diff --git a/src/ClientTrait.php b/src/ClientTrait.php
index 5bf1043ac46e..e2f9e63b5256 100644
--- a/src/ClientTrait.php
+++ b/src/ClientTrait.php
@@ -62,8 +62,6 @@ private function getConnectionType(array $config)
                     'composer require google/proto-client-php'
                 );
             }
-
-            return $transport;
         }
 
         return $transport;
diff --git a/src/GrpcTrait.php b/src/GrpcTrait.php
index 4b780434a160..19e47f5f9f5b 100644
--- a/src/GrpcTrait.php
+++ b/src/GrpcTrait.php
@@ -60,14 +60,20 @@ public function send(callable $request, array $args)
     /**
      * Pluck a value out of an array.
      *
-     * @param string $name
+     * @param string $key
      * @param array $args
      * @return string
      */
-    public function pluck($name, array &$args)
+    public function pluck($key, array &$args)
     {
-        $value = $args[$name];
-        unset($args[$name]);
+        if (!isset($args[$key])) {
+            throw new \InvalidArgumentException(
+                "Key $key does not exist in the provided array."
+            );
+        }
+
+        $value = $args[$key];
+        unset($args[$key]);
         return $value;
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/GrpcTraitTest.php b/tests/GrpcTraitTest.php
index a87951ab4356..35593229cfe0 100644
--- a/tests/GrpcTraitTest.php
+++ b/tests/GrpcTraitTest.php
@@ -69,4 +69,13 @@ public function testPluck()
         $this->assertEquals($value, $actualValue);
         $this->assertEquals([], $array);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * @expectedException \InvalidArgumentException
+     */
+    public function testPluckThrowsExceptionWithInvalidKey()
+    {
+        $array = [];
+        $actualValue = $this->implementation->pluck('not_here', $array);
+    }
 }