diff --git a/pillar/api/encoding.py b/pillar/api/encoding.py
index 138bcbf4..e10cc40f 100644
--- a/pillar/api/encoding.py
+++ b/pillar/api/encoding.py
@@ -45,8 +45,9 @@ def size_descriptor(width, height):
 @skip_when_testing
 def rename_on_gcs(bucket_name, from_path, to_path):
     gcs = GoogleCloudStorageBucket(str(bucket_name))
-    blob = gcs.gcs_bucket.blob(from_path)
-    gcs.gcs_bucket.rename_blob(blob, to_path)
+    # FIXME: don't use internal property, but use our bucket/blob API.
+    blob = gcs._gcs_bucket.blob(from_path)
+    gcs._gcs_bucket.rename_blob(blob, to_path)
 
 
 @encoding.route('/zencoder/notifications', methods=['POST'])
diff --git a/pillar/api/projects/hooks.py b/pillar/api/projects/hooks.py
index cf91ce91..ab417e52 100644
--- a/pillar/api/projects/hooks.py
+++ b/pillar/api/projects/hooks.py
@@ -172,7 +172,8 @@ def after_inserting_project(project, db_user):
     else:
         try:
             gcs_storage = GoogleCloudStorageBucket(str(project_id))
-            if gcs_storage.gcs_bucket.exists():
+            # FIXME: don't use internal property, but use our bucket/blob API.
+            if gcs_storage._gcs_bucket.exists():
                 log.info('Created GCS instance for project %s', project_id)
             else:
                 log.warning('Unable to create GCS instance for project %s', project_id)
diff --git a/pillar/api/utils/gcs.py b/pillar/api/utils/gcs.py
index 6e39e2a4..713e1cbe 100644
--- a/pillar/api/utils/gcs.py
+++ b/pillar/api/utils/gcs.py
@@ -54,11 +54,11 @@ class GoogleCloudStorageBucket(Bucket):
     def __init__(self, name, subdir='_/'):
         super(GoogleCloudStorageBucket, self).__init__(name=name)
         try:
-            self.gcs_bucket = gcs.get_bucket(name)
+            self._gcs_bucket = gcs.get_bucket(name)
         except NotFound:
-            self.gcs_bucket = gcs.bucket(name)
+            self._gcs_bucket = gcs.bucket(name)
             # Hardcode the bucket location to EU
-            self.gcs_bucket.location = 'EU'
+            self._gcs_bucket.location = 'EU'
             # Optionally enable CORS from * (currently only used for vrview)
             # self.gcs_bucket.cors = [
             #     {
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class GoogleCloudStorageBucket(Bucket):
             #       "maxAgeSeconds": 3600
             #     }
             # ]
-            self.gcs_bucket.create()
+            self._gcs_bucket.create()
 
         self.subdir = subdir
 
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ class GoogleCloudStorageBucket(Bucket):
         prefix = os.path.join(self.subdir, path)
 
         fields_to_return = 'nextPageToken,items(name,size,contentType),prefixes'
-        req = self.gcs_bucket.list_blobs(fields=fields_to_return, prefix=prefix,
-                                         delimiter='/')
+        req = self._gcs_bucket.list_blobs(fields=fields_to_return, prefix=prefix,
+                                          delimiter='/')
 
         files = []
         for f in req:
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ class GoogleCloudStorageBucket(Bucket):
         :param to_dict: Return the object as a dictionary.
         """
         path = os.path.join(self.subdir, path)
-        blob = self.gcs_bucket.blob(path)
+        blob = self._gcs_bucket.blob(path)
         if blob.exists():
             if to_dict:
                 return self.blob_to_dict(blob)
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ class GoogleCloudStorageBucket(Bucket):
         """Create new blob and upload data to it.
         """
         path = path if path else os.path.join('_', os.path.basename(full_path))
-        blob = self.gcs_bucket.blob(path)
+        blob = self._gcs_bucket.blob(path)
         if blob.exists():
             return None
         blob.upload_from_filename(full_path)
@@ -183,10 +183,10 @@ class GoogleCloudStorageBucket(Bucket):
         """
 
         assert isinstance(to_bucket, GoogleCloudStorageBucket)
-        return self.gcs_bucket.copy_blob(blob, to_bucket.gcs_bucket)
+        return self._gcs_bucket.copy_blob(blob, to_bucket._gcs_bucket)
 
     def get_blob(self, internal_fname, chunk_size=256 * 1024 * 2):
-        return self.gcs_bucket.blob('_/' + internal_fname, chunk_size)
+        return self._gcs_bucket.blob('_/' + internal_fname, chunk_size)
 
 
 class GoogleCloudStorageBlob(Blob):