diff --git a/tempest/common/accounts.py b/tempest/common/accounts.py
index c491169..7423c17 100644
--- a/tempest/common/accounts.py
+++ b/tempest/common/accounts.py
@@ -38,7 +38,12 @@
 
     def __init__(self, name):
         super(Accounts, self).__init__(name)
-        accounts = read_accounts_yaml(CONF.auth.test_accounts_file)
+        if os.path.isfile(CONF.auth.test_accounts_file):
+            accounts = read_accounts_yaml(CONF.auth.test_accounts_file)
+            self.use_default_creds = False
+        else:
+            accounts = {}
+            self.use_default_creds = True
         self.hash_dict = self.get_hash_dict(accounts)
         self.accounts_dir = os.path.join(CONF.lock_path, 'test_accounts')
         self.isolated_creds = {}
@@ -77,6 +82,9 @@
         raise exceptions.InvalidConfiguration(msg)
 
     def _get_creds(self):
+        if self.use_default_creds:
+            raise exceptions.InvalidConfiguration(
+                "Account file %s doesn't exist" % CONF.auth.test_accounts_file)
         free_hash = self._get_free_hash(self.hash_dict.keys())
         return self.hash_dict[free_hash]
 
@@ -150,16 +158,22 @@
     def get_primary_creds(self):
         if self.isolated_creds.get('primary'):
             return self.isolated_creds.get('primary')
-        creds = self.get_creds(0)
-        primary_credential = auth.get_credentials(**creds)
+        if not self.use_default_creds:
+            creds = self.get_creds(0)
+            primary_credential = auth.get_credentials(**creds)
+        else:
+            primary_credential = auth.get_default_credentials('user')
         self.isolated_creds['primary'] = primary_credential
         return primary_credential
 
     def get_alt_creds(self):
         if self.isolated_creds.get('alt'):
             return self.isolated_creds.get('alt')
-        creds = self.get_creds(1)
-        alt_credential = auth.get_credentials(**creds)
+        if not self.use_default_creds:
+            creds = self.get_creds(1)
+            alt_credential = auth.get_credentials(**creds)
+        else:
+            alt_credential = auth.get_default_credentials('alt_user')
         self.isolated_creds['alt'] = alt_credential
         return alt_credential
 
diff --git a/tempest/tests/common/test_accounts.py b/tempest/tests/common/test_accounts.py
index a0b3496..cf7ce65 100644
--- a/tempest/tests/common/test_accounts.py
+++ b/tempest/tests/common/test_accounts.py
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
             'tempest.common.accounts.read_accounts_yaml',
             return_value=self.test_accounts))
         cfg.CONF.set_default('test_accounts_file', '', group='auth')
+        self.useFixture(mockpatch.Patch('os.path.isfile', return_value=True))
 
     def _get_hash_list(self, accounts_list):
         hash_list = []
@@ -220,6 +221,7 @@
             'tempest.common.accounts.read_accounts_yaml',
             return_value=self.test_accounts))
         cfg.CONF.set_default('test_accounts_file', '', group='auth')
+        self.useFixture(mockpatch.Patch('os.path.isfile', return_value=True))
 
     def test_get_creds(self):
         test_accounts_class = accounts.NotLockingAccounts('test_name')
@@ -229,4 +231,4 @@
             self.assertIsNotNone(creds, msg)
         self.assertRaises(exceptions.InvalidConfiguration,
                           test_accounts_class.get_creds,
-                          id=len(self.test_accounts))
\ No newline at end of file
+                          id=len(self.test_accounts))