diff --git a/src/app/viam-transport.ts b/src/app/viam-transport.ts
index 08c45351f..d537efff2 100644
--- a/src/app/viam-transport.ts
+++ b/src/app/viam-transport.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,19 @@
 import { grpc } from '@improbable-eng/grpc-web';
 import { dialDirect } from '@viamrobotics/rpc';
 
-import { AuthenticateRequest, Credentials } from '../gen/proto/rpc/v1/auth_pb';
+import {
+  AuthenticateRequest,
+  Credentials as PBCredentials,
+} from '../gen/proto/rpc/v1/auth_pb';
 import { AuthServiceClient } from '../gen/proto/rpc/v1/auth_pb_service';
 import { MetadataTransport } from '../utils';
 
+/**
+ * Credentials are either used to obtain an access token or provide an existing
+ * one
+ */
+export type Credentials = Credential | AccessToken;
+
 /** A credential that can be exchanged to obtain an access token */
 export interface Credential {
   authEntity: string;
@@ -23,9 +32,7 @@ export interface AccessToken {
   payload: string;
 }
 
-export const isCredential = (
-  object: Credential | AccessToken
-): object is Credential => {
+export const isCredential = (object: Credentials): object is Credential => {
   return 'authEntity' in object;
 };
 
@@ -73,7 +80,7 @@ export const getAccessTokenFromCredential = async (
   });
 
   const entity = credential.authEntity;
-  const creds = new Credentials();
+  const creds = new PBCredentials();
   creds.setType(credential.type);
   creds.setPayload(credential.payload);
 
diff --git a/src/robot/client.ts b/src/robot/client.ts
index 5c4130139..ca279165c 100644
--- a/src/robot/client.ts
+++ b/src/robot/client.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,9 @@
 /* eslint-disable max-classes-per-file */
 import { grpc } from '@improbable-eng/grpc-web';
-import {
-  dialDirect,
-  dialWebRTC,
-  type Credentials,
-  type DialOptions,
-} from '@viamrobotics/rpc';
+import { dialDirect, dialWebRTC, type DialOptions } from '@viamrobotics/rpc';
 import { backOff } from 'exponential-backoff';
 import { Duration } from 'google-protobuf/google/protobuf/duration_pb';
+import { isCredential, type Credentials } from '../app/viam-transport';
 import { DIAL_TIMEOUT } from '../constants';
 import { EventDispatcher, MachineConnectionEvent } from '../events';
 import type {
@@ -36,7 +32,7 @@ import { SensorsServiceClient } from '../gen/service/sensors/v1/sensors_pb_servi
 import { SLAMServiceClient } from '../gen/service/slam/v1/slam_pb_service';
 import { VisionServiceClient } from '../gen/service/vision/v1/vision_pb_service';
 import { ViamResponseStream } from '../responses';
-import { encodeResourceName, promisify, MetadataTransport } from '../utils';
+import { MetadataTransport, encodeResourceName, promisify } from '../utils';
 import GRPCConnectionManager from './grpc-connection-manager';
 import type { Robot, RobotStatusStream } from './robot';
 import SessionManager from './session-manager';
@@ -443,7 +439,6 @@ export class RobotClient extends EventDispatcher implements Robot {
     try {
       const opts: DialOptions = {
         authEntity,
-        credentials: creds,
         webrtcOptions: {
           disableTrickleICE: false,
           rtcConfig: this.webrtcOptions?.rtcConfig,
@@ -451,6 +446,14 @@ export class RobotClient extends EventDispatcher implements Robot {
         dialTimeout: dialTimeout ?? DIAL_TIMEOUT,
       };
 
+      if (creds) {
+        if (isCredential(creds)) {
+          opts.credentials = creds;
+        } else {
+          opts.accessToken = creds.payload;
+        }
+      }
+
       // Webrtcoptions will always be defined, but TS doesn't know this
       if (priority !== undefined && opts.webrtcOptions) {
         opts.webrtcOptions.additionalSdpFields = { 'x-priority': priority };
diff --git a/src/robot/dial.ts b/src/robot/dial.ts
index 5d1a7c6a2..766c50e9e 100644
--- a/src/robot/dial.ts
+++ b/src/robot/dial.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,13 @@
 import { backOff, type IBackOffOptions } from 'exponential-backoff';
 import { DIAL_TIMEOUT } from '../constants';
+import type { AccessToken, Credential } from '../main';
 import { RobotClient } from './client';
 
-interface Credential {
-  type: string;
-  payload: string;
-}
-
 /** Options required to dial a robot via gRPC. */
 export interface DialDirectConf {
   authEntity?: string;
   host: string;
-  credential?: Credential;
+  credential?: Credential | AccessToken;
   disableSessions?: boolean;
   noReconnect?: boolean;
   reconnectMaxAttempts?: number;
@@ -84,7 +80,7 @@ interface ICEServer {
 export interface DialWebRTCConf {
   authEntity?: string;
   host: string;
-  credential?: Credential;
+  credential?: Credential | AccessToken;
   disableSessions?: boolean;
   noReconnect?: boolean;
   reconnectMaxAttempts?: number;
@@ -124,15 +120,11 @@ const dialWebRTC = async (conf: DialWebRTCConf): Promise<RobotClient> => {
   }
   const client = new RobotClient(impliedURL, clientConf, sessOpts);
 
-  let creds;
-  if (conf.credential) {
-    creds = conf.credential;
-  }
   await client.connect({
     authEntity: conf.authEntity ?? impliedURL,
-    creds,
     priority: conf.priority,
     dialTimeout: conf.dialTimeout ?? DIAL_TIMEOUT,
+    creds: conf.credential,
   });
 
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-console