diff --git a/spanner/google/cloud/spanner/client.py b/spanner/google/cloud/spanner/client.py
index 61fa05a0f961..b260e7959aa2 100644
--- a/spanner/google/cloud/spanner/client.py
+++ b/spanner/google/cloud/spanner/client.py
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ def instance_admin_api(self):
         """Helper for session-related API calls."""
         if self._instance_admin_api is None:
             self._instance_admin_api = InstanceAdminClient(
+                credentials=self.credentials,
                 lib_name='gccl',
                 lib_version=__version__,
             )
@@ -164,6 +165,7 @@ def database_admin_api(self):
         """Helper for session-related API calls."""
         if self._database_admin_api is None:
             self._database_admin_api = DatabaseAdminClient(
+                credentials=self.credentials,
                 lib_name='gccl',
                 lib_version=__version__,
             )
diff --git a/spanner/tests/unit/test_client.py b/spanner/tests/unit/test_client.py
index 0b0bafd4a967..98e916d8927d 100644
--- a/spanner/tests/unit/test_client.py
+++ b/spanner/tests/unit/test_client.py
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         again = client.instance_admin_api
         self.assertTrue(again is api)
         self.assertEqual(api.kwargs['lib_name'], 'gccl')
+        self.assertIs(api.kwargs['credentials'], client.credentials)
 
     def test_database_admin_api(self):
         from google.cloud._testing import _Monkey
@@ -184,6 +185,7 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         again = client.database_admin_api
         self.assertTrue(again is api)
         self.assertEqual(api.kwargs['lib_name'], 'gccl')
+        self.assertIs(api.kwargs['credentials'], client.credentials)
 
     def test_copy(self):
         credentials = _Credentials('value')