diff --git a/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go b/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
index 085bda04..aa680b7c 100644
--- a/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
+++ b/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package kubernetes
 
 import (
 	"encoding/base64"
-	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -450,9 +449,8 @@ func (k *kubernetes) Create(s *runtime.Service, opts ...runtime.CreateOption) er
 	options.Image = k.getImage(s, options)
 
 	// create a secret for the credentials if some where provided
-	if len(options.Credentials) > 0 {
-		secret, err := k.createCredentials(s, options)
-		if err != nil {
+	if len(options.Secrets) > 0 {
+		if err := k.createCredentials(s, options); err != nil {
 			if logger.V(logger.WarnLevel, logger.DefaultLogger) {
 				logger.Warnf("Error generating auth credentials for service: %v", err)
 			}
@@ -462,9 +460,6 @@ func (k *kubernetes) Create(s *runtime.Service, opts ...runtime.CreateOption) er
 		if logger.V(logger.DebugLevel, logger.DefaultLogger) {
 			logger.Debugf("Generated auth credentials for service %v", s.Name)
 		}
-
-		// pass the secret name to the client via the credentials option
-		options.Credentials = secret
 	}
 
 	// create new service
@@ -689,33 +684,27 @@ func (k *kubernetes) getImage(s *runtime.Service, options runtime.CreateOptions)
 
 	return ""
 }
-func (k *kubernetes) createCredentials(service *runtime.Service, options runtime.CreateOptions) (string, error) {
-	// validate the creds
-	comps := strings.Split(options.Credentials, ":")
-	if len(comps) != 2 {
-		return "", errors.New("Invalid credentials, expected format 'user:pass'")
+func (k *kubernetes) createCredentials(service *runtime.Service, options runtime.CreateOptions) error {
+	data := make(map[string]string, len(options.Secrets))
+	for key, value := range options.Secrets {
+		data[key] = base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(value))
 	}
 
 	// construct the k8s secret object
 	secret := &client.Secret{
 		Type: "Opaque",
-		Data: map[string]string{
-			"id":     base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(comps[0])),
-			"secret": base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(comps[1])),
-		},
+		Data: data,
 		Metadata: &client.Metadata{
 			Name:      credentialsName(service),
 			Namespace: options.Namespace,
 		},
 	}
 
-	// create options specify the namespace
-	ns := client.CreateNamespace(options.Namespace)
-
 	// crete the secret in kubernetes
 	name := credentialsName(service)
-	err := k.client.Create(&client.Resource{Kind: "secret", Name: name, Value: secret}, ns)
-	return name, err
+	return k.client.Create(&client.Resource{
+		Kind: "secret", Name: name, Value: secret,
+	}, client.CreateNamespace(options.Namespace))
 }
 
 func credentialsName(service *runtime.Service) string {
diff --git a/runtime/kubernetes/service.go b/runtime/kubernetes/service.go
index 9cbf890a..369a103b 100644
--- a/runtime/kubernetes/service.go
+++ b/runtime/kubernetes/service.go
@@ -75,22 +75,14 @@ func newService(s *runtime.Service, c runtime.CreateOptions) *service {
 		env = append(env, client.EnvVar{Name: evarPair[0], Value: evarPair[1]})
 	}
 
-	// if credentials were provided, pass them to the service
-	if len(c.Credentials) > 0 {
+	// if secrets were provided, pass them to the service
+	for key := range c.Secrets {
 		env = append(env, client.EnvVar{
-			Name: "MICRO_AUTH_ID",
+			Name: key,
 			ValueFrom: &client.EnvVarSource{
 				SecretKeyRef: &client.SecretKeySelector{
-					Name: c.Credentials, Key: "id",
-				},
-			},
-		})
-
-		env = append(env, client.EnvVar{
-			Name: "MICRO_AUTH_SECRET",
-			ValueFrom: &client.EnvVarSource{
-				SecretKeyRef: &client.SecretKeySelector{
-					Name: c.Credentials, Key: "secret",
+					Name: credentialsName(s),
+					Key:  key,
 				},
 			},
 		})
diff --git a/runtime/local/local.go b/runtime/local/local.go
index a92a1a15..214c9505 100644
--- a/runtime/local/local.go
+++ b/runtime/local/local.go
@@ -270,16 +270,9 @@ func (r *localRuntime) Create(s *runtime.Service, opts ...runtime.CreateOption)
 		options.Args = []string{"run", "."}
 	}
 
-	// pass credentials as env vars
-	if len(options.Credentials) > 0 {
-		// validate the creds
-		comps := strings.Split(options.Credentials, ":")
-		if len(comps) != 2 {
-			return errors.New("Invalid credentials, expected format 'user:pass'")
-		}
-
-		options.Env = append(options.Env, "MICRO_AUTH_ID", comps[0])
-		options.Env = append(options.Env, "MICRO_AUTH_SECRET", comps[1])
+	// pass secrets as env vars
+	for key, value := range options.Secrets {
+		options.Env = append(options.Env, key, value)
 	}
 
 	if _, ok := r.namespaces[options.Namespace]; !ok {
diff --git a/runtime/options.go b/runtime/options.go
index 9c806b0f..f0bf7e04 100644
--- a/runtime/options.go
+++ b/runtime/options.go
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ type CreateOptions struct {
 	Namespace string
 	// Specify the context to use
 	Context context.Context
-	// Credentials for the service to use
-	Credentials string
+	// Secrets to use
+	Secrets map[string]string
 }
 
 // ReadOptions queries runtime services
@@ -128,10 +128,14 @@ func CreateContext(ctx context.Context) CreateOption {
 	}
 }
 
-// CreateCredentials sets the credentials to start the service with
-func CreateCredentials(user, pass string) CreateOption {
+// WithSecret sets a secret to provide the service with
+func WithSecret(key, value string) CreateOption {
 	return func(o *CreateOptions) {
-		o.Credentials = user + ":" + pass
+		if o.Secrets == nil {
+			o.Secrets = map[string]string{key: value}
+		} else {
+			o.Secrets[key] = value
+		}
 	}
 }