diff --git a/src/app/viam-transport.ts b/src/app/viam-transport.ts
index 3a4a04ab9..08c45351f 100644
--- a/src/app/viam-transport.ts
+++ b/src/app/viam-transport.ts
@@ -53,15 +53,10 @@ const createWithAccessToken = async (
     new ViamTransport(transportFactory, opts, accessToken.payload);
 };
 
-const createWithCredential = async (
-  serviceHost: string,
+export const getAccessTokenFromCredential = async (
+  host: string,
   credential: Credential
-): Promise<grpc.TransportFactory> => {
-  const transportFactory = await dialDirect(serviceHost);
-
-  const authClient = new AuthServiceClient(serviceHost, {
-    transport: transportFactory,
-  });
+) => {
   if (credential.type === 'robot-secret') {
     throw new Error(
       `credential type cannot be 'robot-secret'. Must be either 'robot-location-secret' or 'api-key'.`
@@ -72,6 +67,11 @@ const createWithCredential = async (
     );
   }
 
+  const transportFactory = await dialDirect(host);
+  const authClient = new AuthServiceClient(host, {
+    transport: transportFactory,
+  });
+
   const entity = credential.authEntity;
   const creds = new Credentials();
   creds.setType(credential.type);
@@ -91,8 +91,21 @@ const createWithCredential = async (
     });
   });
 
+  return { type: 'access-token', payload: accessToken } as AccessToken;
+};
+
+const createWithCredential = async (
+  serviceHost: string,
+  credential: Credential
+): Promise<grpc.TransportFactory> => {
+  const accessToken = await getAccessTokenFromCredential(
+    serviceHost,
+    credential
+  );
+
+  const transportFactory = await dialDirect(serviceHost);
   return (opts: grpc.TransportOptions): ViamTransport =>
-    new ViamTransport(transportFactory, opts, accessToken);
+    new ViamTransport(transportFactory, opts, accessToken.payload);
 };
 
 export class ViamTransport extends MetadataTransport {
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index 1c84b9a00..59a1ffd29 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -33,10 +33,11 @@ export {
   type ViamClientOptions,
 } from './app/viam-client';
 
-export type {
-  Credential,
-  CredentialType,
-  AccessToken,
+export {
+  getAccessTokenFromCredential,
+  type Credential,
+  type CredentialType,
+  type AccessToken,
 } from './app/viam-transport';
 
 /**