diff --git a/nsqd/channel.go b/nsqd/channel.go
index ef0864bd8..6e979c73b 100644
--- a/nsqd/channel.go
+++ b/nsqd/channel.go
@@ -55,11 +55,11 @@ type Channel struct {
 	exitFlag      int32
 
 	// state tracking
-	clients          map[int64]Consumer
-	paused           int32
-	ephemeralChannel bool
-	deleteCallback   func(*Channel)
-	deleter          sync.Once
+	clients        map[int64]Consumer
+	paused         int32
+	ephemeral      bool
+	deleteCallback func(*Channel)
+	deleter        sync.Once
 
 	// Stats tracking
 	e2eProcessingLatencyStream *util.Quantile
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ func NewChannel(topicName string, channelName string, ctx *context,
 	c.initPQ()
 
 	if strings.HasSuffix(channelName, "#ephemeral") {
-		c.ephemeralChannel = true
+		c.ephemeral = true
 		c.backend = newDummyBackendQueue()
 	} else {
 		// backend names, for uniqueness, automatically include the topic...
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ func (c *Channel) RemoveClient(clientID int64) {
 	}
 	delete(c.clients, clientID)
 
-	if len(c.clients) == 0 && c.ephemeralChannel == true {
+	if len(c.clients) == 0 && c.ephemeral == true {
 		go c.deleter.Do(func() { c.deleteCallback(c) })
 	}
 }
diff --git a/nsqd/nsqd.go b/nsqd/nsqd.go
index 099e23c58..c2babe0a2 100644
--- a/nsqd/nsqd.go
+++ b/nsqd/nsqd.go
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ func (n *NSQD) PersistMetadata() error {
 		topic.Lock()
 		for _, channel := range topic.channelMap {
 			channel.Lock()
-			if !channel.ephemeralChannel {
+			if !channel.ephemeral {
 				channelData := make(map[string]interface{})
 				channelData["name"] = channel.name
 				channelData["paused"] = channel.IsPaused()
@@ -384,7 +384,10 @@ func (n *NSQD) GetTopic(topicName string) *Topic {
 		n.Unlock()
 		return t
 	} else {
-		t = NewTopic(topicName, &context{n})
+		deleteCallback := func(t *Topic) {
+			n.DeleteExistingTopic(t.name)
+		}
+		t = NewTopic(topicName, &context{n}, deleteCallback)
 		n.topicMap[topicName] = t
 
 		n.logf("TOPIC(%s): created", t.name)
diff --git a/nsqd/nsqd_test.go b/nsqd/nsqd_test.go
index c7de6473a..1515b2128 100644
--- a/nsqd/nsqd_test.go
+++ b/nsqd/nsqd_test.go
@@ -180,15 +180,14 @@ func TestStartup(t *testing.T) {
 	<-doneExitChan
 }
 
-func TestEphemeralChannel(t *testing.T) {
-	// a normal channel sticks around after clients disconnect; an ephemeral channel is
-	// lazily removed after the last client disconnects
+func TestEphemeralTopicsAndChannels(t *testing.T) {
+	// ephemeral topics/channels are lazily removed after the last channel/client is removed
 	opts := NewNSQDOptions()
 	opts.Logger = newTestLogger(t)
 	opts.MemQueueSize = 100
 	_, _, nsqd := mustStartNSQD(opts)
 
-	topicName := "ephemeral_test" + strconv.Itoa(int(time.Now().Unix()))
+	topicName := "ephemeral_topic" + strconv.Itoa(int(time.Now().Unix())) + "#ephemeral"
 	doneExitChan := make(chan int)
 
 	exitChan := make(chan int)
@@ -209,7 +208,6 @@ func TestEphemeralChannel(t *testing.T) {
 	msg = <-ephemeralChannel.clientMsgChan
 	equal(t, msg.Body, body)
 
-	t.Logf("pulling from channel")
 	ephemeralChannel.RemoveClient(client.ID)
 
 	time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
@@ -219,6 +217,11 @@ func TestEphemeralChannel(t *testing.T) {
 	topic.Unlock()
 	equal(t, numChannels, 0)
 
+	nsqd.Lock()
+	numTopics := len(nsqd.topicMap)
+	nsqd.Unlock()
+	equal(t, numTopics, 0)
+
 	exitChan <- 1
 	<-doneExitChan
 }
diff --git a/nsqd/protocol_v2_test.go b/nsqd/protocol_v2_test.go
index 1e1e3298d..e08095a87 100644
--- a/nsqd/protocol_v2_test.go
+++ b/nsqd/protocol_v2_test.go
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func TestChannelTopicNames(t *testing.T) {
 	equal(t, util.IsValidChannelName("test#ephemeral"), true)
 	equal(t, util.IsValidTopicName("test"), true)
 	equal(t, util.IsValidTopicName("test-with_period."), true)
-	equal(t, util.IsValidTopicName("test#ephemeral"), false)
+	equal(t, util.IsValidTopicName("test#ephemeral"), true)
 	equal(t, util.IsValidTopicName("test:ephemeral"), false)
 }
 
diff --git a/nsqd/topic.go b/nsqd/topic.go
index 35c7ce4b0..690a96993 100644
--- a/nsqd/topic.go
+++ b/nsqd/topic.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package nsqd
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"errors"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 
@@ -24,6 +25,10 @@ type Topic struct {
 	waitGroup         util.WaitGroupWrapper
 	exitFlag          int32
 
+	ephemeral      bool
+	deleteCallback func(*Topic)
+	deleter        sync.Once
+
 	paused    int32
 	pauseChan chan bool
 
@@ -31,23 +36,28 @@ type Topic struct {
 }
 
 // Topic constructor
-func NewTopic(topicName string, ctx *context) *Topic {
-	diskQueue := newDiskQueue(topicName,
-		ctx.nsqd.opts.DataPath,
-		ctx.nsqd.opts.MaxBytesPerFile,
-		ctx.nsqd.opts.SyncEvery,
-		ctx.nsqd.opts.SyncTimeout,
-		ctx.nsqd.opts.Logger)
-
+func NewTopic(topicName string, ctx *context, deleteCallback func(*Topic)) *Topic {
 	t := &Topic{
 		name:              topicName,
 		channelMap:        make(map[string]*Channel),
-		backend:           diskQueue,
 		memoryMsgChan:     make(chan *Message, ctx.nsqd.opts.MemQueueSize),
 		exitChan:          make(chan int),
 		channelUpdateChan: make(chan int),
 		ctx:               ctx,
 		pauseChan:         make(chan bool),
+		deleteCallback:    deleteCallback,
+	}
+
+	if strings.HasSuffix(topicName, "#ephemeral") {
+		t.ephemeral = true
+		t.backend = newDummyBackendQueue()
+	} else {
+		t.backend = newDiskQueue(topicName,
+			ctx.nsqd.opts.DataPath,
+			ctx.nsqd.opts.MaxBytesPerFile,
+			ctx.nsqd.opts.SyncEvery,
+			ctx.nsqd.opts.SyncTimeout,
+			ctx.nsqd.opts.Logger)
 	}
 
 	t.waitGroup.Wrap(func() { t.messagePump() })
@@ -116,6 +126,7 @@ func (t *Topic) DeleteExistingChannel(channelName string) error {
 	}
 	delete(t.channelMap, channelName)
 	// not defered so that we can continue while the channel async closes
+	numChannels := len(t.channelMap)
 	t.Unlock()
 
 	t.ctx.nsqd.logf("TOPIC(%s): deleting channel %s", t.name, channel.name)
@@ -130,6 +141,10 @@ func (t *Topic) DeleteExistingChannel(channelName string) error {
 	case <-t.exitChan:
 	}
 
+	if numChannels == 0 && t.ephemeral == true {
+		go t.deleter.Do(func() { t.deleteCallback(t) })
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/util/names.go b/util/names.go
index c04b675c6..e5bd830fd 100644
--- a/util/names.go
+++ b/util/names.go
@@ -4,21 +4,21 @@ import (
 	"regexp"
 )
 
-var validTopicNameRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`^[\.a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$`)
-var validChannelNameRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`^[\.a-zA-Z0-9_-]+(#ephemeral)?$`)
+var validTopicChannelNameRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`^[\.a-zA-Z0-9_-]+(#ephemeral)?$`)
 
 // IsValidTopicName checks a topic name for correctness
 func IsValidTopicName(name string) bool {
-	if len(name) > 64 || len(name) < 1 {
-		return false
-	}
-	return validTopicNameRegex.MatchString(name)
+	return isValidName(name)
 }
 
 // IsValidChannelName checks a channel name for correctness
 func IsValidChannelName(name string) bool {
+	return isValidName(name)
+}
+
+func isValidName(name string) bool {
 	if len(name) > 64 || len(name) < 1 {
 		return false
 	}
-	return validChannelNameRegex.MatchString(name)
+	return validTopicChannelNameRegex.MatchString(name)
 }