diff --git a/lib/pubsub/topic.js b/lib/pubsub/topic.js
index 81508fa272ca..df78cbddbdd6 100644
--- a/lib/pubsub/topic.js
+++ b/lib/pubsub/topic.js
@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@ var ServiceObject = require('../common/service-object.js');
 function Topic(pubsub, name) {
   var baseUrl = '/topics';
 
+  this.name = Topic.formatName_(pubsub.projectId, name);
+  this.pubsub = pubsub;
+  this.unformattedName = name.split('/').pop();
+
   var methods = {
     /**
      * Create a topic.
@@ -140,7 +144,7 @@ function Topic(pubsub, name) {
   ServiceObject.call(this, {
     parent: pubsub,
     baseUrl: baseUrl,
-    id: name,
+    id: this.unformattedName,
     createMethod: pubsub.createTopic.bind(pubsub),
     methods: methods
   });
@@ -173,12 +177,8 @@ function Topic(pubsub, name) {
    */
   this.iam = new IAM(pubsub, {
     baseUrl: baseUrl,
-    id: name
+    id: this.unformattedName
   });
-
-  this.name = Topic.formatName_(pubsub.projectId, name);
-  this.pubsub = pubsub;
-  this.unformattedName = name;
 }
 
 nodeutil.inherits(Topic, ServiceObject);
diff --git a/test/pubsub/topic.js b/test/pubsub/topic.js
index a83a5cf81c3f..6cc636e2982a 100644
--- a/test/pubsub/topic.js
+++ b/test/pubsub/topic.js
@@ -35,12 +35,13 @@ function FakeServiceObject() {
 
 nodeutil.inherits(FakeServiceObject, ServiceObject);
 
-describe('Topic', function() {
+describe.only('Topic', function() {
   var Topic;
   var topic;
 
   var PROJECT_ID = 'test-project';
-  var TOPIC_NAME = 'test-topic';
+  var TOPIC_NAME = 'projects/' + PROJECT_ID + '/topics/test-topic';
+  var TOPIC_UNFORMATTED_NAME = TOPIC_NAME.split('/').pop();
   var PUBSUB = {
     projectId: PROJECT_ID,
     createTopic: util.noop
@@ -85,7 +86,7 @@ describe('Topic', function() {
 
       assert.strictEqual(calledWith.parent, pubsubInstance);
       assert.strictEqual(calledWith.baseUrl, '/topics');
-      assert.strictEqual(calledWith.id, TOPIC_NAME);
+      assert.strictEqual(calledWith.id, TOPIC_UNFORMATTED_NAME);
       assert.deepEqual(calledWith.methods, {
         create: true,
         delete: true,
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@ describe('Topic', function() {
         PUBSUB,
         {
           baseUrl: '/topics',
-          id: TOPIC_NAME
+          id: TOPIC_UNFORMATTED_NAME
         }
       ]);
     });
@@ -117,6 +118,10 @@ describe('Topic', function() {
     it('should assign pubsub object to `this`', function() {
       assert.deepEqual(topic.pubsub, PUBSUB);
     });
+
+    it('should localize the unformatted name', function() {
+      assert.strictEqual(topic.unformattedName, TOPIC_UNFORMATTED_NAME);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('formatMessage_', function() {
@@ -142,16 +147,14 @@ describe('Topic', function() {
   });
 
   describe('formatName_', function() {
-    var fullName = 'projects/' + PROJECT_ID + '/topics/' + TOPIC_NAME;
-
     it('should format name', function() {
-      var formattedName = Topic.formatName_(PROJECT_ID, TOPIC_NAME);
-      assert.equal(formattedName, fullName);
+      var formattedName = Topic.formatName_(PROJECT_ID, TOPIC_UNFORMATTED_NAME);
+      assert.equal(formattedName, TOPIC_NAME);
     });
 
     it('should format name when given a complete name', function() {
-      var formattedName = Topic.formatName_(PROJECT_ID, fullName);
-      assert.equal(formattedName, fullName);
+      var formattedName = Topic.formatName_(PROJECT_ID, TOPIC_NAME);
+      assert.equal(formattedName, TOPIC_NAME);
     });
   });