diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index a3df0a6..ac39a10 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.8.0
+0.9.0
diff --git a/lib/ezid/client.rb b/lib/ezid/client.rb
index 9ebbd96..8ab8bd9 100644
--- a/lib/ezid/client.rb
+++ b/lib/ezid/client.rb
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ module Ezid
   #
   class Client
 
+    # ezid-client gem version (e.g., "0.8.0")
+    VERSION = File.read(File.expand_path("../../../VERSION", __FILE__)).chomp
+
+    # EZID API version
+    API_VERSION = "2"
+
     class << self
       # Configuration reader
       def config
@@ -28,6 +34,12 @@ def config
       def configure
         yield config
       end
+
+      # Verbose version string
+      # @return [String] the version
+      def version
+        "ezid-client #{VERSION} (EZID API Version #{API_VERSION})"
+      end
     end
 
     attr_reader :session, :user, :password, :host, :use_ssl
diff --git a/lib/ezid/configuration.rb b/lib/ezid/configuration.rb
index 8e29891..ddcbb25 100644
--- a/lib/ezid/configuration.rb
+++ b/lib/ezid/configuration.rb
@@ -4,19 +4,22 @@ module Ezid
   #
   # EZID client configuration.
   #
-  # Use Ezid::Client.configure to set values.
+  # Use `Ezid::Client.configure` to set values.
   #
   # @api private
+  #
   class Configuration
 
     HOST = "ezid.cdlib.org"
 
     # EZID host name
-    #   Default: "ezid.cdlib.org"
+    #   Default: value of `EZID_HOST` environment variable, if present, or
+    #   the EZID service host "ezid.cdlib.org".
     attr_accessor :host
 
     # Use HTTPS?
-    #   Default: `true`
+    #   Default: `true`, unless `EZID_USE_SSL` environment variable is set
+    #   to the string "false".
     attr_accessor :use_ssl
 
     # EZID user name
@@ -31,16 +34,6 @@ class Configuration
     #   Default device: STDERR
     attr_writer :logger
 
-    # Default metadata profile - "erc" (EZID default), "dc", "datacite", or "crossref"
-    # If set, new identifiers (created or minted) will set the "_profile" element to
-    # this value.
-    # attr_accessor :default_metadata_profile
-
-    # Default status - "public" (EZID default), "reserved", or "unavailable"
-    # If set, new identifiers (created or minted) will set the "_status" element to
-    # this value.
-    # attr_accessor :default_status
-
     # Default shoulder for minting (scheme + NAAN + shoulder)
     # @example "ark:/99999/fk4"
     attr_accessor :default_shoulder
diff --git a/lib/ezid/request.rb b/lib/ezid/request.rb
index fb7b612..5745532 100644
--- a/lib/ezid/request.rb
+++ b/lib/ezid/request.rb
@@ -20,8 +20,8 @@ def self.execute(*args)
     end
 
     # @param method [Symbol] the Net::HTTP constant for the request method
-    # @param uri [URI] the uri 
-    def initialize(method, uri) # path)
+    # @param uri [URI] the uri
+    def initialize(method, uri)
       http_method = Net::HTTP.const_get(method)
       super(http_method.new(uri))
       set_content_type(CONTENT_TYPE, charset: CHARSET)
diff --git a/lib/ezid/test_helper.rb b/lib/ezid/test_helper.rb
index 8f316ff..399089e 100644
--- a/lib/ezid/test_helper.rb
+++ b/lib/ezid/test_helper.rb
@@ -5,18 +5,19 @@ module TestHelper
 
     TEST_ARK_SHOULDER = "ark:/99999/fk4"
     TEST_DOI_SHOULDER = "doi:10.5072/FK2"
+
     TEST_USER = "apitest"
     TEST_HOST = Configuration::HOST
+    TEST_SHOULDER = TEST_ARK_SHOULDER
 
     def ezid_test_mode!
       Ezid::Client.configure do |config|
-        config.user = TEST_USER
-        # Contact EZID for password, or use your own user name and password
-        # config.password = "********"
-        config.host = TEST_HOST
-        config.use_ssl = true
-        config.logger = Logger.new(File::NULL)
-        config.default_shoulder = TEST_ARK_SHOULDER
+        config.user     = ENV["EZID_TEST_USER"] || TEST_USER
+        config.password = ENV["EZID_TEST_PASSWORD"]
+        config.host     = ENV["EZID_TEST_HOST"] || TEST_HOST
+        config.use_ssl  = true
+        config.logger   = Logger.new(File::NULL)
+        config.default_shoulder = ENV["EZID_TEST_SHOULDER"] || TEST_SHOULDER
       end
     end