diff --git a/lib/twitter/client.rb b/lib/twitter/client.rb
index 6f504c667..54721b0ee 100644
--- a/lib/twitter/client.rb
+++ b/lib/twitter/client.rb
@@ -2856,19 +2856,13 @@ def connection
     end
 
     # Perform an HTTP request
-    def request(method, path, params, options)
+    def request(method, path, params={}, options={})
       uri = options[:endpoint] || @endpoint
       uri = URI(uri) unless uri.respond_to?(:host)
       uri += path
       request_headers = {}
       if self.credentials?
-        # When posting a file, don't sign any params
-        signature_params = if [:post, :put].include?(method.to_sym) && params.values.any?{|value| value.is_a?(File) || (value.is_a?(Hash) && (value[:io].is_a?(IO) || value[:io].is_a?(StringIO)))}
-          {}
-        else
-          params
-        end
-        authorization = SimpleOAuth::Header.new(method, uri, signature_params, credentials)
+        authorization = auth_header(method, uri, params)
         request_headers[:authorization] = authorization.to_s
       end
       connection.url_prefix = options[:endpoint] || @endpoint
@@ -2889,5 +2883,11 @@ def request(method, path, params, options)
       raise Twitter::Error::ClientError
     end
 
+    def auth_header(method, uri, params={})
+      # When posting a file, don't sign any params
+      signature_params = [:post, :put].include?(method.to_sym) && params.values.any?{|value| value.is_a?(File) || (value.is_a?(Hash) && (value[:io].is_a?(IO) || value[:io].is_a?(StringIO)))} ? {} : params
+      SimpleOAuth::Header.new(method, uri, signature_params, credentials)
+    end
+
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/twitter/configurable.rb b/lib/twitter/configurable.rb
index b437fcdc4..3923893cd 100644
--- a/lib/twitter/configurable.rb
+++ b/lib/twitter/configurable.rb
@@ -58,10 +58,16 @@ def reset!
   private
 
     # @return [Hash]
-    # @note After Ruby 1.8 is deprecated, can be rewritten as:
-    #   options.select{|key| AUTH_KEYS.include?(key)}
+    # @todo In version 4, rename to oauth_token to token and oauth_token_secret
+    #   to token_secret and rewrite as:
+    #     options.select{|key| AUTH_KEYS.include?(key)}
     def credentials
-      Hash[options.select{|key, value| AUTH_KEYS.include?(key)}]
+      {
+        :consumer_key => @consumer_key,
+        :consumer_secret => @consumer_secret,
+        :token => @oauth_token,
+        :token_secret => @oauth_token_secret,
+      }
     end
 
     # @return [Hash]
diff --git a/spec/twitter/client_spec.rb b/spec/twitter/client_spec.rb
index f43a7d28c..1632fd3ca 100644
--- a/spec/twitter/client_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/twitter/client_spec.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 describe Twitter::Client do
 
   subject do
-    client = Twitter::Client.new
+    client = Twitter::Client.new(:consumer_key => "CK", :consumer_secret => "CS", :oauth_token => "OT", :oauth_token_secret => "OS")
     client.class_eval{public *Twitter::Client.private_instance_methods}
     client
   end
@@ -92,30 +92,26 @@
   end
 
   describe "#rate_limited?" do
-    before do
-      @client = Twitter::Client.new
-    end
     it "returns true for rate limited methods" do
-      @client.rate_limited?(:user).should be_true
+      subject.rate_limited?(:user).should be_true
     end
     it "returns false for rate limited methods" do
-      @client.rate_limited?(:rate_limit_status).should be_false
+      subject.rate_limited?(:rate_limit_status).should be_false
     end
     it "raises an ArgumentError for non-existant methods" do
       lambda do
-        @client.rate_limited?(:foo)
+        subject.rate_limited?(:foo)
       end.should raise_error(ArgumentError, "no method `foo' for Twitter::Client")
     end
   end
 
   describe "#put" do
     before do
-      @client = Twitter::Client.new
       stub_put("/custom/put").
         with(:body => {:updated => "object"})
     end
     it "allows custom put requests" do
-      @client.put("/custom/put", {:updated => "object"})
+      subject.put("/custom/put", {:updated => "object"})
       a_put("/custom/put").
         with(:body => {:updated => "object"}).
         should have_been_made
@@ -144,14 +140,11 @@
   end
 
   describe "#request" do
-    before do
-      @client = Twitter::Client.new({:consumer_key => "CK", :consumer_secret => "CS", :oauth_token => "OT", :oauth_token_secret => "OS"})
-    end
     it "encodes the entire body when no uploaded media is present" do
       stub_post("/1/statuses/update.json").
         with(:body => {:status => "Update"}).
         to_return(:body => fixture("status.json"), :headers => {:content_type => "application/json; charset=utf-8"})
-      @client.update("Update")
+      subject.update("Update")
       a_post("/1/statuses/update.json").
         with(:body => {:status => "Update"}).
         should have_been_made
@@ -159,16 +152,29 @@
     it "encodes none of the body when uploaded media is present" do
       stub_post("/1/statuses/update_with_media.json", "https://upload.twitter.com").
         to_return(:body => fixture("status_with_media.json"), :headers => {:content_type => "application/json; charset=utf-8"})
-      @client.update_with_media("Update", fixture("pbjt.gif"))
+      subject.update_with_media("Update", fixture("pbjt.gif"))
       a_post("/1/statuses/update_with_media.json", "https://upload.twitter.com").
         should have_been_made
     end
     it "catches Faraday errors" do
       subject.stub!(:connection).and_raise(Faraday::Error::ClientError.new("Oups"))
       lambda do
-        subject.request(:get, "/path", {}, {})
+        subject.request(:get, "/path")
       end.should raise_error(Twitter::Error::ClientError, "Oups")
     end
   end
 
+  describe "#auth_header" do
+    it "creates the correct auth headers" do
+      uri = URI("https://api.twitter.com/1/direct_messages.json")
+      authorization = subject.auth_header(:get, uri)
+      authorization.options[:signature_method].should == "HMAC-SHA1"
+      authorization.options[:version].should == "1.0"
+      authorization.options[:consumer_key].should == "CK"
+      authorization.options[:consumer_secret].should == "CS"
+      authorization.options[:token].should == "OT"
+      authorization.options[:token_secret].should == "OS"
+    end
+  end
+
 end