diff --git a/manifests/api.pp b/manifests/api.pp
index 946ed732..2cfe45c8 100644
--- a/manifests/api.pp
+++ b/manifests/api.pp
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@
 #   (optional) ensure state for package.
 #   Defaults to 'present'
 #
+# [*auth_strategy*]
+#   (optional) set authentication mechanism
+#   Defaults to 'keystone'
+#
 # [*sync_db*]
 #   (optional) Run octavia-db-manage upgrade head on api nodes after installing the package.
 #   Defaults to false
@@ -32,6 +36,7 @@ class octavia::api (
   $package_ensure        = 'present',
   $host                  = '0.0.0.0',
   $port                  = '9876',
+  $auth_strategy         = 'keystone',
   $sync_db               = false,
 ) inherits octavia::params {
 
@@ -39,6 +44,10 @@ class octavia::api (
   include ::octavia::policy
   include ::octavia::db
 
+  if $auth_strategy == 'keystone' {
+    include ::octavia::keystone::authtoken
+  }
+
   package { 'octavia-api':
     ensure => $package_ensure,
     name   => $::octavia::params::api_package_name,
@@ -69,6 +78,7 @@ class octavia::api (
   octavia_config {
     'DEFAULT/host'                             : value => $host;
     'DEFAULT/port'                             : value => $port;
+    'DEFAULT/auth_strategy'                    : value => $auth_strategy;
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/add-auth-strategy-99518a6623bcb665.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/add-auth-strategy-99518a6623bcb665.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..049eb82c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/add-auth-strategy-99518a6623bcb665.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+---
+features:
+  - support for configuring auth_strategy for the Octavia api service has
+    been added and the keystone authtoken support properly initialized.
diff --git a/spec/classes/octavia_api_spec.rb b/spec/classes/octavia_api_spec.rb
index 3fe05faf..8f502c8c 100644
--- a/spec/classes/octavia_api_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/octavia_api_spec.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,11 @@ describe 'octavia::api' do
 
   let :pre_condition do
     "class { 'octavia': }
-     include ::octavia::db"
+     include ::octavia::db
+     class { '::octavia::keystone::authtoken':
+       password  => 'password';
+     }
+    "
   end
 
   let :params do
@@ -21,6 +25,7 @@ describe 'octavia::api' do
     it { is_expected.to contain_class('octavia::deps') }
     it { is_expected.to contain_class('octavia::params') }
     it { is_expected.to contain_class('octavia::policy') }
+    it { is_expected.to contain_class('octavia::keystone::authtoken') }
 
     it 'installs octavia-api package' do
       is_expected.to contain_package('octavia-api').with(
@@ -30,6 +35,20 @@ describe 'octavia::api' do
       )
     end
 
+    context 'when not parameters are defined' do
+      before do
+        params.clear()
+      end
+      it 'configures with default values' do
+        is_expected.to contain_octavia_config('DEFAULT/host').with_value( '0.0.0.0' )
+        is_expected.to contain_octavia_config('DEFAULT/port').with_value( '9876' )
+        is_expected.to contain_octavia_config('DEFAULT/auth_strategy').with_value( 'keystone' )
+      end
+      it 'does not sync the database' do
+        is_expected.not_to contain_class('octavia::db::sync')
+      end
+    end
+
     it 'configures bind_host and bind_port' do
       is_expected.to contain_octavia_config('DEFAULT/host').with_value( params[:host] )
       is_expected.to contain_octavia_config('DEFAULT/port').with_value( params[:port] )