diff --git a/lib/crypto.js b/lib/crypto.js
index fe5e712d9b..9eb2e37380 100644
--- a/lib/crypto.js
+++ b/lib/crypto.js
@@ -3600,8 +3600,12 @@ try {
 
 
 function Credentials (method) {
+  if (!(this instanceof Credentials)) {
+    return new Credentials(method);
+  }
+
   if (!crypto) {
-      throw new Error('node.js not compiled with openssl crypto support.');
+    throw new Error('node.js not compiled with openssl crypto support.');
   }
 
   this.context = new SecureContext();
@@ -3615,28 +3619,34 @@ function Credentials (method) {
   this.shouldVerify = false;
 }
 
+exports.Credentials = Credentials;
+
+
+exports.createCredentials = function (options) {
+  if (!options) options = {};
+  var c = new Credentials(options.method);
 
-exports.createCredentials = function (cred) {
-  if (!cred) cred={};
-  var c = new Credentials(cred.method);
-  if (cred.key) c.context.setKey(cred.key);
-  if (cred.cert) c.context.setCert(cred.cert);
-  if (cred.ca) {
+  if (options.key) c.context.setKey(options.key);
+
+  if (options.cert) c.context.setCert(options.cert);
+
+  if (options.ca) {
     c.shouldVerify = true;
-    if ( (typeof(cred.ca) == 'object') && cred.ca.length ) {
-      for(var i = 0, len = cred.ca.length; i < len; i++)
-        c.context.addCACert(cred.ca[i]);
+    if ( (typeof(options.ca) == 'object') && options.ca.length ) {
+      for (var i = 0, len = options.ca.length; i < len; i++) {
+        c.context.addCACert(options.ca[i]);
+      }
     } else {
-      c.context.addCACert(cred.ca);
+      c.context.addCACert(options.ca);
     }
   } else {
     for (var i = 0, len = RootCaCerts.length; i < len; i++) {
       c.context.addCACert(RootCaCerts[i]);
     }
   }
+
   return c;
 };
-exports.Credentials = Credentials;
 
 
 exports.Hash = Hash;