diff --git a/lib/pubsub/topic.js b/lib/pubsub/topic.js
index 1e7d1d8997c..5dd8fc27e10 100644
--- a/lib/pubsub/topic.js
+++ b/lib/pubsub/topic.js
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ Topic.prototype.publish = function(message, callback) {
  *
  * @param {object} message - Raw message to publish.
  * @param {array=} message.label - List of labels for the message.
- * @param {*} message.data - The contents of the message.
+ * @param {string} message.data - The base64-encoded contents of the message.
  * @param {function=} callback - The callback function.
  *
  * @example
diff --git a/regression/pubsub.js b/regression/pubsub.js
index c230fe97bb5..f92a16137cf 100644
--- a/regression/pubsub.js
+++ b/regression/pubsub.js
@@ -179,11 +179,28 @@ describe('pubsub', function() {
         subscription.ack(msg.id, done);
       });
       topic.publish('hello', assert.ifError);
+    });
+
+    it('should receive the published message', function(done) {
+      var subscription = topic.subscription(subscriptions[0].name);
+      subscription.pull({ returnImmediately: true }, function(err, msg) {
+        assert.ifError(err);
+        assert.equal(msg.data, 'hello');
+        subscription.ack(msg.id, done);
+      });
       topic.publish('hello', assert.ifError);
-      topic.publish('hello', assert.ifError);
-      topic.publish('hello', assert.ifError);
-      topic.publish('hello', assert.ifError);
-      topic.publish('hello', assert.ifError);
+    });
+
+    it('should receive a raw published message', function(done) {
+      var subscription = topic.subscription(subscriptions[0].name);
+      subscription.pull({ returnImmediately: true }, function(err, msg) {
+        assert.ifError(err);
+        assert.equal(msg.data, 'hello');
+        subscription.ack(msg.id, done);
+      });
+      topic.publishRaw({
+        data: new Buffer('hello').toString('base64')
+      }, assert.ifError);
     });
   });
 });