diff --git a/pubsub/pstest/fake.go b/pubsub/pstest/fake.go
index 0afda6948fd4..a6d8a044f4aa 100644
--- a/pubsub/pstest/fake.go
+++ b/pubsub/pstest/fake.go
@@ -359,7 +359,28 @@ func (s *GServer) UpdateTopic(_ context.Context, req *pb.UpdateTopicRequest) (*p
 			}
 			t.proto.MessageRetentionDuration = req.Topic.MessageRetentionDuration
 		case "schema_settings":
-			t.proto.SchemaSettings = req.Topic.SchemaSettings
+			// Clear this field.
+			t.proto.SchemaSettings = &pb.SchemaSettings{}
+		case "schema_settings.schema":
+			if t.proto.SchemaSettings == nil {
+				t.proto.SchemaSettings = &pb.SchemaSettings{}
+			}
+			t.proto.SchemaSettings.Schema = req.Topic.SchemaSettings.Schema
+		case "schema_settings.encoding":
+			if t.proto.SchemaSettings == nil {
+				t.proto.SchemaSettings = &pb.SchemaSettings{}
+			}
+			t.proto.SchemaSettings.Encoding = req.Topic.SchemaSettings.Encoding
+		case "schema_settings.first_revision_id":
+			if t.proto.SchemaSettings == nil {
+				t.proto.SchemaSettings = &pb.SchemaSettings{}
+			}
+			t.proto.SchemaSettings.FirstRevisionId = req.Topic.SchemaSettings.FirstRevisionId
+		case "schema_settings.last_revision_id":
+			if t.proto.SchemaSettings == nil {
+				t.proto.SchemaSettings = &pb.SchemaSettings{}
+			}
+			t.proto.SchemaSettings.LastRevisionId = req.Topic.SchemaSettings.LastRevisionId
 		default:
 			return nil, status.Errorf(codes.InvalidArgument, "unknown field name %q", path)
 		}
diff --git a/pubsub/topic.go b/pubsub/topic.go
index 22a1d70d54ec..36af7d582aa4 100644
--- a/pubsub/topic.go
+++ b/pubsub/topic.go
@@ -293,6 +293,8 @@ type TopicConfigToUpdate struct {
 	RetentionDuration optional.Duration
 
 	// Schema defines the schema settings upon topic creation.
+	//
+	// Use the zero value &SchemaSettings{} to remove the schema from the topic.
 	SchemaSettings *SchemaSettings
 }
 
@@ -407,7 +409,27 @@ func (t *Topic) updateRequest(cfg TopicConfigToUpdate) *pb.UpdateTopicRequest {
 	}
 	if cfg.SchemaSettings != nil {
 		pt.SchemaSettings = schemaSettingsToProto(cfg.SchemaSettings)
-		paths = append(paths, "schema_settings")
+		clearSchema := true
+		if pt.SchemaSettings.Schema != "" {
+			paths = append(paths, "schema_settings.schema")
+			clearSchema = false
+		}
+		if pt.SchemaSettings.Encoding != pb.Encoding_ENCODING_UNSPECIFIED {
+			paths = append(paths, "schema_settings.encoding")
+			clearSchema = false
+		}
+		if pt.SchemaSettings.FirstRevisionId != "" {
+			paths = append(paths, "schema_settings.first_revision_id")
+			clearSchema = false
+		}
+		if pt.SchemaSettings.LastRevisionId != "" {
+			paths = append(paths, "schema_settings.last_revision_id")
+			clearSchema = false
+		}
+		// Clear the schema if none of it's value changes.
+		if clearSchema {
+			paths = append(paths, "schema_settings")
+		}
 	}
 	return &pb.UpdateTopicRequest{
 		Topic:      pt,
diff --git a/pubsub/topic_test.go b/pubsub/topic_test.go
index 92e46400bdd9..13ccb0098091 100644
--- a/pubsub/topic_test.go
+++ b/pubsub/topic_test.go
@@ -331,8 +331,18 @@ func TestUpdateTopic_SchemaSettings(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	if !testutil.Equal(config2.SchemaSettings, settings) {
-		t.Errorf("\ngot  %+v\nwant %+v", config2, settings)
+	if !testutil.Equal(config2.SchemaSettings, settings, opt) {
+		t.Errorf("\ngot  %+v\nwant %+v", config2.SchemaSettings, settings)
+	}
+
+	// Clear schema settings.
+	settings = &SchemaSettings{}
+	config3, err := topic.Update(ctx, TopicConfigToUpdate{SchemaSettings: settings})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !testutil.Equal(config3.SchemaSettings, settings, opt) {
+		t.Errorf("\ngot  %+v\nwant %+v", config3.SchemaSettings, settings)
 	}
 }