diff --git a/dnsapi/dns_transip.sh b/dnsapi/dns_transip.sh
index 64a256ec..78a0aa3c 100644
--- a/dnsapi/dns_transip.sh
+++ b/dnsapi/dns_transip.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@ TRANSIP_Token_Expiration="30 minutes"
 # You can't reuse a label token, so we leave this empty normally
 TRANSIP_Token_Label=""
 
+# One of the following two evironment variables is required:
+# - TRANSIP_Key_File: Path to a file containing the private key in PEM format; or
+# - TRANSIP_Key     : The private key in PEM format
+
 ########  Public functions #####################
 #Usage: add  _acme-challenge.www.domain.com   "XKrxpRBosdIKFzxW_CT3KLZNf6q0HG9i01zxXp5CPBs"
 dns_transip_add() {
@@ -102,9 +106,13 @@ _transip_get_token() {
   data="{\"login\":\"${TRANSIP_Username}\",\"nonce\":\"${nonce}\",\"read_only\":\"${TRANSIP_Token_Read_Only}\",\"expiration_time\":\"${TRANSIP_Token_Expiration}\",\"label\":\"${TRANSIP_Token_Label}\",\"global_key\":\"${TRANSIP_Token_Global_Key:-false}\"}"
   _debug data "$data"
 
-  #_signature=$(printf "%s" "$data" | openssl dgst -sha512 -sign "$TRANSIP_Key_File" | _base64)
-  _signature=$(printf "%s" "$data" | _sign "$TRANSIP_Key_File" "sha512")
-  _debug2 _signature "$_signature"
+  _tmp_file=$(_mktemp)
+  if [ -f "$_tmp_file" ]; then
+    printf '%s' "$TRANSIP_Key" >"$_tmp_file"
+    _signature=$(printf "%s" "$data" | _sign "$_tmp_file" "sha512")
+    _debug2 _signature "$_signature"
+    rm -f "$_tmp_file"
+  fi
 
   export _H1="Signature: $_signature"
   export _H2="Content-Type: application/json"
@@ -119,6 +127,7 @@ _transip_get_token() {
   if _contains "$response" "token"; then
     _token="$(echo "$response" | _normalizeJson | sed -n 's/^{"token":"\(.*\)"}/\1/p')"
     _debug _token "$_token"
+    _info "$(__green Successfully) authenticated with TransIP API."
     return 0
   fi
   return 1
@@ -127,46 +136,73 @@ _transip_get_token() {
 _transip_setup() {
   fulldomain=$1
 
+  # for debug:
+  #_clearaccountconf_mutable TRANSIP_Username
+  #_clearaccountconf_mutable TRANSIP_Key_File
+  #_clearaccountconf_mutable TRANSIP_Key
+
   # retrieve the transip creds
   TRANSIP_Username="${TRANSIP_Username:-$(_readaccountconf_mutable TRANSIP_Username)}"
   TRANSIP_Key_File="${TRANSIP_Key_File:-$(_readaccountconf_mutable TRANSIP_Key_File)}"
+  TRANSIP_Key="${TRANSIP_Key:-$(_readaccountconf_mutable TRANSIP_Key)}"
   # check their vals for null
-  if [ -z "$TRANSIP_Username" ] || [ -z "$TRANSIP_Key_File" ]; then
+  if [ -z "$TRANSIP_Username" ] || ( [ -z "$TRANSIP_Key_File" ] && [ -z "$TRANSIP_Key" ] ); then
     TRANSIP_Username=""
     TRANSIP_Key_File=""
-    _err "You didn't specify a TransIP username and api key file location"
+    TRANSIP_Key=""
+    _err "You didn't specify a TransIP username and/or api key file location or api key variable"
     _err "Please set those values and try again."
     return 1
   fi
-  # save the username and api key to the account conf file.
+
   _saveaccountconf_mutable TRANSIP_Username "$TRANSIP_Username"
-  _saveaccountconf_mutable TRANSIP_Key_File "$TRANSIP_Key_File"
-
-  # download key file if it's an URL
-  if _startswith "$TRANSIP_Key_File" "http"; then
-    _debug "download transip key file"
-    TRANSIP_Key_URL=$TRANSIP_Key_File
-    TRANSIP_Key_File="$(_mktemp)"
-    chmod 600 "$TRANSIP_Key_File"
-    if ! _get "$TRANSIP_Key_URL" >"$TRANSIP_Key_File"; then
-      _err "Error getting key file from : $TRANSIP_Key_URL"
+
+  if [ -z "$TRANSIP_Key" ]; then
+    _clearaccountconf_mutable TRANSIP_Key
+
+    # download key file if it's an URL
+    if _startswith "$TRANSIP_Key_File" "http"; then
+      _debug "download transip key file"
+      TRANSIP_Key_URL=$TRANSIP_Key_File
+      TRANSIP_Key_File="$(_mktemp)"
+      chmod 600 "$TRANSIP_Key_File"
+      if ! _get "$TRANSIP_Key_URL" >"$TRANSIP_Key_File"; then
+        _err "Error getting key file from : $TRANSIP_Key_URL"
+        return 1
+      fi
+    fi
+
+    if [ -f "$TRANSIP_Key_File" ]; then
+      if ! grep "BEGIN PRIVATE KEY" "$TRANSIP_Key_File" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        _err "Key file doesn't seem to be a valid key: ${TRANSIP_Key_File}"
+        return 1
+      fi
+    else
+      _err "Can't read private key file: ${TRANSIP_Key_File}"
       return 1
     fi
-  fi
 
-  if [ -f "$TRANSIP_Key_File" ]; then
-    if ! grep "BEGIN PRIVATE KEY" "$TRANSIP_Key_File" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-      _err "Key file doesn't seem to be a valid key: ${TRANSIP_Key_File}"
+    if [ "$TRANSIP_Key_File" ] && [ -f "$TRANSIP_Key_File" ]; then
+      _debug "Reading TRANSIP_Key_File value from: $TRANSIP_Key_File"
+      TRANSIP_Key=$(_base64 <"$TRANSIP_Key_File")
+      _saveaccountconf_mutable TRANSIP_Key "$TRANSIP_Key"
+    else
+      _err "Can't read private key file: ${TRANSIP_Key_File}"
       return 1
     fi
+  fi
+
+  if [ "$(printf "%s\n" "$TRANSIP_Key" | wc -l)" -eq 1 ]; then
+    TRANSIP_Key=$(printf "%s" "$TRANSIP_Key" | _dbase64)
   else
-    _err "Can't read private key file: ${TRANSIP_Key_File}"
-    return 1
+     _saveaccountconf_mutable TRANSIP_Key $(printf "%s" "$TRANSIP_Key" | _base64)
   fi
 
   if [ -z "$_token" ]; then
     if ! _transip_get_token; then
       _err "Can not get token."
+      _debug "TRANSIP_Username: $TRANSIP_Username"
+      _debug "TRANSIP_Key: $TRANSIP_Key"
       return 1
     fi
   fi