, 1111).transact(),
-        emitter.functions.logTriple(event_id, 2222, 1111, 2222).transact(),
-        emitter.functions.logTriple(event_id, 1111, 2222, 2222).transact(),
-        emitter.functions.logTriple(event_id, 2222, 2222, 1111).transact(),
-        emitter.functions.logTriple(event_id, 2222, 2222, 2222).transact()
-    ]
-    while True:
-        if all(wait_for_transaction(web3, txn_hash) for txn_hash in txn_hashes):
-            break
-    assert len(log_filter.get_all_entries()) == 2
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError):
+        emitter.events.LogTripleWithIndex().createFilter(
+            fromBlock="latest",
+            topics=manual_topics,
+            argument_filters={'arg0': 2222, 'arg1': 2222, 'arg2': 2222})
diff --git a/tests/core/utilities/test_construct_event_filter_params.py b/tests/core/utilities/test_construct_event_filter_params.py
index 243025c8b9..244cd4750b 100644
--- a/tests/core/utilities/test_construct_event_filter_params.py
+++ b/tests/core/utilities/test_construct_event_filter_params.py
@@ -21,10 +21,9 @@
         (EVENT_1_ABI, {}, {
             "topics": ['0xb470a829ed7792f06947f0ca3730a570cb378329ddcf09f2b4efabd6326f51f6'],
         }),
-        (EVENT_1_ABI, {'topics': ['should-be-preserved']}, {
+        (EVENT_1_ABI, {'topics': ['should-overwrite-topics']}, {
             "topics": [
-                ['should-be-preserved'],
-                ['0xb470a829ed7792f06947f0ca3730a570cb378329ddcf09f2b4efabd6326f51f6'],
+                'should-overwrite-topics'
             ]
         }),
         (EVENT_1_ABI, {'contract_address': '0xd3CdA913deB6f67967B99D67aCDFa1712C293601'}, {
diff --git a/tests/core/utilities/test_construct_event_topics.py b/tests/core/utilities/test_construct_event_topics.py
index 482641e6b3..75b8d52691 100644
--- a/tests/core/utilities/test_construct_event_topics.py
+++ b/tests/core/utilities/test_construct_event_topics.py
@@ -31,48 +31,46 @@ def hex_and_pad(i):
         (
             EVENT_1_ABI,
             {},
-            [[EVENT_1_TOPIC]],
+            [EVENT_1_TOPIC],
         ),
         (
             EVENT_1_ABI,
             {'arg0': 1},
-            [[EVENT_1_TOPIC]],
+            [EVENT_1_TOPIC],
         ),
         (
             EVENT_1_ABI,
             {'arg0': 1, 'arg3': [1, 2]},
-            [[EVENT_1_TOPIC]],
+            [EVENT_1_TOPIC],
         ),
         (
             EVENT_1_ABI,
             {'arg1': 1},
             [
-                [EVENT_1_TOPIC, hex_and_pad(1), None, None],
+                EVENT_1_TOPIC, hex_and_pad(1)
             ],
         ),
         (
             EVENT_1_ABI,
             {'arg1': [1, 2]},
             [
-                [EVENT_1_TOPIC, hex_and_pad(1), None, None],
-                [EVENT_1_TOPIC, hex_and_pad(2), None, None],
+                EVENT_1_TOPIC, [hex_and_pad(1), hex_and_pad(2)],
             ],
         ),
         (
             EVENT_1_ABI,
             {'arg1': [1], 'arg2': [2]},
             [
-                [EVENT_1_TOPIC, hex_and_pad(1), hex_and_pad(2), None],
+                EVENT_1_TOPIC, hex_and_pad(1), hex_and_pad(2),
             ],
         ),
         (
             EVENT_1_ABI,
             {'arg1': [1, 3], 'arg2': [2, 4]},
             [
-                [EVENT_1_TOPIC, hex_and_pad(1), hex_and_pad(2), None],
-                [EVENT_1_TOPIC, hex_and_pad(1), hex_and_pad(4), None],
-                [EVENT_1_TOPIC, hex_and_pad(3), hex_and_pad(2), None],
-                [EVENT_1_TOPIC, hex_and_pad(3), hex_and_pad(4), None],
+                EVENT_1_TOPIC,
+                [hex_and_pad(1), hex_and_pad(3)],
+                [hex_and_pad(2), hex_and_pad(4)]
             ],
         ),
     )
diff --git a/web3/utils/events.py b/web3/utils/events.py
index a5a1f87a65..4dff8a9c1d 100644
--- a/web3/utils/events.py
+++ b/web3/utils/events.py
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@
 from web3.utils.normalizers import (
     BASE_RETURN_NORMALIZERS,
 )
+from web3.utils.toolz import (
+    curry,
+    compose,
+)
 
 from .abi import (
     exclude_indexed_event_inputs,
@@ -71,12 +75,7 @@ def construct_event_topic_set(event_abi, arguments=None):
         for arg, arg_options in zipped_abi_and_args
     ]
 
-    topics = [
-        [event_topic] + list(permutation)
-        if any(value is not None for value in permutation)
-        else [event_topic]
-        for permutation in itertools.product(*encoded_args)
-    ]
+    topics = list(normalize_topic_list([event_topic] + encoded_args))
     return topics
 
 
diff --git a/web3/utils/filters.py b/web3/utils/filters.py
index caccf65072..ba85d2484c 100644
--- a/web3/utils/filters.py
+++ b/web3/utils/filters.py
@@ -26,11 +26,14 @@ def construct_event_filter_params(event_abi,
                                   toBlock=None,
                                   address=None):
     filter_params = {}
-
-    if topics is None:
-        topic_set = construct_event_topic_set(event_abi, argument_filters)
-    else:
-        topic_set = [topics] + construct_event_topic_set(event_abi, argument_filters)
+    topic_set = construct_event_topic_set(event_abi, argument_filters)
+
+    if topics is not None:
+        if len(topic_set) > 1:
+            raise TypeError(
+                "Merging the topics argument with topics generated "
+                "from argument_filters is not supported.")
+        topic_set = topics
 
     if len(topic_set) == 1 and is_list_like(topic_set[0]):
         filter_params['topics'] = topic_set[0]