diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/add_description_create_user-0ddc9a0ef4da840d.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/add_description_create_user-0ddc9a0ef4da840d.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..98dd190bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/add_description_create_user-0ddc9a0ef4da840d.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+features:
+  - Add description parameter to create_user, available on Keystone v3
diff --git a/shade/_utils.py b/shade/_utils.py
index 9a9beb1ae..ea7a7acbd 100644
--- a/shade/_utils.py
+++ b/shade/_utils.py
@@ -365,6 +365,7 @@ def normalize_users(users):
                                         user.get('tenantId')),
             domain_id=user.get('domain_id'),
             enabled=user.get('enabled'),
+            description=user.get('description')
         ) for user in users
     ]
     return meta.obj_list_to_dict(ret)
diff --git a/shade/openstackcloud.py b/shade/openstackcloud.py
index 95f961f34..12aa82c49 100644
--- a/shade/openstackcloud.py
+++ b/shade/openstackcloud.py
@@ -714,15 +714,25 @@ class OpenStackCloud(object):
 
     def create_user(
             self, name, password=None, email=None, default_project=None,
-            enabled=True, domain_id=None):
+            enabled=True, domain_id=None, description=None):
         """Create a user."""
         with _utils.shade_exceptions("Error in creating user {user}".format(
                 user=name)):
             identity_params = self._get_identity_params(
                 domain_id, default_project)
-            user = self.manager.submit_task(_tasks.UserCreate(
-                name=name, password=password, email=email,
-                enabled=enabled, **identity_params))
+            if self.cloud_config.get_api_version('identity') != '3':
+                if description is not None:
+                    self.log.info(
+                        "description parameter is not supported on Keystone v2"
+                    )
+                user = self.manager.submit_task(_tasks.UserCreate(
+                    name=name, password=password, email=email,
+                    enabled=enabled, **identity_params))
+            else:
+                user = self.manager.submit_task(_tasks.UserCreate(
+                    name=name, password=password, email=email,
+                    enabled=enabled, description=description,
+                    **identity_params))
         self.list_users.invalidate(self)
         return _utils.normalize_users([user])[0]
 
diff --git a/shade/tests/fakes.py b/shade/tests/fakes.py
index 642d7505d..33ddc4ecd 100644
--- a/shade/tests/fakes.py
+++ b/shade/tests/fakes.py
@@ -133,10 +133,11 @@ class FakeService(object):
 
 
 class FakeUser(object):
-    def __init__(self, id, email, name, domain_id=None):
+    def __init__(self, id, email, name, domain_id=None, description=None):
         self.id = id
         self.email = email
         self.name = name
+        self.description = description
         if domain_id is not None:
             self.domain_id = domain_id
 
diff --git a/shade/tests/unit/test_users.py b/shade/tests/unit/test_users.py
index 2c8fb67e6..7d4f9121e 100644
--- a/shade/tests/unit/test_users.py
+++ b/shade/tests/unit/test_users.py
@@ -36,9 +36,11 @@ class TestUsers(base.TestCase):
         fake_user = fakes.FakeUser('1', email, name)
         mock_keystone.users.create.return_value = fake_user
         user = self.op_cloud.create_user(
-            name=name, email=email, password=password)
+            name=name, email=email, password=password,
+        )
         mock_keystone.users.create.assert_called_once_with(
-            name=name, password=password, email=email, enabled=True,
+            name=name, password=password, email=email,
+            enabled=True,
         )
         self.assertEqual(name, user.name)
         self.assertEqual(email, user.email)
@@ -51,18 +53,22 @@ class TestUsers(base.TestCase):
         email = 'mickey@disney.com'
         password = 'mice-rule'
         domain_id = '456'
-        fake_user = fakes.FakeUser('1', email, name)
+        description = 'fake-description'
+        fake_user = fakes.FakeUser('1', email, name, description=description)
         mock_keystone.users.create.return_value = fake_user
         user = self.op_cloud.create_user(
             name=name, email=email,
             password=password,
+            description=description,
             domain_id=domain_id)
         mock_keystone.users.create.assert_called_once_with(
-            name=name, password=password, email=email, enabled=True,
+            name=name, password=password, email=email,
+            description=description, enabled=True,
             domain=domain_id
         )
         self.assertEqual(name, user.name)
         self.assertEqual(email, user.email)
+        self.assertEqual(description, user.description)
 
     @mock.patch.object(occ.cloud_config.CloudConfig, 'get_api_version')
     @mock.patch.object(shade.OpenStackCloud, 'keystone_client')
@@ -72,7 +78,7 @@ class TestUsers(base.TestCase):
         email = 'mickey@disney.com'
         password = 'mice-rule'
         domain_id = '1'
-        user = {'id': '1', 'name': name, 'email': email}
+        user = {'id': '1', 'name': name, 'email': email, 'description': None}
         fake_user = fakes.FakeUser(**user)
         munch_fake_user = munch.Munch(user)
         mock_keystone.users.list.return_value = [fake_user]