diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index eefc0e1..1a17731 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ application.
 
 Checks that the API client is authorized to use your API, and has the correct secret. It should call back with `true`
 or `false` depending on the result of the check. It can also call back with an error if there was some internal server
-error while doing the check.
+error while doing the check. This hook is not required if `clientType: "public"` is passed as an option.
 
 #### `grantUserToken(username, password, cb)`
 
@@ -111,6 +111,9 @@ The `hooks` hash is the only required option, but the following are also availab
 * `tokenExpirationTime`: the value returned for the `expires_in` component of the response from the token endpoint.
   Note that this is *only* the value reported; you are responsible for keeping track of token expiration yourself and
   calling back with `false` from `authenticateToken` when the token expires. Defaults to `Infinity`.
+* `clientType`: valid values are `"confidential"` (default) or `"public"`.  Client credentials are not authenticated 
+  for public clients. This option only applies to the [Resource Owner Password Credentials][ropc] flow. OAuth2 only 
+  allows for confidential clients for the [Client Credentials][cc] flow. 
 
 ## What Does That Look Like?
 
diff --git a/lib/cc/grantToken.js b/lib/cc/grantToken.js
index 7c9a7fd..2a672e0 100644
--- a/lib/cc/grantToken.js
+++ b/lib/cc/grantToken.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ var validateGrantTokenRequest = require("../common/validateGrantTokenRequest");
 var makeOAuthError = require("../common/makeOAuthError");
 
 module.exports = function grantToken(req, res, next, options) {
-    if (!validateGrantTokenRequest("client_credentials", req, next)) {
+    if (!validateGrantTokenRequest("client_credentials", "confidential", req, next)) {
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/cc/index.js b/lib/cc/index.js
index b1ff8a3..39ba356 100644
--- a/lib/cc/index.js
+++ b/lib/cc/index.js
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ var grantToken = require("./grantToken");
 
 var grantTypes = "client_credentials";
 var reqPropertyName = "clientId";
-var requiredHooks = ["grantClientToken", "authenticateToken"];
+var requiredHooks = function (options) {
+	return ["grantClientToken", "authenticateToken"];
+}
 
 module.exports = makeSetup(grantTypes, reqPropertyName, requiredHooks, grantToken);
diff --git a/lib/common/makeSetup.js b/lib/common/makeSetup.js
index 156aef1..29eed33 100644
--- a/lib/common/makeSetup.js
+++ b/lib/common/makeSetup.js
@@ -10,16 +10,21 @@ module.exports = function makeSetup(grantTypes, reqPropertyName, requiredHooks,
         if (typeof options.hooks !== "object" || options.hooks === null) {
             throw new Error("Must supply hooks.");
         }
-        requiredHooks.forEach(function (hookName) {
-            if (typeof options.hooks[hookName] !== "function") {
-                throw new Error("Must supply " + hookName + " hook.");
-            }
-        });
-
+    	
         options = _.defaults(options, {
             tokenEndpoint: "/token",
             wwwAuthenticateRealm: "Who goes there?",
-            tokenExpirationTime: Infinity
+            tokenExpirationTime: Infinity,
+            clientType: "confidential"
+        });
+        
+        requiredHooks(options).forEach(function (hookName) {
+        	if (options.clientType === "public" && hookName === "validateClient") {
+        		return;
+        	}
+            if (typeof options.hooks[hookName] !== "function") {
+                throw new Error("Must supply " + hookName + " hook.");
+            }
         });
 
         // Allow `tokenExpirationTime: Infinity` (like above), but translate it into `undefined` so that
diff --git a/lib/common/validateGrantTokenRequest.js b/lib/common/validateGrantTokenRequest.js
index 339e6e3..ddf3a13 100644
--- a/lib/common/validateGrantTokenRequest.js
+++ b/lib/common/validateGrantTokenRequest.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 var _ = require("underscore");
 var makeOAuthError = require("./makeOAuthError");
 
-module.exports = function validateGrantTokenRequest(grantType, req, next) {
+module.exports = function validateGrantTokenRequest(grantType, clientType, req, next) {
     function sendBadRequestError(type, description) {
         next(makeOAuthError("BadRequest", type, description));
     }
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ module.exports = function validateGrantTokenRequest(grantType, req, next) {
         return false;
     }
 
-    if (!req.authorization || !req.authorization.basic) {
+    if (clientType === "confidential" && (!req.authorization || !req.authorization.basic)) {
         sendBadRequestError("invalid_request", "Must include a basic access authentication header.");
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/lib/ropc/grantToken.js b/lib/ropc/grantToken.js
index 531837b..ad3ac3b 100644
--- a/lib/ropc/grantToken.js
+++ b/lib/ropc/grantToken.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ module.exports = function grantToken(req, res, next, options) {
     }
 
 
-    if (!validateGrantTokenRequest("password", req, next)) {
+    if (!validateGrantTokenRequest("password", options.clientType, req, next)) {
         return;
     }
 
@@ -27,33 +27,40 @@ module.exports = function grantToken(req, res, next, options) {
         return next(makeOAuthError("BadRequest", "invalid_request", "Must specify password field."));
     }
 
-    var clientId = req.authorization.basic.username;
-    var clientSecret = req.authorization.basic.password;
-
-    options.hooks.validateClient(clientId, clientSecret, function (error, result) {
+    function grantUserTokenCallback(error, token) {
         if (error) {
             return next(error);
         }
 
-        if (!result) {
-            return sendUnauthorizedError("invalid_client", "Client ID and secret did not validate.");
+        if (!token) {
+            return sendUnauthorizedError("invalid_grant", "Username and password did not authenticate.");
         }
 
-        options.hooks.grantUserToken(username, password, function (error, token) {
+        res.send({
+            access_token: token,
+            token_type: "Bearer",
+            expires_in: options.tokenExpirationTime
+        });
+        next();
+    }
+    
+    if (options.clientType === "confidential") {
+        var clientId = req.authorization.basic.username;
+        var clientSecret = req.authorization.basic.password;
+
+        options.hooks.validateClient(clientId, clientSecret, function (error, result) {
             if (error) {
                 return next(error);
             }
 
-            if (!token) {
-                return sendUnauthorizedError("invalid_grant", "Username and password did not authenticate.");
+            if (!result) {
+                return sendUnauthorizedError("invalid_client", "Client ID and secret did not validate.");
             }
 
-            res.send({
-                access_token: token,
-                token_type: "Bearer",
-                expires_in: options.tokenExpirationTime
-            });
-            next();
+            options.hooks.grantUserToken(username, password, grantUserTokenCallback);
         });
-    });
+    }
+    else {
+    	options.hooks.grantUserToken(username, password, grantUserTokenCallback);
+    }
 };
diff --git a/lib/ropc/index.js b/lib/ropc/index.js
index 0fd8bd0..78030e0 100644
--- a/lib/ropc/index.js
+++ b/lib/ropc/index.js
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@ var grantToken = require("./grantToken");
 
 var grantTypes = "password";
 var reqPropertyName = "username";
-var requiredHooks = ["validateClient", "grantUserToken", "authenticateToken"];
+var requiredHooks = function (options) {
+	if (options.clientType === "public") {
+		return ["grantUserToken", "authenticateToken"];
+	}
+	return ["validateClient", "grantUserToken", "authenticateToken"];
+}
 
 module.exports = makeSetup(grantTypes, reqPropertyName, requiredHooks, grantToken);