diff --git a/cmd/cmd_dnshelp.go b/cmd/cmd_dnshelp.go
index 4592607b..d62590ef 100644
--- a/cmd/cmd_dnshelp.go
+++ b/cmd/cmd_dnshelp.go
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ Here is an example bash command using the CloudFlare DNS provider:
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "\tfastdns:\tAKAMAI_HOST, AKAMAI_CLIENT_TOKEN, AKAMAI_CLIENT_SECRET, AKAMAI_ACCESS_TOKEN")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "\tgandi:\tGANDI_API_KEY")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "\tgandiv5:\tGANDIV5_API_KEY")
-	fmt.Fprintln(w, "\tgcloud:\tGCE_PROJECT, 'Application Default Credentials', [GCE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_FILE]")
+	fmt.Fprintln(w, "\tgcloud:\tGCE_PROJECT, 'Application Default Credentials', [GCE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_FILE], [GCE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT]")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "\tglesys:\tGLESYS_API_USER, GLESYS_API_KEY")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "\tgodaddy:\tGODADDY_API_KEY, GODADDY_API_SECRET")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "\thostingde:\tHOSTINGDE_API_KEY, HOSTINGDE_ZONE_NAME")
diff --git a/providers/dns/gcloud/googlecloud.go b/providers/dns/gcloud/googlecloud.go
index d2cd04f4..877b4e97 100644
--- a/providers/dns/gcloud/googlecloud.go
+++ b/providers/dns/gcloud/googlecloud.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
-	"os"
 	"strconv"
 	"time"
 
@@ -53,11 +52,12 @@ type DNSProvider struct {
 
 // NewDNSProvider returns a DNSProvider instance configured for Google Cloud DNS.
 // Project name must be passed in the environment variable: GCE_PROJECT.
-// A Service Account file can be passed in the environment variable: GCE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_FILE
+// A Service Account can be passed in the environment variable: GCE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT
+// or by specifying the keyfile location: GCE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_FILE
 func NewDNSProvider() (*DNSProvider, error) {
 	// Use a service account file if specified via environment variable.
-	if saFile, ok := os.LookupEnv("GCE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_FILE"); ok {
-		return NewDNSProviderServiceAccount(saFile)
+	if saKey := env.GetOrFile("GCE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT"); len(saKey) > 0 {
+		return NewDNSProviderServiceAccountKey([]byte(saKey))
 	}
 
 	// Use default credentials.
@@ -84,16 +84,11 @@ func NewDNSProviderCredentials(project string) (*DNSProvider, error) {
 	return NewDNSProviderConfig(config)
 }
 
-// NewDNSProviderServiceAccount uses the supplied service account JSON file
+// NewDNSProviderServiceAccountKey uses the supplied service account JSON
 // to return a DNSProvider instance configured for Google Cloud DNS.
-func NewDNSProviderServiceAccount(saFile string) (*DNSProvider, error) {
-	if saFile == "" {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("googlecloud: Service Account file missing")
-	}
-
-	dat, err := ioutil.ReadFile(saFile)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("googlecloud: unable to read Service Account file: %v", err)
+func NewDNSProviderServiceAccountKey(saKey []byte) (*DNSProvider, error) {
+	if len(saKey) == 0 {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("googlecloud: Service Account is missing")
 	}
 
 	// If GCE_PROJECT is non-empty it overrides the project in the service
@@ -104,14 +99,14 @@ func NewDNSProviderServiceAccount(saFile string) (*DNSProvider, error) {
 		var datJSON struct {
 			ProjectID string `json:"project_id"`
 		}
-		err = json.Unmarshal(dat, &datJSON)
+		err := json.Unmarshal(saKey, &datJSON)
 		if err != nil || datJSON.ProjectID == "" {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("googlecloud: project ID not found in Google Cloud Service Account file")
 		}
 		project = datJSON.ProjectID
 	}
 
-	conf, err := google.JWTConfigFromJSON(dat, dns.NdevClouddnsReadwriteScope)
+	conf, err := google.JWTConfigFromJSON(saKey, dns.NdevClouddnsReadwriteScope)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("googlecloud: unable to acquire config: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -124,6 +119,21 @@ func NewDNSProviderServiceAccount(saFile string) (*DNSProvider, error) {
 	return NewDNSProviderConfig(config)
 }
 
+// NewDNSProviderServiceAccount uses the supplied service account JSON file
+// to return a DNSProvider instance configured for Google Cloud DNS.
+func NewDNSProviderServiceAccount(saFile string) (*DNSProvider, error) {
+	if saFile == "" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("googlecloud: Service Account file missing")
+	}
+
+	saKey, err := ioutil.ReadFile(saFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("googlecloud: unable to read Service Account file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return NewDNSProviderServiceAccountKey(saKey)
+}
+
 // NewDNSProviderConfig return a DNSProvider instance configured for Google Cloud DNS.
 func NewDNSProviderConfig(config *Config) (*DNSProvider, error) {
 	if config == nil {
diff --git a/providers/dns/gcloud/googlecloud_test.go b/providers/dns/gcloud/googlecloud_test.go
index 0cde500c..8455d516 100644
--- a/providers/dns/gcloud/googlecloud_test.go
+++ b/providers/dns/gcloud/googlecloud_test.go
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ import (
 var envTest = tester.NewEnvTest(
 	"GCE_PROJECT",
 	"GCE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_FILE",
-	"GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS").
+	"GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS",
+	"GCE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT").
 	WithDomain("GCE_DOMAIN").
 	WithLiveTestExtra(func() bool {
 		_, err := google.DefaultClient(context.Background(), dns.NdevClouddnsReadwriteScope)
@@ -51,12 +52,19 @@ func TestNewDNSProvider(t *testing.T) {
 			expected: "googlecloud: project name missing",
 		},
 		{
-			desc: "success",
+			desc: "success key file",
 			envVars: map[string]string{
 				"GCE_PROJECT":              "",
 				"GCE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_FILE": "fixtures/gce_account_service_file.json",
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			desc: "success key",
+			envVars: map[string]string{
+				"GCE_PROJECT":         "",
+				"GCE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT": `{"project_id": "A","type": "service_account","client_email": "foo@bar.com","private_key_id": "pki","private_key": "pk","token_uri": "/token","client_secret": "secret","client_id": "C","refresh_token": "D"}`,
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range testCases {