diff --git a/gcloud/storage/blob.py b/gcloud/storage/blob.py
index 2926ec2992f6..ed6a00dda966 100644
--- a/gcloud/storage/blob.py
+++ b/gcloud/storage/blob.py
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ def exists(self, connection=None):
         except NotFound:
             return False
 
-    def rename(self, new_name):
+    def rename(self, new_name, connection=None):
         """Renames this blob using copy and delete operations.
 
         Effectively, copies blob to the same bucket with a new name, then
@@ -246,23 +246,34 @@ def rename(self, new_name):
         :type new_name: string
         :param new_name: The new name for this blob.
 
+        :type connection: :class:`gcloud.storage.connection.Connection` or
+                          ``NoneType``
+        :param connection: Optional. The connection to use when sending
+                           requests. If not provided, falls back to default.
+
         :rtype: :class:`Blob`
         :returns: The newly-copied blob.
         """
-        new_blob = self.bucket.copy_blob(self, self.bucket, new_name)
-        self.delete()
+        new_blob = self.bucket.copy_blob(self, self.bucket, new_name,
+                                         connection=connection)
+        self.delete(connection=connection)
         return new_blob
 
-    def delete(self):
+    def delete(self, connection=None):
         """Deletes a blob from Cloud Storage.
 
+        :type connection: :class:`gcloud.storage.connection.Connection` or
+                          ``NoneType``
+        :param connection: Optional. The connection to use when sending
+                           requests. If not provided, falls back to default.
+
         :rtype: :class:`Blob`
         :returns: The blob that was just deleted.
         :raises: :class:`gcloud.exceptions.NotFound`
                  (propagated from
                  :meth:`gcloud.storage.bucket.Bucket.delete_blob`).
         """
-        return self.bucket.delete_blob(self.name)
+        return self.bucket.delete_blob(self.name, connection=connection)
 
     def download_to_file(self, file_obj, connection=None):
         """Download the contents of this blob into a file-like object.
diff --git a/gcloud/storage/test_blob.py b/gcloud/storage/test_blob.py
index 07791862ba53..7758b5153dc9 100644
--- a/gcloud/storage/test_blob.py
+++ b/gcloud/storage/test_blob.py
@@ -291,7 +291,21 @@ def test_rename(self):
         self.assertEqual(blob.name, BLOB_NAME)
         self.assertEqual(new_blob.name, NEW_NAME)
         self.assertFalse(BLOB_NAME in bucket._blobs)
-        self.assertTrue(BLOB_NAME in bucket._deleted)
+        self.assertEqual(bucket._deleted, [(BLOB_NAME, connection)])
+        self.assertTrue(NEW_NAME in bucket._blobs)
+
+    def test_rename_w_explicit_connection(self):
+        BLOB_NAME = 'blob-name'
+        NEW_NAME = 'new-name'
+        connection = _Connection()
+        bucket = _Bucket(None)
+        blob = self._makeOne(BLOB_NAME, bucket=bucket)
+        bucket._blobs[BLOB_NAME] = 1
+        new_blob = blob.rename(NEW_NAME, connection=connection)
+        self.assertEqual(blob.name, BLOB_NAME)
+        self.assertEqual(new_blob.name, NEW_NAME)
+        self.assertFalse(BLOB_NAME in bucket._blobs)
+        self.assertEqual(bucket._deleted, [(BLOB_NAME, connection)])
         self.assertTrue(NEW_NAME in bucket._blobs)
 
     def test_delete(self):
@@ -299,11 +313,24 @@ def test_delete(self):
         BLOB_NAME = 'blob-name'
         not_found_response = {'status': NOT_FOUND}
         connection = _Connection(not_found_response)
-        bucket = _Bucket(None)
+        bucket = _Bucket(connection)
         blob = self._makeOne(BLOB_NAME, bucket=bucket)
         bucket._blobs[BLOB_NAME] = 1
         blob.delete()
         self.assertFalse(blob.exists(connection=connection))
+        self.assertEqual(bucket._deleted, [(BLOB_NAME, connection)])
+
+    def test_delete_w_explicit_connection(self):
+        from six.moves.http_client import NOT_FOUND
+        BLOB_NAME = 'blob-name'
+        not_found_response = {'status': NOT_FOUND}
+        connection = _Connection(not_found_response)
+        bucket = _Bucket(None)
+        blob = self._makeOne(BLOB_NAME, bucket=bucket)
+        bucket._blobs[BLOB_NAME] = 1
+        blob.delete(connection=connection)
+        self.assertFalse(blob.exists(connection=connection))
+        self.assertEqual(bucket._deleted, [(BLOB_NAME, connection)])
 
     def _download_to_file_helper(self, chunk_size=None):
         from six.moves.http_client import OK
@@ -1111,15 +1138,21 @@ class _Bucket(object):
     def __init__(self, connection):
         self.connection = connection
         self._blobs = {}
+        self._copied = []
         self._deleted = []
 
-    def copy_blob(self, blob, destination_bucket, new_name):
+    def copy_blob(self, blob, destination_bucket, new_name, connection=None):
+        if connection is None:
+            connection = self.connection
+        self._copied.append((blob, destination_bucket, new_name, connection))
         destination_bucket._blobs[new_name] = self._blobs[blob.name]
         return blob.__class__(new_name, bucket=destination_bucket)
 
-    def delete_blob(self, blob_name):
+    def delete_blob(self, blob_name, connection=None):
+        if connection is None:
+            connection = self.connection
         del self._blobs[blob_name]
-        self._deleted.append(blob_name)
+        self._deleted.append((blob_name, connection))
 
 
 class _Signer(object):