diff --git a/openstackclient/common/utils.py b/openstackclient/common/utils.py
index 6c613d943d..b37ff80607 100644
--- a/openstackclient/common/utils.py
+++ b/openstackclient/common/utils.py
@@ -95,7 +95,29 @@ def env(*vars, **kwargs):
 
 
 def import_class(import_str):
-    """Returns a class from a string including module and class."""
+    """Returns a class from a string including module and class
+
+    :param import_str: a string representation of the class name
+    :rtype: the requested class
+    """
     mod_str, _sep, class_str = import_str.rpartition('.')
     __import__(mod_str)
     return getattr(sys.modules[mod_str], class_str)
+
+
+def get_client_class(api_name, version, version_map):
+    """Returns the client class for the requested API version
+
+    :param api_name: the name of the API, e.g. 'compute', 'image', etc
+    :param version: the requested API version
+    :param version_map: a dict of client classes keyed by version
+    :rtype: a client class for the requested API version
+    """
+    try:
+        client_path = version_map[str(version)]
+    except (KeyError, ValueError):
+        msg = "Invalid %s client version '%s'. must be one of: %s" % (
+              (api_name, version, ', '.join(version_map.keys())))
+        raise exc.UnsupportedVersion(msg)
+
+    return import_class(client_path)
diff --git a/openstackclient/compute/client.py b/openstackclient/compute/client.py
index fa37ff55c7..a59b6e0063 100644
--- a/openstackclient/compute/client.py
+++ b/openstackclient/compute/client.py
@@ -21,13 +21,15 @@ from novaclient import client as nova_client
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+API_NAME = 'compute'
+
 
 def make_client(instance):
     """Returns a compute service client.
     """
     LOG.debug('instantiating compute client')
     client = nova_client.Client(
-        version=instance._api_version['compute'],
+        version=instance._api_version[API_NAME],
         username=instance._username,
         api_key=instance._password,
         project_id=instance._tenant_name,
@@ -39,7 +41,7 @@ def make_client(instance):
         endpoint_type='publicURL',
         # FIXME(dhellmann): add extension discovery
         extensions=[],
-        service_type='compute',
+        service_type=API_NAME,
         # FIXME(dhellmann): what is service_name?
         service_name='',
         )
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ def make_client(instance):
     else:
         # password flow
         client.client.management_url = instance.get_endpoint_for_service_type(
-            'compute')
+            API_NAME)
         client.client.service_catalog = instance._service_catalog
     client.client.auth_token = instance._token
     return client
diff --git a/openstackclient/identity/client.py b/openstackclient/identity/client.py
index 318bfe323e..b7066e5e62 100644
--- a/openstackclient/identity/client.py
+++ b/openstackclient/identity/client.py
@@ -22,28 +22,20 @@ from openstackclient.common import utils
 
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
+API_NAME = 'identity'
 API_VERSIONS = {
     '2.0': 'keystoneclient.v2_0.client.Client',
 }
 
 
-def get_client_class(version):
-    """Returns the client class for the requested API version
-    """
-    try:
-        client_path = API_VERSIONS[str(version)]
-    except (KeyError, ValueError):
-        msg = "Invalid client version '%s'. must be one of: %s" % (
-              (version, ', '.join(API_VERSIONS.keys())))
-        raise exc.UnsupportedVersion(msg)
-
-    return utils.import_class(client_path)
-
-
 def make_client(instance):
     """Returns an identity service client.
     """
-    identity_client = get_client_class(instance._api_version['identity'])
+    identity_client = utils.get_client_class(
+        API_NAME,
+        instance._api_version[API_NAME],
+        API_VERSIONS,
+    )
     if instance._url:
         LOG.debug('instantiating identity client: token flow')
         client = identity_client(
diff --git a/openstackclient/shell.py b/openstackclient/shell.py
index 94d7c496fa..c62422208a 100644
--- a/openstackclient/shell.py
+++ b/openstackclient/shell.py
@@ -201,12 +201,6 @@ class OpenStackShell(App):
         if cmd_name != 'help':
             self.authenticate_user()
 
-        self.log.debug("API: Identity=%s Compute=%s Image=%s" % (
-            self.api_version['identity'],
-            self.api_version['compute'],
-            self.api_version['image'])
-        )
-
     def prepare_to_run_command(self, cmd):
         """Set up auth and API versions"""
         self.log.debug('prepare_to_run_command %s', cmd.__class__.__name__)