diff --git a/lib/google/api_client.rb b/lib/google/api_client.rb
index 84aac1d6d..9504f647d 100644
--- a/lib/google/api_client.rb
+++ b/lib/google/api_client.rb
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ require 'google/api_client/discovery'
 require 'google/api_client/reference'
 require 'google/api_client/result'
 require 'google/api_client/media'
+require 'google/api_client/service_account'
 
 module Google
   # TODO(bobaman): Document all this stuff.
@@ -540,6 +541,7 @@ module Google
     def generate_request(options={})
       # Note: The merge method on a Hash object will coerce an API Reference
       # object into a Hash and merge with the default options.
+      
       options={
         :version => 'v1',
         :authorization => self.authorization,
@@ -547,6 +549,7 @@ module Google
         :user_ip => self.user_ip,
         :connection => Faraday.default_connection
       }.merge(options)
+      
       # The Reference object is going to need this to do method ID lookups.
       options[:client] = self
       # The default value for the :authenticated option depends on whether an
@@ -559,7 +562,7 @@ module Google
       reference = Google::APIClient::Reference.new(options)
       request = reference.to_request
       if options[:authenticated]
-        request = self.generate_authenticated_request(
+        request = options[:authorization].generate_authenticated_request(
           :request => request,
           :connection => options[:connection]
         )
@@ -573,6 +576,7 @@ module Google
     # @param [Hash] options a customizable set of options
     #
     # @return [Faraday::Request] The signed or otherwise authenticated request.
+    # @deprecated No longer used internally
     def generate_authenticated_request(options={})
       return authorization.generate_authenticated_request(options)
     end
diff --git a/lib/google/api_client/reference.rb b/lib/google/api_client/reference.rb
index 5fe0caa85..42dee0445 100644
--- a/lib/google/api_client/reference.rb
+++ b/lib/google/api_client/reference.rb
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ require 'addressable/uri'
 require 'stringio'
 require 'google/api_client/discovery'
 
+# TODO - needs some serious cleanup
 
 module Google
   class APIClient
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ module Google
         @version = options[:version] || 'v1'
 
         self.connection = options[:connection] || Faraday.default_connection
+        self.authorization = options[:authorization]
         self.api_method = options[:api_method]
         self.parameters = options[:parameters] || {}
         # These parameters are handled differently because they're not
@@ -42,7 +44,6 @@ module Google
         self.parameters['key'] ||= options[:key] if options[:key]
         self.parameters['userIp'] ||= options[:user_ip] if options[:user_ip]
         self.headers = options[:headers] || {}
-
         if options[:media]
           self.media = options[:media]
           upload_type = parameters['uploadType'] || parameters['upload_type'] 
@@ -116,6 +117,14 @@ module Google
         @media = (media)
       end
       
+      def authorization
+        return @authorization
+      end
+      
+      def authorization=(new_authorization)
+        @authorization = new_authorization
+      end
+      
       def connection
         return @connection
       end
@@ -257,6 +266,7 @@ module Google
         options[:headers] = self.headers
         options[:body] = self.body
         options[:connection] = self.connection
+        options[:authorization] = self.authorization unless self.authorization.nil?
         return options
       end
     end
diff --git a/spec/google/api_client_spec.rb b/spec/google/api_client_spec.rb
index 9ac14fe36..dbd772c9d 100644
--- a/spec/google/api_client_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/google/api_client_spec.rb
@@ -108,4 +108,34 @@ describe Google::APIClient do
     # TODO
     it_should_behave_like 'configurable user agent'
   end
+  
+  describe 'when executing requests' do
+    before do
+      @client.authorization = :oauth_2
+      @connection = Faraday.new(:url => 'https://www.googleapis.com') do |builder|
+        stubs = Faraday::Adapter::Test::Stubs.new do |stub|
+          stub.get('/test') do |env|
+            env[:request_headers]['Authorization'].should == 'Bearer 12345'
+          end
+        end
+        builder.adapter(:test, stubs)
+      end
+    end
+     
+    it 'should use default authorization' do
+      @client.authorization.access_token = "12345"
+      @client.execute(:http_method => :get, 
+                      :uri => 'https://www.googleapis.com/test',
+                      :connection => @connection)
+    end
+
+    it 'should use request scoped authorization when provided' do
+      @client.authorization.access_token = "abcdef"
+      new_auth = Signet::OAuth2::Client.new(:access_token => '12345')
+      @client.execute(:http_method => :get, 
+                      :uri => 'https://www.googleapis.com/test',
+                      :connection => @connection,
+                      :authorization => new_auth)
+    end
+  end  
 end