diff --git a/runtimeconfig/google/cloud/runtimeconfig/client.py b/runtimeconfig/google/cloud/runtimeconfig/client.py
index 0dc95e655dd8..1f40b62895a5 100644
--- a/runtimeconfig/google/cloud/runtimeconfig/client.py
+++ b/runtimeconfig/google/cloud/runtimeconfig/client.py
@@ -42,11 +42,13 @@ class Client(ClientWithProject):
                  ``credentials`` for the current object.
     """
 
+    SCOPE = ('https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloudruntimeconfig',)
+    """The scopes required for authenticating as a RuntimeConfig consumer."""
+
     def __init__(self, project=None, credentials=None, http=None):
         super(Client, self).__init__(
             project=project, credentials=credentials, http=http)
-        self._connection = Connection(
-            credentials=self._credentials, http=self._http)
+        self._connection = Connection(self)
 
     def config(self, config_name):
         """Factory constructor for config object.
diff --git a/runtimeconfig/google/cloud/runtimeconfig/connection.py b/runtimeconfig/google/cloud/runtimeconfig/connection.py
index 5074158c5f47..91f1fde77983 100644
--- a/runtimeconfig/google/cloud/runtimeconfig/connection.py
+++ b/runtimeconfig/google/cloud/runtimeconfig/connection.py
@@ -42,6 +42,3 @@ class Connection(_http.JSONConnection):
 
     API_URL_TEMPLATE = '{api_base_url}/{api_version}{path}'
     """A template for the URL of a particular API call."""
-
-    SCOPE = ('https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloudruntimeconfig',)
-    """The scopes required for authenticating as a RuntimeConfig consumer."""
diff --git a/runtimeconfig/unit_tests/test_connection.py b/runtimeconfig/unit_tests/test_connection.py
index e8fe17a439fe..c89465fc0603 100644
--- a/runtimeconfig/unit_tests/test_connection.py
+++ b/runtimeconfig/unit_tests/test_connection.py
@@ -27,6 +27,6 @@ def _make_one(self, *args, **kw):
         return self._get_target_class()(*args, **kw)
 
     def test_default_url(self):
-        creds = object()
-        conn = self._make_one(creds)
-        self.assertEqual(conn.credentials, creds)
+        client = object()
+        conn = self._make_one(client)
+        self.assertIs(conn._client, client)