diff --git a/rackspace/auth_env.go b/rackspace/auth_env.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e0ab7c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rackspace/auth_env.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package utils
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/rackspace/gophercloud"
+)
+
+var nilOptions = gophercloud.AuthOptions{}
+
+// ErrNoAuthUrl, ErrNoUsername, and ErrNoPassword errors indicate of the
+// required RAX_AUTH_URL, RAX_USERNAME, or RAX_PASSWORD environment variables,
+// respectively, remain undefined.  See the AuthOptions() function for more details.
+var (
+	ErrNoAuthURL  = fmt.Errorf("Environment variable RAX_AUTH_URL needs to be set.")
+	ErrNoUsername = fmt.Errorf("Environment variable RAX_USERNAME needs to be set.")
+	ErrNoPassword = fmt.Errorf("Environment variable RAX_API_KEY or RAX_PASSWORD needs to be set.")
+)
+
+// AuthOptionsFromEnv fills out an identity.AuthOptions structure with the
+// settings found on the various Rackspace RAX_* environment variables.
+func AuthOptionsFromEnv() (gophercloud.AuthOptions, error) {
+	authURL := os.Getenv("RAX_AUTH_URL")
+	username := os.Getenv("RAX_USERNAME")
+	password := os.Getenv("RAX_PASSWORD")
+	apiKey := os.Getenv("RAX_API_KEY")
+
+	if authURL == "" {
+		return nilOptions, ErrNoAuthURL
+	}
+
+	if username == "" {
+		return nilOptions, ErrNoUsername
+	}
+
+	if password == "" && apiKey == "" {
+		return nilOptions, ErrNoPassword
+	}
+
+	ao := gophercloud.AuthOptions{
+		IdentityEndpoint: authURL,
+		Username:         username,
+		Password:         password,
+		APIKey:           apiKey,
+	}
+
+	return ao, nil
+}