diff --git a/novaclient/shell.py b/novaclient/shell.py
index 0f1dd98e1..93f7bbe0a 100644
--- a/novaclient/shell.py
+++ b/novaclient/shell.py
@@ -683,6 +683,9 @@ class OpenStackComputeShell(object):
                         project_name=project_name,
                         project_domain_id=args.os_project_domain_id,
                         project_domain_name=args.os_project_domain_name)
+            else:
+                # set password for auth plugins
+                os_password = args.os_password
 
         if not do_help and not any([args.os_tenant_id, args.os_tenant_name,
                                     args.os_project_id, args.os_project_name]):
diff --git a/novaclient/tests/unit/test_shell.py b/novaclient/tests/unit/test_shell.py
index 923e70123..844306fc1 100644
--- a/novaclient/tests/unit/test_shell.py
+++ b/novaclient/tests/unit/test_shell.py
@@ -58,6 +58,13 @@ FAKE_ENV4 = {'OS_USER_ID': 'user_id',
              'OS_ENDPOINT_TYPE': 'osURL',
              'OS_COMPUTE_API_VERSION': '2'}
 
+FAKE_ENV5 = {'OS_USERNAME': 'username',
+             'OS_PASSWORD': 'password',
+             'OS_TENANT_NAME': 'tenant_name',
+             'OS_AUTH_URL': 'http://no.where/v2.0',
+             'OS_COMPUTE_API_VERSION': '2',
+             'OS_AUTH_SYSTEM': 'rackspace'}
+
 
 def _create_ver_list(versions):
     return {'versions': {'values': versions}}
@@ -505,6 +512,15 @@ class ShellTest(utils.TestCase):
             self.shell,
             '--os-compute-api-version 2.3 list')
 
+    @mock.patch('novaclient.client.Client')
+    def test_custom_auth_plugin(self, mock_client):
+        self.make_env(fake_env=FAKE_ENV5)
+        self.shell('list')
+        password = mock_client.call_args_list[0][0][2]
+        client_kwargs = mock_client.call_args_list[0][1]
+        self.assertEqual(password, 'password')
+        self.assertIs(client_kwargs['session'], None)
+
 
 class TestLoadVersionedActions(utils.TestCase):