diff --git a/openstack/auth_env.go b/openstack/auth_env.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8603946
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openstack/auth_env.go
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+package openstack
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/rackspace/gophercloud"
+)
+
+var nilOptions = gophercloud.AuthOptions{}
+
+// ErrNoAuthUrl, ErrNoUsername, and ErrNoPassword errors indicate of the required OS_AUTH_URL, OS_USERNAME, or OS_PASSWORD
+// environment variables, respectively, remain undefined.  See the AuthOptions() function for more details.
+var (
+	ErrNoAuthURL  = fmt.Errorf("Environment variable OS_AUTH_URL needs to be set.")
+	ErrNoUsername = fmt.Errorf("Environment variable OS_USERNAME needs to be set.")
+	ErrNoPassword = fmt.Errorf("Environment variable OS_PASSWORD needs to be set.")
+)
+
+// AuthOptions fills out an identity.AuthOptions structure with the settings found on the various OpenStack
+// OS_* environment variables.  The following variables provide sources of truth: OS_AUTH_URL, OS_USERNAME,
+// OS_PASSWORD, OS_TENANT_ID, and OS_TENANT_NAME.  Of these, OS_USERNAME, OS_PASSWORD, and OS_AUTH_URL must
+// have settings, or an error will result.  OS_TENANT_ID and OS_TENANT_NAME are optional.
+func AuthOptions() (gophercloud.AuthOptions, error) {
+	authURL := os.Getenv("OS_AUTH_URL")
+	username := os.Getenv("OS_USERNAME")
+	userID := os.Getenv("OS_USERID")
+	password := os.Getenv("OS_PASSWORD")
+	tenantID := os.Getenv("OS_TENANT_ID")
+	tenantName := os.Getenv("OS_TENANT_NAME")
+	domainID := os.Getenv("OS_DOMAIN_ID")
+	domainName := os.Getenv("OS_DOMAIN_NAME")
+
+	if authURL == "" {
+		return nilOptions, ErrNoAuthURL
+	}
+
+	if username == "" && userID == "" {
+		return nilOptions, ErrNoUsername
+	}
+
+	if password == "" {
+		return nilOptions, ErrNoPassword
+	}
+
+	ao := gophercloud.AuthOptions{
+		IdentityEndpoint: authURL,
+		UserID:           userID,
+		Username:         username,
+		Password:         password,
+		TenantID:         tenantID,
+		TenantName:       tenantName,
+		DomainID:         domainID,
+		DomainName:       domainName,
+	}
+
+	return ao, nil
+}
+
+// BuildQuery constructs the query section of a URI from a map.
+func BuildQuery(params map[string]string) string {
+	if len(params) == 0 {
+		return ""
+	}
+
+	query := "?"
+	for k, v := range params {
+		query += k + "=" + v + "&"
+	}
+	query = query[:len(query)-1]
+	return query
+}