diff --git a/packages/google-cloud-compute/src/firewall.js b/packages/google-cloud-compute/src/firewall.js
index 2b12379fa02..362ab554d5e 100644
--- a/packages/google-cloud-compute/src/firewall.js
+++ b/packages/google-cloud-compute/src/firewall.js
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ class Firewall extends common.ServiceObject {
     callback = callback || common.util.noop;
     metadata = metadata || {};
     metadata.name = this.name;
-    metadata.network = this.metadata.network;
+    metadata.network = metadata.network || this.metadata.network;
     this.request(
       {
         method: 'PATCH',
diff --git a/packages/google-cloud-compute/test/firewall.js b/packages/google-cloud-compute/test/firewall.js
index b21ba2af9bd..281b640cb68 100644
--- a/packages/google-cloud-compute/test/firewall.js
+++ b/packages/google-cloud-compute/test/firewall.js
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ describe('Firewall', function() {
     createFirewall: util.noop,
   };
   const FIREWALL_NAME = 'tcp-3000';
-  const FIREWALL_NETWORK = 'global/networks/default';
+  const DEFAULT_FIREWALL_NETWORK = 'global/networks/default';
 
   before(function() {
     Firewall = proxyquire('../src/firewall.js', {
@@ -76,7 +76,9 @@ describe('Firewall', function() {
     });
 
     it('should default to the global network', function() {
-      assert.deepStrictEqual(firewall.metadata, {network: FIREWALL_NETWORK});
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(firewall.metadata, {
+        network: DEFAULT_FIREWALL_NETWORK,
+      });
     });
 
     it('should inherit from ServiceObject', function() {
@@ -188,7 +190,7 @@ describe('Firewall', function() {
         assert.strictEqual(reqOpts.json, metadata);
         assert.deepStrictEqual(metadata, {
           name: firewall.name,
-          network: FIREWALL_NETWORK,
+          network: DEFAULT_FIREWALL_NETWORK,
         });
 
         done();
@@ -197,6 +199,17 @@ describe('Firewall', function() {
       firewall.setMetadata(metadata, assert.ifError);
     });
 
+    it('should respect network specification', function(done) {
+      const metadata = {network: 'custom-network'};
+
+      firewall.request = function(reqOpts) {
+        assert.strictEqual(reqOpts.json.network, metadata.network);
+        done();
+      };
+
+      firewall.setMetadata(metadata, assert.ifError);
+    });
+
     describe('error', function() {
       const error = new Error('Error.');
       const apiResponse = {a: 'b', c: 'd'};