diff --git a/keystoneclient/tests/unit/v3/test_auth.py b/keystoneclient/tests/unit/v3/test_auth.py
index 177eb3b77..5928f8e15 100644
--- a/keystoneclient/tests/unit/v3/test_auth.py
+++ b/keystoneclient/tests/unit/v3/test_auth.py
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ class AuthenticateAgainstKeystoneTests(utils.TestCase):
 
         self.stub_auth(json=self.TEST_RESPONSE_DICT)
         self.stub_url('GET', [fake_url], json=fake_resp,
-                      base_url=self.TEST_ADMIN_IDENTITY_ENDPOINT)
+                      base_url=self.TEST_PUBLIC_IDENTITY_ENDPOINT)
 
         # Creating a HTTPClient not using session is deprecated.
         with self.deprecations.expect_deprecations_here():
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ class AuthenticateAgainstKeystoneTests(utils.TestCase):
 
         self.stub_auth(json=self.TEST_RESPONSE_DICT)
         self.stub_url('GET', [fake_url], json=fake_resp,
-                      base_url=self.TEST_ADMIN_IDENTITY_ENDPOINT)
+                      base_url=self.TEST_PUBLIC_IDENTITY_ENDPOINT)
 
         # Creating a HTTPClient not using session is deprecated.
         with self.deprecations.expect_deprecations_here():
diff --git a/keystoneclient/tests/unit/v3/test_client.py b/keystoneclient/tests/unit/v3/test_client.py
index e35810e57..902881f11 100644
--- a/keystoneclient/tests/unit/v3/test_client.py
+++ b/keystoneclient/tests/unit/v3/test_client.py
@@ -257,3 +257,13 @@ class KeystoneClientTest(utils.TestCase):
 
         self.assertEqual('identity', cl._adapter.service_type)
         self.assertEqual((3, 0), cl._adapter.version)
+
+    def test_client_params_default_interface(self):
+        opts = {'auth': token_endpoint.Token('a', 'b'),
+                'service_name': uuid.uuid4().hex,
+                }
+
+        sess = session.Session()
+        cl = client.Client(session=sess, **opts)
+
+        self.assertEqual('public', cl._adapter.interface)
diff --git a/keystoneclient/tests/unit/v3/utils.py b/keystoneclient/tests/unit/v3/utils.py
index 1705e9d7a..c7e71c9bd 100644
--- a/keystoneclient/tests/unit/v3/utils.py
+++ b/keystoneclient/tests/unit/v3/utils.py
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class UnauthenticatedTestCase(utils.TestCase):
 class TestCase(UnauthenticatedTestCase):
 
     TEST_ADMIN_IDENTITY_ENDPOINT = "http://127.0.0.1:35357/v3"
+    TEST_PUBLIC_IDENTITY_ENDPOINT = "http://127.0.0.1:5000/v3"
 
     TEST_SERVICE_CATALOG = [{
         "endpoints": [{
@@ -97,7 +98,7 @@ class TestCase(UnauthenticatedTestCase):
         "name": "glance"
     }, {
         "endpoints": [{
-            "url": "http://127.0.0.1:5000/v3",
+            "url": TEST_PUBLIC_IDENTITY_ENDPOINT,
             "region": "RegionOne",
             "interface": "public"
         }, {
diff --git a/keystoneclient/v3/client.py b/keystoneclient/v3/client.py
index 38be932eb..84b6ad7f7 100644
--- a/keystoneclient/v3/client.py
+++ b/keystoneclient/v3/client.py
@@ -187,6 +187,11 @@ EndpointPolicyManager`
 
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         """Initialize a new client for the Keystone v3 API."""
+        # NOTE(Roxana Gherle): Keystone V3 APIs has no admin versus public
+        # distinction. They are both going through the same endpoint, so
+        # set a public default here instead of picking up an admin default in
+        # httpclient.HTTPClient
+        kwargs.setdefault('interface', 'public')
         super(Client, self).__init__(**kwargs)
 
         if not kwargs.get('session'):