diff --git a/etc/marconi.conf.sample b/etc/marconi.conf.sample
index 24f146c94..ce2a80dbe 100644
--- a/etc/marconi.conf.sample
+++ b/etc/marconi.conf.sample
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@
 # Options defined in marconi.transport.base
 #
 
-#  (string value)
+# Backend to use for authentication. For no auth, keep it
+# empty. Existing strategies: keystone. See also the
+# keystone_authtoken section below (string value)
 #auth_strategy=
 
 
diff --git a/marconi/queues/transport/base.py b/marconi/queues/transport/base.py
index b3869013a..a6655c923 100644
--- a/marconi/queues/transport/base.py
+++ b/marconi/queues/transport/base.py
@@ -20,7 +20,11 @@ from oslo.config import cfg
 
 
 _TRANSPORT_OPTIONS = (
-    cfg.StrOpt('auth_strategy', default=''),
+    cfg.StrOpt('auth_strategy', default='',
+               help=('Backend to use for authentication. '
+                     'For no auth, keep it empty. '
+                     'Existing strategies: keystone. '
+                     'See also the keystone_authtoken section below')),
 )