diff --git a/mdb/ps.go b/mdb/ps.go
index cc40c9a..484a35b 100644
--- a/mdb/ps.go
+++ b/mdb/ps.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import (
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
 )
 
-func isErrAlreadyExists(err error) bool {
+func psIsErrAlreadyExists(err error) bool {
 	if err == nil {
 		return false
 	}
@@ -26,8 +26,7 @@ func isErrAlreadyExists(err error) bool {
 // Message aliases the type in the official driver
 type Message = pubsub.Message
 
-// PubSub holds onto the info needed to communicate with PubSub and wraps a
-// *pubsub.Client
+// PubSub is a wrapper around a pubsub client providing more functionality.
 type PubSub struct {
 	*pubsub.Client
 
@@ -46,10 +45,7 @@ func CfgPubSub(cfg *mcfg.Cfg) *PubSub {
 		ps.log.Info("connecting to pubsub")
 		var err error
 		ps.Client, err = pubsub.NewClient(ctx, ps.gce.Project, ps.gce.ClientOptions()...)
-		if err != nil {
-			return mlog.ErrWithKV(err, &ps)
-		}
-		return nil
+		return mlog.ErrWithKV(err, &ps)
 	})
 	return &ps
 }
@@ -68,22 +64,25 @@ type Topic struct {
 
 // Topic returns, after potentially creating, a topic of the given name
 func (ps *PubSub) Topic(ctx context.Context, name string, create bool) (*Topic, error) {
+	kv := mlog.KVerFunc(func() mlog.KV {
+		return ps.KV().Set("topicName", name)
+	})
+
 	var t *pubsub.Topic
 	var err error
 	if create {
 		t, err = ps.Client.CreateTopic(ctx, name)
-		if isErrAlreadyExists(err) {
+		if psIsErrAlreadyExists(err) {
 			t = ps.Client.Topic(name)
 		} else if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return nil, mlog.ErrWithKV(err, kv)
 		}
 	} else {
 		t = ps.Client.Topic(name)
 		if exists, err := t.Exists(ctx); err != nil {
-			panic(err)
-			return nil, err
+			return nil, mlog.ErrWithKV(err, kv)
 		} else if !exists {
-			return nil, mlog.ErrWithKV(errors.New("topic dne"), ps.KV().Set("topicName", name))
+			return nil, mlog.ErrWithKV(errors.New("topic dne"), kv)
 		}
 	}
 	return &Topic{
@@ -121,23 +120,27 @@ type Subscription struct {
 // for the Topic
 func (t *Topic) Subscription(ctx context.Context, name string, create bool) (*Subscription, error) {
 	name = t.name + "_" + name
+	kv := mlog.KVerFunc(func() mlog.KV {
+		return t.KV().Set("subName", name)
+	})
+
 	var s *pubsub.Subscription
 	var err error
 	if create {
 		s, err = t.ps.CreateSubscription(ctx, name, pubsub.SubscriptionConfig{
 			Topic: t.topic,
 		})
-		if isErrAlreadyExists(err) {
+		if psIsErrAlreadyExists(err) {
 			s = t.ps.Subscription(name)
 		} else if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return nil, mlog.ErrWithKV(err, kv)
 		}
 	} else {
 		s = t.ps.Subscription(name)
 		if exists, err := s.Exists(ctx); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return nil, mlog.ErrWithKV(err, kv)
 		} else if !exists {
-			return nil, mlog.ErrWithKV(errors.New("sub dne"), t.KV().Set("subName", name))
+			return nil, mlog.ErrWithKV(errors.New("sub dne"), kv)
 		}
 	}
 	return &Subscription{