diff --git a/swift/common/swob.py b/swift/common/swob.py
index 49cceb71ec..a461a53288 100644
--- a/swift/common/swob.py
+++ b/swift/common/swob.py
@@ -639,15 +639,16 @@ class Request(object):
             'SERVER_PROTOCOL': 'HTTP/1.0',
             'wsgi.version': (1, 0),
             'wsgi.url_scheme': 'http',
-            'wsgi.input': StringIO(body or ''),
             'wsgi.errors': StringIO(''),
             'wsgi.multithread': False,
             'wsgi.multiprocess': False
         }
-        env.update(PATH_INFO=path_info)
         env.update(environ)
         if body is not None:
-            env.update(CONTENT_LENGTH=str(len(body)))
+            env['wsgi.input'] = StringIO(body)
+            env['CONTENT_LENGTH'] = str(len(body))
+        elif 'wsgi.input' not in env:
+            env['wsgi.input'] = StringIO('')
         req = Request(env)
         for key, val in headers.iteritems():
             req.headers[key] = val
diff --git a/test/unit/common/test_swob.py b/test/unit/common/test_swob.py
index b3d2329bad..f43343f1ab 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/test_swob.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/test_swob.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 
 import unittest
 import datetime
+from StringIO import StringIO
 
 import swift.common.swob
 
@@ -195,6 +196,16 @@ class TestRequest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEquals(req.headers['Content-Type'], 'text/plain')
         self.assertEquals(req.method, 'POST')
 
+    def test_blank_body_precedence(self):
+        req = swift.common.swob.Request.blank(
+            '/', environ={'REQUEST_METHOD': 'POST',
+                          'wsgi.input': StringIO('')},
+            headers={'Content-Type': 'text/plain'}, body='hi')
+        self.assertEquals(req.path_info, '/')
+        self.assertEquals(req.body, 'hi')
+        self.assertEquals(req.headers['Content-Type'], 'text/plain')
+        self.assertEquals(req.method, 'POST')
+
     def test_params(self):
         req = swift.common.swob.Request.blank('/?a=b&c=d')
         self.assertEquals(req.params['a'], 'b')
@@ -218,8 +229,8 @@ class TestRequest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEquals(req.path_info_pop(), None)
 
     def test_copy_get(self):
-        req = swift.common.swob.Request.blank('/hi/there',
-            environ={'REQUEST_METHOD': 'POST'})
+        req = swift.common.swob.Request.blank(
+            '/hi/there', environ={'REQUEST_METHOD': 'POST'})
         self.assertEquals(req.method, 'POST')
         req2 = req.copy_get()
         self.assertEquals(req2.method, 'GET')
diff --git a/test/unit/common/test_wsgi.py b/test/unit/common/test_wsgi.py
index 73df5c3e1c..b27f9b5215 100644
--- a/test/unit/common/test_wsgi.py
+++ b/test/unit/common/test_wsgi.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ from eventlet import sleep
 from swift.common.swob import Request
 from swift.common import wsgi
 
+
 class TestWSGI(unittest.TestCase):
     """ Tests for swift.common.wsgi """
 
@@ -217,6 +218,10 @@ class TestWSGI(unittest.TestCase):
             {'QUERY_STRING': 'original'}, 'GET', 'path?')
         self.assertEquals(r.query_string, '')
 
+    def test_pre_auth_req_with_body(self):
+        r = wsgi.make_pre_authed_request(
+            {'QUERY_STRING': 'original'}, 'GET', 'path', 'the body')
+        self.assertEquals(r.body, 'the body')
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()