diff --git a/gcloud/bigquery/__init__.py b/gcloud/bigquery/__init__.py
index 30207de37489..cca30b80e91f 100644
--- a/gcloud/bigquery/__init__.py
+++ b/gcloud/bigquery/__init__.py
@@ -22,7 +22,10 @@
 """
 
 from gcloud.bigquery.client import Client
-from gcloud.bigquery.connection import SCOPE
+from gcloud.bigquery.connection import Connection
 from gcloud.bigquery.dataset import Dataset
 from gcloud.bigquery.table import SchemaField
 from gcloud.bigquery.table import Table
+
+
+SCOPE = Connection.SCOPE
diff --git a/gcloud/bigquery/connection.py b/gcloud/bigquery/connection.py
index b88c711cf848..e0ffe70f2139 100644
--- a/gcloud/bigquery/connection.py
+++ b/gcloud/bigquery/connection.py
@@ -17,11 +17,6 @@
 from gcloud import connection as base_connection
 
 
-SCOPE = ('https://www.googleapis.com/auth/bigquery',
-         'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform')
-"""The scopes required for authenticating as a Cloud BigQuery consumer."""
-
-
 class Connection(base_connection.JSONConnection):
     """A connection to Google Cloud Pubsub via the JSON REST API."""
 
@@ -34,6 +29,6 @@ class Connection(base_connection.JSONConnection):
     API_URL_TEMPLATE = '{api_base_url}/bigquery/{api_version}{path}'
     """A template for the URL of a particular API call."""
 
-    def __init__(self, credentials=None, http=None):
-        credentials = self._create_scoped_credentials(credentials, SCOPE)
-        super(Connection, self).__init__(credentials=credentials, http=http)
+    SCOPE = ('https://www.googleapis.com/auth/bigquery',
+             'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform')
+    """The scopes required for authenticating as a Cloud BigQuery consumer."""
diff --git a/gcloud/connection.py b/gcloud/connection.py
index b63c35660a43..80dcb92fadea 100644
--- a/gcloud/connection.py
+++ b/gcloud/connection.py
@@ -69,9 +69,16 @@ class Connection(object):
     USER_AGENT = "gcloud-python/{0}".format(get_distribution('gcloud').version)
     """The user agent for gcloud-python requests."""
 
+    SCOPE = None
+    """The scopes required for authenticating with a service.
+
+    Needs to be set by subclasses.
+    """
+
     def __init__(self, credentials=None, http=None):
         self._http = http
-        self._credentials = credentials
+        self._credentials = self._create_scoped_credentials(
+            credentials, self.SCOPE)
 
     @property
     def credentials(self):
diff --git a/gcloud/datastore/__init__.py b/gcloud/datastore/__init__.py
index c9cb11020b07..313fb6902ec3 100644
--- a/gcloud/datastore/__init__.py
+++ b/gcloud/datastore/__init__.py
@@ -51,10 +51,12 @@
 """
 
 from gcloud.datastore.batch import Batch
-from gcloud.datastore.connection import SCOPE
 from gcloud.datastore.connection import Connection
 from gcloud.datastore.client import Client
 from gcloud.datastore.entity import Entity
 from gcloud.datastore.key import Key
 from gcloud.datastore.query import Query
 from gcloud.datastore.transaction import Transaction
+
+
+SCOPE = Connection.SCOPE
diff --git a/gcloud/datastore/connection.py b/gcloud/datastore/connection.py
index e3108a017764..95f78f4ca168 100644
--- a/gcloud/datastore/connection.py
+++ b/gcloud/datastore/connection.py
@@ -22,11 +22,6 @@
 from gcloud.datastore import _datastore_v1_pb2 as datastore_pb
 
 
-SCOPE = ('https://www.googleapis.com/auth/datastore',
-         'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email')
-"""The scopes required for authenticating as a Cloud Datastore consumer."""
-
-
 class Connection(connection.Connection):
     """A connection to the Google Cloud Datastore via the Protobuf API.
 
@@ -51,8 +46,11 @@ class Connection(connection.Connection):
                         '/datasets/{dataset_id}/{method}')
     """A template for the URL of a particular API call."""
 
+    SCOPE = ('https://www.googleapis.com/auth/datastore',
+             'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email')
+    """The scopes required for authenticating as a Cloud Datastore consumer."""
+
     def __init__(self, credentials=None, http=None, api_base_url=None):
-        credentials = self._create_scoped_credentials(credentials, SCOPE)
         super(Connection, self).__init__(credentials=credentials, http=http)
         if api_base_url is None:
             api_base_url = os.getenv(GCD_HOST,
diff --git a/gcloud/pubsub/__init__.py b/gcloud/pubsub/__init__.py
index c39eb343ee6c..b9439548a705 100644
--- a/gcloud/pubsub/__init__.py
+++ b/gcloud/pubsub/__init__.py
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@
 """
 
 from gcloud.pubsub.client import Client
-from gcloud.pubsub.connection import SCOPE
+from gcloud.pubsub.connection import Connection
 from gcloud.pubsub.subscription import Subscription
 from gcloud.pubsub.topic import Topic
+
+
+SCOPE = Connection.SCOPE
diff --git a/gcloud/pubsub/connection.py b/gcloud/pubsub/connection.py
index 1411d603270e..367b524b62e9 100644
--- a/gcloud/pubsub/connection.py
+++ b/gcloud/pubsub/connection.py
@@ -17,13 +17,16 @@
 from gcloud import connection as base_connection
 
 
-SCOPE = ('https://www.googleapis.com/auth/pubsub',
-         'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform')
-"""The scopes required for authenticating as a Cloud Pub/Sub consumer."""
+class Connection(base_connection.JSONConnection):
+    """A connection to Google Cloud Pubsub via the JSON REST API.
 
+    :type credentials: :class:`oauth2client.client.OAuth2Credentials`
+    :param credentials: (Optional) The OAuth2 Credentials to use for this
+                        connection.
 
-class Connection(base_connection.JSONConnection):
-    """A connection to Google Cloud Pubsub via the JSON REST API."""
+    :type http: :class:`httplib2.Http` or class that defines ``request()``.
+    :param http: (Optional) HTTP object to make requests.
+    """
 
     API_BASE_URL = 'https://pubsub.googleapis.com'
     """The base of the API call URL."""
@@ -34,6 +37,6 @@ class Connection(base_connection.JSONConnection):
     API_URL_TEMPLATE = '{api_base_url}/{api_version}{path}'
     """A template for the URL of a particular API call."""
 
-    def __init__(self, credentials=None, http=None):
-        credentials = self._create_scoped_credentials(credentials, SCOPE)
-        super(Connection, self).__init__(credentials=credentials, http=http)
+    SCOPE = ('https://www.googleapis.com/auth/pubsub',
+             'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform')
+    """The scopes required for authenticating as a Cloud Pub/Sub consumer."""
diff --git a/gcloud/resource_manager/__init__.py b/gcloud/resource_manager/__init__.py
index c86c983b7a25..25089c3854c4 100644
--- a/gcloud/resource_manager/__init__.py
+++ b/gcloud/resource_manager/__init__.py
@@ -15,5 +15,8 @@
 """Google Cloud Resource Manager API wrapper."""
 
 from gcloud.resource_manager.client import Client
-from gcloud.resource_manager.connection import SCOPE
+from gcloud.resource_manager.connection import Connection
 from gcloud.resource_manager.project import Project
+
+
+SCOPE = Connection.SCOPE
diff --git a/gcloud/resource_manager/connection.py b/gcloud/resource_manager/connection.py
index 5f60b2768cba..1e8305fc3641 100644
--- a/gcloud/resource_manager/connection.py
+++ b/gcloud/resource_manager/connection.py
@@ -20,12 +20,16 @@
 from gcloud import connection as base_connection
 
 
-SCOPE = ('https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform',)
-"""The scopes required for authenticating as a Resouce Manager consumer."""
+class Connection(base_connection.JSONConnection):
+    """A connection to Google Cloud Resource Manager via the JSON REST API.
 
+    :type credentials: :class:`oauth2client.client.OAuth2Credentials`
+    :param credentials: (Optional) The OAuth2 Credentials to use for this
+                        connection.
 
-class Connection(base_connection.JSONConnection):
-    """A connection to Google Cloud Resource Manager via the JSON REST API."""
+    :type http: :class:`httplib2.Http` or class that defines ``request()``.
+    :param http: (Optional) HTTP object to make requests.
+    """
 
     API_BASE_URL = 'https://cloudresourcemanager.googleapis.com'
     """The base of the API call URL."""
@@ -36,6 +40,9 @@ class Connection(base_connection.JSONConnection):
     API_URL_TEMPLATE = '{api_base_url}/{api_version}{path}'
     """A template for the URL of a particular API call."""
 
+    SCOPE = ('https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform',)
+    """The scopes required for authenticating as a Resouce Manager consumer."""
+
     def __init__(self, credentials=None, http=None):
         if isinstance(credentials, AssertionCredentials):
             message = ('credentials (%r) inherits from '
@@ -43,5 +50,4 @@ def __init__(self, credentials=None, http=None):
                        'used with the Resource Manager API. ' % (credentials,))
             raise TypeError(message)
 
-        credentials = self._create_scoped_credentials(credentials, SCOPE)
         super(Connection, self).__init__(credentials=credentials, http=http)
diff --git a/gcloud/storage/__init__.py b/gcloud/storage/__init__.py
index 1910329d25ec..8847798d25e3 100644
--- a/gcloud/storage/__init__.py
+++ b/gcloud/storage/__init__.py
@@ -43,5 +43,7 @@
 from gcloud.storage.blob import Blob
 from gcloud.storage.bucket import Bucket
 from gcloud.storage.client import Client
-from gcloud.storage.connection import SCOPE
 from gcloud.storage.connection import Connection
+
+
+SCOPE = Connection.SCOPE
diff --git a/gcloud/storage/connection.py b/gcloud/storage/connection.py
index 2740a47063db..7aec23b3844d 100644
--- a/gcloud/storage/connection.py
+++ b/gcloud/storage/connection.py
@@ -17,14 +17,16 @@
 from gcloud import connection as base_connection
 
 
-SCOPE = ('https://www.googleapis.com/auth/devstorage.full_control',
-         'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/devstorage.read_only',
-         'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/devstorage.read_write')
-"""The scopes required for authenticating as a Cloud Storage consumer."""
+class Connection(base_connection.JSONConnection):
+    """A connection to Google Cloud Storage via the JSON REST API.
 
+    :type credentials: :class:`oauth2client.client.OAuth2Credentials`
+    :param credentials: (Optional) The OAuth2 Credentials to use for this
+                        connection.
 
-class Connection(base_connection.JSONConnection):
-    """A connection to Google Cloud Storage via the JSON REST API."""
+    :type http: :class:`httplib2.Http` or class that defines ``request()``.
+    :param http: (Optional) HTTP object to make requests.
+    """
 
     API_BASE_URL = base_connection.API_BASE_URL
     """The base of the API call URL."""
@@ -35,6 +37,7 @@ class Connection(base_connection.JSONConnection):
     API_URL_TEMPLATE = '{api_base_url}/storage/{api_version}{path}'
     """A template for the URL of a particular API call."""
 
-    def __init__(self, credentials=None, http=None):
-        credentials = self._create_scoped_credentials(credentials, SCOPE)
-        super(Connection, self).__init__(credentials=credentials, http=http)
+    SCOPE = ('https://www.googleapis.com/auth/devstorage.full_control',
+             'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/devstorage.read_only',
+             'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/devstorage.read_write')
+    """The scopes required for authenticating as a Cloud Storage consumer."""
diff --git a/gcloud/test_connection.py b/gcloud/test_connection.py
index 159f404b6746..d5cbcaa768bc 100644
--- a/gcloud/test_connection.py
+++ b/gcloud/test_connection.py
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ def test_ctor_defaults(self):
         self.assertEqual(conn.credentials, None)
 
     def test_ctor_explicit(self):
-        creds = object()
-        conn = self._makeOne(creds)
-        self.assertTrue(conn.credentials is creds)
+        credentials = _Credentials()
+        conn = self._makeOne(credentials)
+        self.assertTrue(conn.credentials is credentials)
         self.assertEqual(conn._http, None)
 
     def test_ctor_explicit_http(self):
@@ -54,15 +54,10 @@ def test_http_w_creds(self):
         import httplib2
 
         authorized = object()
-
-        class Creds(object):
-            def authorize(self, http):
-                self._called_with = http
-                return authorized
-        creds = Creds()
-        conn = self._makeOne(creds)
+        credentials = _Credentials(authorized)
+        conn = self._makeOne(credentials)
         self.assertTrue(conn.http is authorized)
-        self.assertTrue(isinstance(creds._called_with, httplib2.Http))
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(credentials._called_with, httplib2.Http))
 
     def test_user_agent_format(self):
         from pkg_resources import get_distribution
@@ -76,18 +71,18 @@ def _from_service_account_json_helper(self, **kwargs):
         from gcloud import connection
 
         KLASS = self._getTargetClass()
-        CREDS = object()
+        CREDENTIALS = _Credentials()
         _CALLED = []
 
         def mock_creds(arg1):
             _CALLED.append((arg1,))
-            return CREDS
+            return CREDENTIALS
 
         FOO = object()
         with _Monkey(connection, get_for_service_account_json=mock_creds):
             conn = KLASS.from_service_account_json(FOO, **kwargs)
 
-        self.assertTrue(conn.credentials is CREDS)
+        self.assertTrue(conn.credentials is CREDENTIALS)
         self.assertEqual(_CALLED, [(FOO,)])
 
     def test_from_service_account_json(self):
@@ -102,19 +97,19 @@ def _from_service_account_p12_helper(self, **kwargs):
         from gcloud import connection
 
         KLASS = self._getTargetClass()
-        CREDS = object()
+        CREDENTIALS = _Credentials()
         _CALLED = []
 
         def mock_creds(arg1, arg2):
             _CALLED.append((arg1, arg2))
-            return CREDS
+            return CREDENTIALS
 
         FOO = object()
         BAR = object()
         with _Monkey(connection, get_for_service_account_p12=mock_creds):
             conn = KLASS.from_service_account_p12(FOO, BAR, **kwargs)
 
-        self.assertTrue(conn.credentials is CREDS)
+        self.assertTrue(conn.credentials is CREDENTIALS)
         self.assertEqual(_CALLED, [(FOO, BAR)])
 
     def test_from_service_account_p12(self):
@@ -129,15 +124,15 @@ def _from_environment_helper(self, **kwargs):
         from gcloud import connection
 
         KLASS = self._getTargetClass()
-        CREDS = object()
+        CREDENTIALS = _Credentials()
 
         def mock_creds():
-            return CREDS
+            return CREDENTIALS
 
         with _Monkey(connection, get_credentials=mock_creds):
             conn = KLASS.from_environment(**kwargs)
 
-        self.assertTrue(conn.credentials is CREDS)
+        self.assertTrue(conn.credentials is CREDENTIALS)
 
     def test_from_environment(self):
         self._from_environment_helper()
@@ -174,9 +169,9 @@ def test_ctor_defaults(self):
         self.assertEqual(conn.credentials, None)
 
     def test_ctor_explicit(self):
-        creds = object()
-        conn = self._makeOne(creds)
-        self.assertTrue(conn.credentials is creds)
+        credentials = _Credentials()
+        conn = self._makeOne(credentials)
+        self.assertTrue(conn.credentials is credentials)
 
     def test_http_w_existing(self):
         conn = self._makeOne()
@@ -190,16 +185,12 @@ def test_http_wo_creds(self):
 
     def test_http_w_creds(self):
         import httplib2
-        authorized = object()
 
-        class Creds(object):
-            def authorize(self, http):
-                self._called_with = http
-                return authorized
-        creds = Creds()
-        conn = self._makeOne(creds)
+        authorized = object()
+        credentials = _Credentials(authorized)
+        conn = self._makeOne(credentials)
         self.assertTrue(conn.http is authorized)
-        self.assertTrue(isinstance(creds._called_with, httplib2.Http))
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(credentials._called_with, httplib2.Http))
 
     def test_build_api_url_no_extra_query_params(self):
         conn = self._makeMockOne()
@@ -447,3 +438,19 @@ def __init__(self, headers, content):
     def request(self, **kw):
         self._called_with = kw
         return self._response, self._content
+
+
+class _Credentials(object):
+
+    _scopes = None
+
+    def __init__(self, authorized=None):
+        self._authorized = authorized
+
+    def authorize(self, http):
+        self._called_with = http
+        return self._authorized
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def create_scoped_required():
+        return False