diff --git a/pubsub/integration_test.go b/pubsub/integration_test.go
index 85a7d32e1705..42d2c7d971ad 100644
--- a/pubsub/integration_test.go
+++ b/pubsub/integration_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
@@ -1347,7 +1348,7 @@ func TestIntegration_OrderedKeys_ResumePublish(t *testing.T) {
 		Data:        []byte("should fail"),
 		OrderingKey: orderingKey,
 	})
-	if _, err := r.Get(ctx); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "pubsub: Publishing for ordering key") {
+	if _, err := r.Get(ctx); err == nil || !errors.As(err, &ErrPublishingPaused{}) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected ordering keys publish error, got %v", err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pubsub/topic.go b/pubsub/topic.go
index 36af7d582aa4..0cc1f95ad945 100644
--- a/pubsub/topic.go
+++ b/pubsub/topic.go
@@ -535,7 +535,8 @@ func (t *Topic) Subscriptions(ctx context.Context) *SubscriptionIterator {
 	}
 }
 
-var errTopicStopped = errors.New("pubsub: Stop has been called for this topic")
+// ErrTopicStopped indicates that topic has been stopped and further publishing will fail.
+var ErrTopicStopped = errors.New("pubsub: Stop has been called for this topic")
 
 // A PublishResult holds the result from a call to Publish.
 //
@@ -548,6 +549,8 @@ var errTopicStopped = errors.New("pubsub: Stop has been called for this topic")
 //	}
 type PublishResult = ipubsub.PublishResult
 
+var errTopicOrderingNotEnabled = errors.New("Topic.EnableMessageOrdering=false, but an OrderingKey was set in Message. Please remove the OrderingKey or turn on Topic.EnableMessageOrdering")
+
 // Publish publishes msg to the topic asynchronously. Messages are batched and
 // sent according to the topic's PublishSettings. Publish never blocks.
 //
@@ -565,7 +568,7 @@ func (t *Topic) Publish(ctx context.Context, msg *Message) *PublishResult {
 
 	r := ipubsub.NewPublishResult()
 	if !t.EnableMessageOrdering && msg.OrderingKey != "" {
-		ipubsub.SetPublishResult(r, "", errors.New("Topic.EnableMessageOrdering=false, but an OrderingKey was set in Message. Please remove the OrderingKey or turn on Topic.EnableMessageOrdering"))
+		ipubsub.SetPublishResult(r, "", errTopicOrderingNotEnabled)
 		return r
 	}
 
@@ -582,7 +585,7 @@ func (t *Topic) Publish(ctx context.Context, msg *Message) *PublishResult {
 	defer t.mu.RUnlock()
 	// TODO(aboulhosn) [from bcmills] consider changing the semantics of bundler to perform this logic so we don't have to do it here
 	if t.stopped {
-		ipubsub.SetPublishResult(r, "", errTopicStopped)
+		ipubsub.SetPublishResult(r, "", ErrTopicStopped)
 		return r
 	}
 
@@ -697,6 +700,16 @@ func (t *Topic) initBundler() {
 	t.scheduler.BundleByteLimit = MaxPublishRequestBytes - calcFieldSizeString(t.name) - 5
 }
 
+// ErrPublishingPaused is a custom error indicating that the publish paused for the specified ordering key.
+type ErrPublishingPaused struct {
+	OrderingKey string
+}
+
+func (e ErrPublishingPaused) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("pubsub: Publishing for ordering key, %s, paused due to previous error. Call topic.ResumePublish(orderingKey) before resuming publishing", e.OrderingKey)
+
+}
+
 func (t *Topic) publishMessageBundle(ctx context.Context, bms []*bundledMessage) {
 	ctx, err := tag.New(ctx, tag.Insert(keyStatus, "OK"), tag.Upsert(keyTopic, t.name))
 	if err != nil {
@@ -716,7 +729,7 @@ func (t *Topic) publishMessageBundle(ctx context.Context, bms []*bundledMessage)
 	var res *pb.PublishResponse
 	start := time.Now()
 	if orderingKey != "" && t.scheduler.IsPaused(orderingKey) {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("pubsub: Publishing for ordering key, %s, paused due to previous error. Call topic.ResumePublish(orderingKey) before resuming publishing", orderingKey)
+		err = ErrPublishingPaused{OrderingKey: orderingKey}
 	} else {
 		// Apply custom publish retryer on top of user specified retryer and
 		// default retryer.
diff --git a/pubsub/topic_test.go b/pubsub/topic_test.go
index 13ccb0098091..5992d03f2c46 100644
--- a/pubsub/topic_test.go
+++ b/pubsub/topic_test.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package pubsub
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -167,8 +168,8 @@ func TestStopPublishOrder(t *testing.T) {
 	topic.Stop()
 	r := topic.Publish(ctx, &Message{})
 	_, err := r.Get(ctx)
-	if err != errTopicStopped {
-		t.Errorf("got %v, want errTopicStopped", err)
+	if !errors.Is(err, ErrTopicStopped) {
+		t.Errorf("got %v, want ErrTopicStopped", err)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -460,8 +461,8 @@ func TestFlushStopTopic(t *testing.T) {
 	r5 := topic.Publish(ctx, &Message{
 		Data: []byte("this should fail"),
 	})
-	if _, err := r5.Get(ctx); err != errTopicStopped {
-		t.Errorf("got %v, want errTopicStopped", err)
+	if _, err := r5.Get(ctx); !errors.Is(err, ErrTopicStopped) {
+		t.Errorf("got %v, want ErrTopicStopped", err)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -673,3 +674,19 @@ func addSingleResponse(srv *pstest.Server, id string) {
 		MessageIds: []string{id},
 	}, nil)
 }
+
+func TestPublishOrderingNotEnabled(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	c, srv := newFake(t)
+	defer c.Close()
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	topic, err := c.CreateTopic(ctx, "test-topic")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	res := publishSingleMessageWithKey(ctx, topic, "test", "non-existent-key")
+	if _, err := res.Get(ctx); !errors.Is(err, errTopicOrderingNotEnabled) {
+		t.Errorf("got %v, want errTopicOrderingNotEnabled", err)
+	}
+}