diff --git a/src/client/libdistren.c b/src/client/libdistren.c
--- a/src/client/libdistren.c
+++ b/src/client/libdistren.c
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ int distren_init(distren_t *handle)
   struct distren_request *req;
   void *data;
 
+  const char *username;
+  const char *pass;
+
   if(!handle)
     return 1;
 
@@ -64,6 +67,20 @@ int distren_init(distren_t *handle)
       return 1;
     }
 
+  tmp = remoteio_authinfo_get((*handle)->options->remoteio,
+			      (*handle)->server,
+			      &username,
+			      &pass);
+  if(tmp
+     || !username
+     || !pass)
+    {
+      fprintf(stderr, "error: unable to find information necessary to connect to the server named ``%s'', please check your configuration file.\n",
+	      (*handle)->server);
+      distren_init_cleanup(*handle);
+      return 1;
+    }
+
   tmp = remoteio_open_server(&(*handle)->rem,
 			     (*handle)->options->remoteio,
 			     (remoteio_read_handle_func_t)&libdistren_remoteio_read_handle,
@@ -90,9 +107,40 @@ int distren_init(distren_t *handle)
   distren_request_send((*handle)->rem, req, data);
   distren_request_free_with_data(req, data);
 
+  tmp = distren_request_pass(&req, &data, username, pass);
+  if(tmp)
+    {
+      fprintf(stderr, "error: unable to allocate request");
+
+      distren_init_cleanup(*handle);
+      return 1;
+    }
+  distren_request_send((*handle)->rem, req, data);
+  distren_request_free_with_data(req, data);
+
+  /*
+   * There is no response to the DISTREN_REQUEST_PASS packet. However,
+   * we want to ensure that the username/password we sent are valid
+   * before returning to the claler. Thus, we here send a PING
+   * packet. If we get the DISTREN_REQUEST_PONG, we know we're
+   * authenticated. Otherwise, we'll receive a quit/discconect packet.
+   */
+  tmp = distren_request_poing(&req, &data, 1, "auth test", strlen("auth test"));
+  if(tmp)
+    {
+      fprintf(stderr, "error: Unable to allocate a DISTREN_REQUEST_PING\n");
+
+      distren_init_cleanup(*handle);
+      return 1;
+    }
+  distren_request_send((*handle)->rem, req, data);
+  distren_request_free_with_data(req, data);
+
+  /* flush out the above packets. */
   while((*handle)->rem
-	&& (*handle)->state == DISTREN_STATE_VERSION)
-      multiio_poll((*handle)->multiio, 500);
+	&& ((*handle)->state == DISTREN_STATE_VERSION
+	    || (*handle)->state == DISTREN_STATE_AUTH))
+    multiio_poll((*handle)->multiio, 500);
 
   if(!(*handle)->rem)
     {