diff --git a/src/appbase.js b/src/appbase.js
index da1c8a7..bcec840 100644
--- a/src/appbase.js
+++ b/src/appbase.js
@@ -21,10 +21,6 @@ var appbaseClient = function appbaseClient(args) {
 		return new appbaseClient(args)
 	}
 
-	if (typeof args.appname !== 'string' || args.appname === '') {
-		throw new Error('Appname not present in options.')
-	}
-
 	if (typeof args.url !== 'string' || args.url === '') {
 		throw new Error('URL not present in options.')
 	}
@@ -34,18 +30,28 @@ var appbaseClient = function appbaseClient(args) {
 	this.url = parsedUrl.host
 	this.protocol = parsedUrl.protocol
 	this.credentials = parsedUrl.auth
-	this.appname = args.appname
+	this.appname = args.appname || args.app
+
+	if (typeof this.appname !== 'string' || this.appname === '') {
+		throw new Error('App name is not present in options.')
+	}
 
 	if (typeof this.protocol !== 'string' || this.protocol === '') {
-		throw new Error('Protocol not present in url. URL should be of the form https://scalr.api.appbase.io')
+		throw new Error('Protocol is not present in url. URL should be of the form https://scalr.api.appbase.io')
 	}
 
 	if (typeof args.username === 'string' && args.username !== '' && typeof args.password === 'string' && args.password !== '') {
 		this.credentials = args.username + ':' + args.password
 	}
 
+	// credentials can be provided as a part of the URL, as username, password args or
+	// as a credentials argument directly
+	if (typeof args.credentials === 'string' && args.credentials !== '') {
+		this.credentials = args.credentials
+	}
+
 	if (typeof this.credentials !== 'string' || this.credentials === '') {
-		throw new Error('Authentication information not present.')
+		throw new Error('Authentication information is not present. Did you add credentials?')
 	}
 
 	if (parsedUrl.protocol === 'https:') {
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
index ee66390..e864b32 100644
--- a/test/test.js
+++ b/test/test.js
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ describe('Appbase', function() {
 
 	before(function() {
 		streamingClient = new appbase({
-			url: 'http://QEVrcElba:5c13d943-a5d1-4b05-92f3-42707d49fcbb@scalr.api.appbase.io',
-			appname: 'es2test1'
+			url: 'https://scalr.api.appbase.io',
+			app: 'es2test1',
+			credentials: 'QEVrcElba:5c13d943-a5d1-4b05-92f3-42707d49fcbb'
 		})
 	})
 
@@ -99,4 +100,4 @@ describe('Appbase', function() {
 			}
 		})
 	})
-})
\ No newline at end of file
+})