diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2c05c8e27c..7b6d518c6a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 *~
 .openstackclient-venv
 .venv
+AUTHORS
 build
 dist
 python_openstackclient.egg-info
diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
deleted file mode 100644
index f5bdf67198..0000000000
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-Dean Troyer <dtroyer@gmail.com>
-James E. Blair <jeblair@hp.com>
-Matt Joyce <matt@nycresistor.com>
diff --git a/openstackclient/openstack/common/setup.py b/openstackclient/openstack/common/setup.py
index 437610273f..60c731a9a2 100644
--- a/openstackclient/openstack/common/setup.py
+++ b/openstackclient/openstack/common/setup.py
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ def parse_mailmap(mailmap='.mailmap'):
 
 
 def canonicalize_emails(changelog, mapping):
-    """ Takes in a string and an email alias mapping and replaces all
-        instances of the aliases in the string with their real email
+    """Takes in a string and an email alias mapping and replaces all
+       instances of the aliases in the string with their real email.
     """
     for alias, email in mapping.iteritems():
         changelog = changelog.replace(alias, email)
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ def _run_shell_command(cmd):
 
 
 def write_vcsversion(location):
-    """ Produce a vcsversion dict that mimics the old one produced by bzr
+    """Produce a vcsversion dict that mimics the old one produced by bzr.
     """
     if os.path.isdir('.git'):
         branch_nick_cmd = 'git branch | grep -Ei "\* (.*)" | cut -f2 -d" "'
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ version_info = {
 
 
 def write_git_changelog():
-    """Write a changelog based on the git changelog"""
+    """Write a changelog based on the git changelog."""
     if os.path.isdir('.git'):
         git_log_cmd = 'git log --stat'
         changelog = _run_shell_command(git_log_cmd)
@@ -128,13 +128,18 @@ def write_git_changelog():
 
 
 def generate_authors():
-    """Create AUTHORS file using git commits"""
+    """Create AUTHORS file using git commits."""
     jenkins_email = 'jenkins@review.openstack.org'
+    old_authors = 'AUTHORS.in'
+    new_authors = 'AUTHORS'
     if os.path.isdir('.git'):
         # don't include jenkins email address in AUTHORS file
         git_log_cmd = "git log --format='%aN <%aE>' | sort -u | " \
                       "grep -v " + jenkins_email
         changelog = _run_shell_command(git_log_cmd)
         mailmap = parse_mailmap()
-        with open("AUTHORS", "w") as authors_file:
-            authors_file.write(canonicalize_emails(changelog, mailmap))
+        with open(new_authors, 'w') as new_authors_fh:
+            new_authors_fh.write(canonicalize_emails(changelog, mailmap))
+            if os.path.exists(old_authors):
+                with open(old_authors, "r") as old_authors_fh:
+                    new_authors_fh.write('\n' + old_authors_fh.read())
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index adba47a1fd..9a9eca9f6c 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import os
 
 import setuptools
 
+from openstackclient.openstack.common.setup import generate_authors
 from openstackclient.openstack.common.setup import parse_requirements
 from openstackclient.openstack.common.setup import parse_dependency_links
 from openstackclient.openstack.common.setup import write_git_changelog
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ from openstackclient.openstack.common.setup import write_git_changelog
 requires = parse_requirements()
 dependency_links = parse_dependency_links()
 write_git_changelog()
+generate_authors()
 
 
 def read(fname):
diff --git a/tests/test_authors.py b/tests/test_authors.py
deleted file mode 100644
index b9c3d101da..0000000000
--- a/tests/test_authors.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,63 +0,0 @@
-# vim: tabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
-
-# Copyright 2012 OpenStack LLC
-# Copyright 2012 Nebula Inc
-#
-# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
-# not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain
-# a copy of the License at
-#
-#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-#
-# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
-# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
-# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
-# under the License.
-
-import commands
-import os
-import unittest
-
-
-def parse_mailmap(mailmap='.mailmap'):
-    mapping = {}
-    if os.path.exists(mailmap):
-        fp = open(mailmap, 'r')
-        for l in fp:
-            l = l.strip()
-            if not l.startswith('#') and ' ' in l:
-                canonical_email, alias = l.split(' ')
-                mapping[alias] = canonical_email
-    return mapping
-
-
-def str_dict_replace(s, mapping):
-    for s1, s2 in mapping.iteritems():
-        s = s.replace(s1, s2)
-    return s
-
-
-class AuthorsTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
-    def test_authors_up_to_date(self):
-        root = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..'))
-        contributors = set()
-        missing = set()
-        authors_file = open(os.path.join(root, 'AUTHORS'), 'r').read()
-
-        if os.path.exists(os.path.join(root, '.git')):
-            mailmap = parse_mailmap(os.path.join(root, '.mailmap'))
-            for email in commands.getoutput('git log --format=%ae').split():
-                if not email:
-                    continue
-                if "jenkins" in email and "openstack.org" in email:
-                    continue
-                email = '<' + email + '>'
-                contributors.add(str_dict_replace(email, mailmap))
-
-        for contributor in contributors:
-            if not contributor in authors_file:
-                missing.add(contributor)
-
-        self.assertTrue(len(missing) == 0,
-                        '%r not listed in AUTHORS file.' % missing)