diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c97712c..226ae87 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func main() {
 	protect := http.HandlerFunc(protectMe)
 	dontProtect := http.HandlerFunc(dontProtectMe)
 
-	http.Handle("/authenticate", j.GenerateToken())
+	http.Handle("/authenticate", j.Authenticate())
 	http.Handle("/secure", j.Secure(protect, verifyClaims))
 	http.Handle("/insecure", dontProtect)
 	http.ListenAndServe(":8080", nil)
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ Once the middleware is instantiated, create a route for users to generate a JWT
 at.
 
 ```go
-http.Handle("/authenticate", j.GenerateToken())
+http.Handle("/authenticate", j.Authenticate())
 ```
 
 The auth function takes two arguments (the identity, and the authorization
diff --git a/jwt.go b/jwt.go
index d37be84..00eb489 100644
--- a/jwt.go
+++ b/jwt.go
@@ -171,10 +171,10 @@ func (m *Middleware) Secure(h http.Handler, v VerifyClaimsFunc) http.Handler {
 	return errorHandler(secureHandler)
 }
 
-// GenerateToken returns a middleware that parsing an incoming request for a JWT,
+// Authenticate returns a middleware that parsing an incoming request for a JWT,
 // calls the client-supplied auth function, and if successful, returns a JWT to
 // the requester.
-func (m *Middleware) GenerateToken() http.Handler {
+func (m *Middleware) Authenticate() http.Handler {
 	generateHandler := func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) *jwtError {
 		if r.Method != "POST" {
 			return &jwtError{
@@ -215,59 +215,14 @@ func (m *Middleware) GenerateToken() http.Handler {
 				message: "performing authorization",
 			}
 		}
-
-		// For now, the header will be static
-		header, err := encode(fmt.Sprintf(`{"typ":%q,"alg":%q}`, typ, alg))
-		if err != nil {
-			return &jwtError{
-				status:  http.StatusInternalServerError,
-				err:     ErrEncoding,
-				message: "encoding header",
-			}
-		}
-
-		// Generate claims for user
-		claims, err := m.claims(b[m.identityField])
+		response, err := m.CreateToken(b[m.identityField])
 		if err != nil {
 			return &jwtError{
 				status:  http.StatusInternalServerError,
 				err:     err,
-				message: "generating claims",
+				message: response,
 			}
 		}
-
-		claimsJSON, err := json.Marshal(claims)
-		if err != nil {
-			return &jwtError{
-				status:  http.StatusInternalServerError,
-				err:     ErrEncoding,
-				message: "marshalling claims",
-			}
-		}
-
-		claimsSet, err := encode(claimsJSON)
-		if err != nil {
-			return &jwtError{
-				status:  http.StatusInternalServerError,
-				err:     ErrEncoding,
-				message: "encoding claims",
-			}
-		}
-
-		toSig := strings.Join([]string{header, claimsSet}, ".")
-
-		h := hmac.New(sha256.New, []byte(m.secret))
-		h.Write([]byte(toSig))
-		sig, err := encode(h.Sum(nil))
-		if err != nil {
-			return &jwtError{
-				status:  http.StatusInternalServerError,
-				err:     ErrEncoding,
-				message: "encoding signature",
-			}
-		}
-
-		response := strings.Join([]string{toSig, sig}, ".")
 		w.Write([]byte(response))
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -275,6 +230,43 @@ func (m *Middleware) GenerateToken() http.Handler {
 	return errorHandler(generateHandler)
 }
 
+// CreateToken generates a token from a user's identity
+func (m *Middleware) CreateToken(identity string) (string, error) {
+	// For now, the header will be static
+	header, err := encode(fmt.Sprintf(`{"typ":%q,"alg":%q}`, typ, alg))
+	if err != nil {
+		return "encoding header", ErrEncoding
+	}
+
+	// Generate claims for user
+	claims, err := m.claims(identity)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "generating claims", err
+	}
+
+	claimsJSON, err := json.Marshal(claims)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "mashalling claims", ErrEncoding
+	}
+
+	claimsSet, err := encode(claimsJSON)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "encoding claims", ErrEncoding
+	}
+
+	toSig := strings.Join([]string{header, claimsSet}, ".")
+
+	h := hmac.New(sha256.New, []byte(m.secret))
+	h.Write([]byte(toSig))
+	sig, err := encode(h.Sum(nil))
+	if err != nil {
+		return "encoding signature", ErrEncoding
+	}
+
+	response := strings.Join([]string{toSig, sig}, ".")
+	return response, nil
+}
+
 type jwtError struct {
 	status  int
 	err     error
diff --git a/jwt_test.go b/jwt_test.go
index c5579b8..44ec5d3 100644
--- a/jwt_test.go
+++ b/jwt_test.go
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func newToken(t *testing.T) (string, *Middleware) {
 		t.Error(err)
 	}
 
-	ts := httptest.NewServer(middleware.GenerateToken())
+	ts := httptest.NewServer(middleware.Authenticate())
 	defer ts.Close()
 
 	resp, err := http.Post(ts.URL, "application/json", bytes.NewReader(body))
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ func TestGenerateTokenHandlerNotPOST(t *testing.T) {
 	middleware := newMiddlewareOrFatal(t)
 	resp := httptest.NewRecorder()
 	req, _ := http.NewRequest("PUT", "http://example.com", nil)
-	middleware.GenerateToken().ServeHTTP(resp, req)
+	middleware.Authenticate().ServeHTTP(resp, req)
 	body := strings.TrimSpace(resp.Body.String())
 	if body != ErrInvalidMethod.Error() {
 		t.Errorf("wanted %q, got %q", ErrInvalidMethod.Error(), body)