diff --git a/auth/jwt/jwt.go b/auth/jwt/jwt.go
index b1b9986d..7c8e7cef 100644
--- a/auth/jwt/jwt.go
+++ b/auth/jwt/jwt.go
@@ -51,17 +51,21 @@ func (j *jwt) Options() auth.Options {
 
 func (j *jwt) Generate(id string, opts ...auth.GenerateOption) (*auth.Account, error) {
 	options := auth.NewGenerateOptions(opts...)
+	if len(options.Issuer) == 0 {
+		options.Issuer = j.Options().Issuer
+	}
+
 	account := &auth.Account{
 		ID:       id,
 		Type:     options.Type,
 		Scopes:   options.Scopes,
 		Metadata: options.Metadata,
-		Issuer:   j.Options().Issuer,
+		Issuer:   options.Issuer,
 	}
 
 	// generate a JWT secret which can be provided to the Token() method
 	// and exchanged for an access token
-	secret, err := j.jwt.Generate(account)
+	secret, err := j.jwt.Generate(account, token.WithExpiry(time.Hour*24*365))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/auth/options.go b/auth/options.go
index e2da1c57..5aa08582 100644
--- a/auth/options.go
+++ b/auth/options.go
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@ type GenerateOptions struct {
 	Type string
 	// Secret used to authenticate the account
 	Secret string
+	// Issuer of the account, e.g. micro
+	Issuer string
 }
 
 type GenerateOption func(o *GenerateOptions)
@@ -169,6 +171,13 @@ func WithScopes(s ...string) GenerateOption {
 	}
 }
 
+// WithIssuer for the generated account
+func WithIssuer(i string) GenerateOption {
+	return func(o *GenerateOptions) {
+		o.Issuer = i
+	}
+}
+
 // NewGenerateOptions from a slice of options
 func NewGenerateOptions(opts ...GenerateOption) GenerateOptions {
 	var options GenerateOptions
diff --git a/config/cmd/cmd.go b/config/cmd/cmd.go
index 070a5f9e..b4dda0b9 100644
--- a/config/cmd/cmd.go
+++ b/config/cmd/cmd.go
@@ -667,10 +667,8 @@ func (c *cmd) Before(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 		(*c.opts.Auth).Init(authOpts...)
 	}
 
-	// generate the services auth account.
-	// todo: move this so it only runs for new services
-	serverID := (*c.opts.Server).Options().Id
-	if err := authutil.Generate(serverID, c.App().Name, (*c.opts.Auth)); err != nil {
+	// verify the auth's service account
+	if err := authutil.Verify(*c.opts.Auth); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/runtime/default.go b/runtime/default.go
index d86f9290..e5abb8e1 100644
--- a/runtime/default.go
+++ b/runtime/default.go
@@ -269,6 +269,18 @@ func (r *runtime) Create(s *Service, opts ...CreateOption) error {
 		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])
+	}
+
 	if _, ok := r.namespaces[options.Namespace]; !ok {
 		r.namespaces[options.Namespace] = make(map[string]*service)
 	}
diff --git a/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go b/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
index 461b8875..f9272239 100644
--- a/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
+++ b/runtime/kubernetes/kubernetes.go
@@ -2,10 +2,14 @@
 package kubernetes
 
 import (
+	"encoding/base64"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/micro/go-micro/v2/logger"
 	log "github.com/micro/go-micro/v2/logger"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/v2/runtime"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/v2/util/kubernetes/client"
@@ -420,10 +424,27 @@ func (k *kubernetes) Create(s *runtime.Service, opts ...runtime.CreateOption) er
 			return err
 		}
 	}
-
 	// determine the image from the source and options
 	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 logger.V(logger.WarnLevel, logger.DefaultLogger) {
+				logger.Warnf("Error generating auth credentials for service: %v", err)
+			}
+			return err
+		}
+
+		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
 	service := newService(s, options)
 
@@ -530,7 +551,6 @@ func (k *kubernetes) Delete(s *runtime.Service, opts ...runtime.DeleteOption) er
 	options := runtime.DeleteOptions{
 		Namespace: client.DefaultNamespace,
 	}
-
 	for _, o := range opts {
 		o(&options)
 	}
@@ -544,7 +564,11 @@ func (k *kubernetes) Delete(s *runtime.Service, opts ...runtime.DeleteOption) er
 		Namespace: options.Namespace,
 	})
 
-	return service.Stop(k.client, client.DeleteNamespace(options.Namespace))
+	// delete the service credentials
+	ns := client.DeleteNamespace(options.Namespace)
+	k.client.Delete(&client.Resource{Name: credentialsName(s), Kind: "secret"}, ns)
+
+	return service.Stop(k.client, ns)
 }
 
 // Start starts the runtime
@@ -643,3 +667,36 @@ 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'")
+	}
+
+	// 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])),
+		},
+		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
+}
+
+func credentialsName(service *runtime.Service) string {
+	name := fmt.Sprintf("%v-%v-credentials", service.Name, service.Version)
+	return client.SerializeResourceName(name)
+}
diff --git a/runtime/kubernetes/service.go b/runtime/kubernetes/service.go
index 4cb71e37..6decd16e 100644
--- a/runtime/kubernetes/service.go
+++ b/runtime/kubernetes/service.go
@@ -75,6 +75,27 @@ 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 {
+		env = append(env, client.EnvVar{
+			Name: "MICRO_AUTH_ID",
+			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",
+				},
+			},
+		})
+	}
+
 	// if environment has been supplied update deployment default environment
 	if len(env) > 0 {
 		kdeploy.Spec.Template.PodSpec.Containers[0].Env = append(kdeploy.Spec.Template.PodSpec.Containers[0].Env, env...)
diff --git a/runtime/options.go b/runtime/options.go
index dea936b9..95540315 100644
--- a/runtime/options.go
+++ b/runtime/options.go
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ type CreateOptions struct {
 	Namespace string
 	// Specify the context to use
 	Context context.Context
+	// Credentials for the service to use
+	Credentials string
 }
 
 // ReadOptions queries runtime services
@@ -126,6 +128,13 @@ func CreateContext(ctx context.Context) CreateOption {
 	}
 }
 
+// CreateCredentials sets the credentials to start the service with
+func CreateCredentials(user, pass string) CreateOption {
+	return func(o *CreateOptions) {
+		o.Credentials = user + ":" + pass
+	}
+}
+
 // WithCommand specifies the command to execute
 func WithCommand(cmd ...string) CreateOption {
 	return func(o *CreateOptions) {
diff --git a/util/auth/auth.go b/util/auth/auth.go
index 70a47f8a..9f8e672e 100644
--- a/util/auth/auth.go
+++ b/util/auth/auth.go
@@ -1,34 +1,31 @@
 package auth
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/v2/auth"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/v2/logger"
 )
 
-// Generate generates a service account for and continually
-// refreshes the access token.
-func Generate(id, name string, a auth.Auth) error {
+// Verify the auth credentials and refresh the auth token periodicallay
+func Verify(a auth.Auth) error {
 	// extract the account creds from options, these can be set by flags
 	accID := a.Options().ID
 	accSecret := a.Options().Secret
 
-	// if no credentials were provided, generate an account
-	if len(accID) == 0 || len(accSecret) == 0 {
-		name := fmt.Sprintf("%v-%v", name, id)
-
+	// if no credentials were provided, self generate an account
+	if len(accID) == 0 && len(accSecret) == 0 {
 		opts := []auth.GenerateOption{
 			auth.WithType("service"),
 			auth.WithScopes("service"),
 		}
 
-		acc, err := a.Generate(name, opts...)
+		acc, err := a.Generate(uuid.New().String(), opts...)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-		logger.Debugf("Auth [%v] Authenticated as %v issued by %v", a, name, acc.Issuer)
+		logger.Debugf("Auth [%v] Self-generated an auth account", a.String())
 
 		accID = acc.ID
 		accSecret = acc.Secret
diff --git a/util/kubernetes/client/types.go b/util/kubernetes/client/types.go
index 093fe92b..cfc40235 100644
--- a/util/kubernetes/client/types.go
+++ b/util/kubernetes/client/types.go
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ type ImagePullSecret struct {
 type Secret struct {
 	Type     string            `json:"type,omitempty"`
 	Data     map[string]string `json:"data"`
-	Metadata *Metadata         `json:"metadata"`
+	Metadata *Metadata         `json:"metadata,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // ServiceAccount
diff --git a/web/service.go b/web/service.go
index 8c216326..70fe5d5f 100644
--- a/web/service.go
+++ b/web/service.go
@@ -449,9 +449,7 @@ func (s *service) Init(opts ...Option) error {
 
 func (s *service) Run() error {
 	// generate an auth account
-	srvID := s.opts.Service.Server().Options().Id
-	srvName := s.Options().Name
-	if err := authutil.Generate(srvID, srvName, s.opts.Service.Options().Auth); err != nil {
+	if err := authutil.Verify(s.opts.Service.Options().Auth); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}