diff --git a/api/client.go b/api/client.go
index c61fea1b42..f53a70eeb6 100644
--- a/api/client.go
+++ b/api/client.go
@@ -238,6 +238,13 @@ type Client struct {
 // automatically added to the client. Otherwise, you must manually call
 // `SetToken()`.
 func NewClient(c *Config) (*Client, error) {
+	if c == nil {
+		c = DefaultConfig()
+		if err := c.ReadEnvironment(); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("error reading environment: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+
 	u, err := url.Parse(c.Address)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -271,6 +278,18 @@ func NewClient(c *Config) (*Client, error) {
 	return client, nil
 }
 
+// Sets the address of Vault in the client. The format of address should be
+// "<Scheme>://<Host>:<Port>". Setting this on a client will override the
+// value of VAULT_ADDR environment variable.
+func (c *Client) SetAddress(addr string) error {
+	var err error
+	if c.addr, err = url.Parse(addr); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to set address: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // SetWrappingLookupFunc sets a lookup function that returns desired wrap TTLs
 // for a given operation and path
 func (c *Client) SetWrappingLookupFunc(lookupFunc WrappingLookupFunc) {
diff --git a/api/client_test.go b/api/client_test.go
index b0deee96ac..f95d795065 100644
--- a/api/client_test.go
+++ b/api/client_test.go
@@ -36,6 +36,29 @@ func TestDefaultConfig_envvar(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestClientNilConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	client, err := NewClient(nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if client == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected a non-nil client")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestClientSetAddress(t *testing.T) {
+	client, err := NewClient(nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := client.SetAddress("http://172.168.2.1:8300"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if client.addr.Host != "172.168.2.1:8300" {
+		t.Fatalf("bad: expected: '172.168.2.1:8300' actual: %q", client.addr.Host)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestClientToken(t *testing.T) {
 	tokenValue := "foo"
 	handler := func(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Request) {}