diff --git a/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/base.py b/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/base.py
index 03705dce9c14..dae0dafb9fd5 100644
--- a/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/base.py
+++ b/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/base.py
@@ -49,6 +49,16 @@ def __len__(self):
         """Return the number of messages currently in the batch."""
         return len(self.messages)
 
+    @staticmethod
+    @abc.abstractmethod
+    def make_lock():
+        """Return a lock in the chosen concurrency model.
+
+        Returns:
+            ContextManager: A newly created lock.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError
+
     @property
     @abc.abstractmethod
     def messages(self):
diff --git a/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/thread.py b/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/thread.py
index b339865220b9..12b9790c6b80 100644
--- a/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/thread.py
+++ b/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/thread.py
@@ -90,6 +90,15 @@ def __init__(self, client, topic, settings, autocommit=True):
             )
             self._thread.start()
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def make_lock():
+        """Return a threading lock.
+
+        Returns:
+            _thread.Lock: A newly created lock.
+        """
+        return threading.Lock()
+
     @property
     def client(self):
         """~.pubsub_v1.client.PublisherClient: A publisher client."""
diff --git a/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/client.py b/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/client.py
index 3b1a7a2a7d2d..d2faedad1d8a 100644
--- a/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/client.py
+++ b/pubsub/google/cloud/pubsub_v1/publisher/client.py
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 import copy
 import os
 import pkg_resources
-import threading
 
 import grpc
 import six
@@ -44,16 +43,21 @@ class Client(object):
     Args:
         batch_settings (~google.cloud.pubsub_v1.types.BatchSettings): The
             settings for batch publishing.
-        batch_class (class): A class that describes how to handle
+        batch_class (Optional[type]): A class that describes how to handle
             batches. You may subclass the
             :class:`.pubsub_v1.publisher.batch.base.BaseBatch` class in
             order to define your own batcher. This is primarily provided to
             allow use of different concurrency models; the default
-            is based on :class:`threading.Thread`.
+            is based on :class:`threading.Thread`. This class should also have
+            a class method (or static method) that takes no arguments and
+            produces a lock that can be used as a context manager.
         kwargs (dict): Any additional arguments provided are sent as keyword
             arguments to the underlying
             :class:`~.gapic.pubsub.v1.publisher_client.PublisherClient`.
             Generally, you should not need to set additional keyword arguments.
+            Before being passed along to the GAPIC constructor, a channel may
+            be added if ``credentials`` are passed explicitly or if the
+            Pub / Sub emulator is detected as running.
     """
     def __init__(self, batch_settings=(), batch_class=thread.Batch, **kwargs):
         # Sanity check: Is our goal to use the emulator?
@@ -86,7 +90,7 @@ def __init__(self, batch_settings=(), batch_class=thread.Batch, **kwargs):
         # The batches on the publisher client are responsible for holding
         # messages. One batch exists for each topic.
         self._batch_class = batch_class
-        self._batch_lock = threading.Lock()
+        self._batch_lock = batch_class.make_lock()
         self._batches = {}
 
     @property
diff --git a/pubsub/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/test_thread.py b/pubsub/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/test_thread.py
index 903ae90794a4..2c8852576308 100644
--- a/pubsub/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/test_thread.py
+++ b/pubsub/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/batch/test_thread.py
@@ -72,6 +72,13 @@ def test_init_infinite_latency():
     assert batch._thread is None
 
 
+@mock.patch.object(threading, 'Lock')
+def test_make_lock(Lock):
+    lock = Batch.make_lock()
+    assert lock is Lock.return_value
+    Lock.assert_called_once_with()
+
+
 def test_client():
     client = create_client()
     settings = types.BatchSettings()
diff --git a/pubsub/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/test_publisher_client.py b/pubsub/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/test_publisher_client.py
index a519ddc645fd..55a4990761d4 100644
--- a/pubsub/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/test_publisher_client.py
+++ b/pubsub/tests/unit/pubsub_v1/publisher/test_publisher_client.py
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
 import os
 
 from google.auth import credentials
-import mock
 
+import mock
 import pytest
 
 from google.cloud.pubsub_v1.gapic import publisher_client