diff --git a/src/common/remoteio.h b/src/common/remoteio.h
--- a/src/common/remoteio.h
+++ b/src/common/remoteio.h
@@ -120,6 +120,21 @@ int remoteio_open_socket(struct remoteio
 int remoteio_write(struct remoteio *rem, const void *buf, size_t len);
 
 /**
+ * \brief Retrieves authentication information associated with a
+ *   server's configuration entry.
+ *
+ * Possibly, the whole idea of remoteio handling server names with the
+ * remoteio_open() function should be moved somewhere else and
+ * remoteio should be more general-purpose I/O?
+ *
+ * \param rem_opts A remoteio options handle.
+ * \param servername The name of the server whose information should be retrieved.
+ * \param username Where to store a pointer to the username. Do not free this.
+ * \param pass Where to store a pointer to the password. Do not free this.
+ */
+int remoteio_authinfo_get(struct remoteio_opts *rem_opts, const char *servername, const char **username, const char **pass);
+
+/**
  * Closes a remoteio session.
  *
  * It is safe to call this function from within