diff --git a/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/client.py b/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/client.py
index 3bd21ae23..f1de9f1f4 100644
--- a/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/client.py
+++ b/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/client.py
@@ -130,19 +130,19 @@ def __init__(self, batch_settings=(), publisher_options=(), **kwargs):
                 target=os.environ.get("PUBSUB_EMULATOR_HOST")
             )
 
-        # The auto-generated layer's client has mTLS logic to determine the api
-        # endpoint and the ssl credentials to use. Here we create a client
-        # and extract the api endpoint and ssl credentials. The api endpoint
-        # will be used to set `self._target`, and ssl credentials will be
-        # passed to `grpc_helpers.create_channel` to establish a mTLS channel
-        # (if ssl credentials is not None).
+        # The GAPIC client has mTLS logic to determine the api endpoint and the
+        # ssl credentials to use. Here we create a GAPIC client to help compute the
+        # api endpoint and ssl credentials. The api endpoint will be used to set
+        # `self._target`, and ssl credentials will be passed to
+        # `grpc_helpers.create_channel` to establish a mTLS channel (if ssl
+        # credentials is not None).
         client_options = kwargs.get("client_options", None)
         credentials = kwargs.get("credentials", None)
-        publisher_client_instance = publisher_client.PublisherClient(
+        client_for_mtls_info = publisher_client.PublisherClient(
             credentials=credentials, client_options=client_options
         )
 
-        self._target = publisher_client_instance._transport._host
+        self._target = client_for_mtls_info._transport._host
 
         # Use a custom channel.
         # We need this in order to set appropriate default message size and
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ def __init__(self, batch_settings=(), publisher_options=(), **kwargs):
                 channel = grpc_helpers.create_channel(
                     credentials=kwargs.pop("credentials", None),
                     target=self.target,
-                    ssl_credentials=publisher_client_instance._transport._ssl_channel_credentials,
+                    ssl_credentials=client_for_mtls_info._transport._ssl_channel_credentials,
                     scopes=publisher_client.PublisherClient._DEFAULT_SCOPES,
                     options={
                         "grpc.max_send_message_length": -1,
diff --git a/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/subscriber/client.py b/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/subscriber/client.py
index f0bf43d9b..e33a0e2e6 100644
--- a/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/subscriber/client.py
+++ b/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/subscriber/client.py
@@ -81,19 +81,19 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
                 target=os.environ.get("PUBSUB_EMULATOR_HOST")
             )
 
-        # The auto-generated layer's client has mTLS logic to determine the api
-        # endpoint and the ssl credentials to use. Here we create a client
-        # and extract the api endpoint and ssl credentials. The api endpoint
-        # will be used to set `self._target`, and ssl credentials will be
-        # passed to `grpc_helpers.create_channel` to establish a mTLS channel
-        # (if ssl credentials is not None).
+        # The GAPIC client has mTLS logic to determine the api endpoint and the
+        # ssl credentials to use. Here we create a GAPIC client to help compute the
+        # api endpoint and ssl credentials. The api endpoint will be used to set
+        # `self._target`, and ssl credentials will be passed to
+        # `grpc_helpers.create_channel` to establish a mTLS channel (if ssl
+        # credentials is not None).
         client_options = kwargs.get("client_options", None)
         credentials = kwargs.get("credentials", None)
-        subscriber_client_instance = subscriber_client.SubscriberClient(
+        client_for_mtls_info = subscriber_client.SubscriberClient(
             credentials=credentials, client_options=client_options
         )
 
-        self._target = subscriber_client_instance._transport._host
+        self._target = client_for_mtls_info._transport._host
 
         # Use a custom channel.
         # We need this in order to set appropriate default message size and
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
                 channel = grpc_helpers.create_channel(
                     credentials=kwargs.pop("credentials", None),
                     target=self.target,
-                    ssl_credentials=subscriber_client_instance._transport._ssl_channel_credentials,
+                    ssl_credentials=client_for_mtls_info._transport._ssl_channel_credentials,
                     scopes=subscriber_client.SubscriberClient._DEFAULT_SCOPES,
                     options={
                         "grpc.max_send_message_length": -1,
diff --git a/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/test_publisher_client.py b/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/test_publisher_client.py
index 2e0a761ba..0f661c2fa 100644
--- a/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/test_publisher_client.py
+++ b/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/test_publisher_client.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 import inspect
 
 from google.auth import credentials
+import grpc
 
 import mock
 import pytest
@@ -104,11 +105,13 @@ def test_init_w_empty_client_options():
 
 
 def test_init_client_options_pass_through():
+    mock_ssl_creds = grpc.ssl_channel_credentials()
+
     def init(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.kwargs = kwargs
         self._transport = mock.Mock()
         self._transport._host = "testendpoint.google.com"
-        self._transport._ssl_channel_credentials = None
+        self._transport._ssl_channel_credentials = mock_ssl_creds
 
     with mock.patch.object(publisher_client.PublisherClient, "__init__", init):
         client = publisher.Client(
@@ -122,6 +125,8 @@ def init(self, *args, **kwargs):
         assert client_options.get("quota_project_id") == "42"
         assert client_options.get("scopes") == []
         assert client_options.get("credentials_file") == "file.json"
+        assert client.target == "testendpoint.google.com"
+        assert client.api.transport._ssl_channel_credentials == mock_ssl_creds
 
 
 def test_init_emulator(monkeypatch):
diff --git a/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/subscriber/test_subscriber_client.py b/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/subscriber/test_subscriber_client.py
index 167328c41..d56289276 100644
--- a/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/subscriber/test_subscriber_client.py
+++ b/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/subscriber/test_subscriber_client.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 from google.auth import credentials
+import grpc
 import mock
 
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1 import subscriber
@@ -65,11 +66,13 @@ def test_init_w_empty_client_options():
 
 
 def test_init_client_options_pass_through():
+    mock_ssl_creds = grpc.ssl_channel_credentials()
+
     def init(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.kwargs = kwargs
         self._transport = mock.Mock()
         self._transport._host = "testendpoint.google.com"
-        self._transport._ssl_channel_credentials = None
+        self._transport._ssl_channel_credentials = mock_ssl_creds
 
     with mock.patch.object(subscriber_client.SubscriberClient, "__init__", init):
         client = subscriber.Client(
@@ -83,6 +86,8 @@ def init(self, *args, **kwargs):
         assert client_options.get("quota_project_id") == "42"
         assert client_options.get("scopes") == []
         assert client_options.get("credentials_file") == "file.json"
+        assert client.target == "testendpoint.google.com"
+        assert client.api.transport._ssl_channel_credentials == mock_ssl_creds
 
 
 def test_init_emulator(monkeypatch):