diff --git a/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/client.py b/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/client.py
index 5ab7ce4d4..d97c0d11d 100644
--- a/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/client.py
+++ b/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/client.py
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1 import types
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1.gapic import publisher_client
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1.gapic.transports import publisher_grpc_transport
+from google.cloud.pubsub_v1.publisher import exceptions
+from google.cloud.pubsub_v1.publisher import futures
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1.publisher._batch import thread
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1.publisher._sequencer import ordered_sequencer
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1.publisher._sequencer import unordered_sequencer
@@ -379,7 +381,12 @@ def publish(self, topic, data, ordering_key="", **attrs):
 
         # Messages should go through flow control to prevent excessive
         # queuing on the client side (depending on the settings).
-        self._flow_controller.add(message)
+        try:
+            self._flow_controller.add(message)
+        except exceptions.FlowControlLimitError as exc:
+            future = futures.Future()
+            future.set_exception(exc)
+            return future
 
         def on_publish_done(future):
             self._flow_controller.release(message)
diff --git a/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/test_publisher_client.py b/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/test_publisher_client.py
index 2d345821c..4e3a3870f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/test_publisher_client.py
+++ b/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/test_publisher_client.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1 import publisher
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1 import types
 
+from google.cloud.pubsub_v1.publisher import exceptions
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1.publisher._sequencer import ordered_sequencer
 
 
@@ -156,6 +157,30 @@ def test_publish():
     )
 
 
+def test_publish_error_exceeding_flow_control_limits():
+    creds = mock.Mock(spec=credentials.Credentials)
+    publisher_options = types.PublisherOptions(
+        flow_control=types.PublishFlowControl(
+            message_limit=10,
+            byte_limit=150,
+            limit_exceeded_behavior=types.LimitExceededBehavior.ERROR,
+        )
+    )
+    client = publisher.Client(credentials=creds, publisher_options=publisher_options)
+
+    mock_batch = mock.Mock(spec=client._batch_class)
+    mock_batch.will_accept.return_value = True
+    topic = "topic/path"
+    client._set_batch(topic, mock_batch)
+
+    future1 = client.publish(topic, b"a" * 100)
+    future2 = client.publish(topic, b"b" * 100)
+
+    future1.result()  # no error, still within flow control limits
+    with pytest.raises(exceptions.FlowControlLimitError):
+        future2.result()
+
+
 def test_publish_data_not_bytestring_error():
     creds = mock.Mock(spec=credentials.Credentials)
     client = publisher.Client(credentials=creds)