diff --git a/packages/authentication-client/src/index.ts b/packages/authentication-client/src/index.ts
index 674b0a0bb7..5ab704a8d7 100644
--- a/packages/authentication-client/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/authentication-client/src/index.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ declare module '@feathersjs/feathers/lib/declarations' {
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
   interface Application<Services, Settings> {
     // eslint-disable-line
-    io?: any
+    io: any
     rest?: any
     authentication: AuthenticationClient
     authenticate: AuthenticationClient['authenticate']
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/app/index.ts b/packages/cli/src/app/index.ts
index 3f31afdfb1..f52cae9402 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/app/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/app/index.ts
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ export const generate = (ctx: AppGeneratorArguments) =>
             '@feathersjs/configuration',
             '@feathersjs/transport-commons',
             '@feathersjs/authentication',
+            '@feathersjs/authentication-client',
             'winston'
           )
 
@@ -211,8 +212,7 @@ export const generate = (ctx: AppGeneratorArguments) =>
             'cross-env',
             'prettier',
             '@feathersjs/cli',
-            '@feathersjs/rest-client',
-            '@feathersjs/authentication-client'
+            '@feathersjs/rest-client'
           )
 
           if (language === 'ts') {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/app/templates/client.tpl.ts b/packages/cli/src/app/templates/client.tpl.ts
index 1788ccfbe2..41399ffe4c 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/app/templates/client.tpl.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/app/templates/client.tpl.ts
@@ -2,17 +2,34 @@ import { generator, toFile } from '@feathershq/pinion'
 import { renderSource } from '../../commons'
 import { AppGeneratorContext } from '../index'
 
-const template = ({}: AppGeneratorContext) => /* ts */ `import { feathers } from '@feathersjs/feathers'
+const template = ({
+  name,
+  language
+}: AppGeneratorContext) => /* ts */ `import { feathers } from '@feathersjs/feathers'
 import type { TransportConnection, Params } from '@feathersjs/feathers'
+import authenticationClient from '@feathersjs/authentication-client'
+import type { AuthenticationClientOptions } from '@feathersjs/authentication-client'
 
 export interface ServiceTypes {
   //
 }
 
-export const createClient = <Configuration = any> (connection: TransportConnection<ServiceTypes>) => {
+/**
+ * Returns a ${language === 'ts' ? 'typed' : ''} client for the ${name} app.
+ * 
+ * @param connection The REST or Socket.io Feathers client connection
+ * @param authenticationOptions Additional settings for the authentication client
+ * @see https://dove.feathersjs.com/api/client.html
+ * @returns The Feathers client application
+ */
+export const createClient = <Configuration = any> (
+  connection: TransportConnection<ServiceTypes>,
+  authenticationOptions: Partial<AuthenticationClientOptions> = {}
+) => {
   const client = feathers<ServiceTypes, Configuration>()
 
   client.configure(connection)
+  client.configure(authenticationClient(authenticationOptions))
 
   return client
 }
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/authentication/templates/client.test.tpl.ts b/packages/cli/src/authentication/templates/client.test.tpl.ts
index 34a994947a..0d7d96e460 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/authentication/templates/client.test.tpl.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/authentication/templates/client.test.tpl.ts
@@ -25,8 +25,6 @@ const appUrl = \`http://\${app.get('host')}:\${port}\`
 
 describe('application client tests', () => {
   const client = createClient(rest(appUrl).axios(axios))
-  
-  client.configure(authenticationClient())
 
   before(async () => {
     await app.listen(port)
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/service/templates/client.tpl.ts b/packages/cli/src/service/templates/client.tpl.ts
index af6d751a98..fe7532e721 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/service/templates/client.tpl.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/service/templates/client.tpl.ts
@@ -20,12 +20,11 @@ export type {
 }
 `
 
-const methodsTemplate = ({ camelName, upperName, className, type }: ServiceGeneratorContext) =>
-  `const ${camelName}ServiceMethods = ['find', 'get', 'create', 'update', 'patch', 'remove'] as const
+const methodsTemplate = ({ camelName, upperName, className, type }: ServiceGeneratorContext) => `
+const ${camelName}ServiceMethods = ['find', 'get', 'create', 'update', 'patch', 'remove'] as const
 type ${upperName}ClientService = Pick<${className}${
-    type !== 'custom' ? `<Params<${upperName}Query>>` : ''
-  }, typeof ${camelName}ServiceMethods[number]>
-`
+  type !== 'custom' ? `<Params<${upperName}Query>>` : ''
+}, typeof ${camelName}ServiceMethods[number]>`
 
 const declarationTemplate = ({ path, upperName }: ServiceGeneratorContext) =>
   `  '${path}': ${upperName}ClientService`
@@ -41,24 +40,18 @@ const toClientFile = toFile<ServiceGeneratorContext>(({ lib }) => [lib, 'client'
 
 export const generate = async (ctx: ServiceGeneratorContext) =>
   generator(ctx)
-    .then(
-      injectSource(
-        registrationTemplate,
-        before('return client'),
-        toFile<ServiceGeneratorContext>(({ lib }) => [lib, 'client'])
-      )
-    )
+    .then(injectSource(registrationTemplate, before('return client'), toClientFile))
     .then(
       when(
         (ctx) => ctx.language === 'js',
-        injectSource(methodsTemplate, before('\nexport const createClient'), toClientFile)
+        injectSource(methodsTemplate, after('import authenticationClient'), toClientFile)
       )
     )
     .then(
       when(
         (ctx) => ctx.language === 'ts',
-        injectSource(methodsTemplate, before('\nexport interface ServiceTypes'), toClientFile),
         injectSource(importTemplate, after("from '@feathersjs/feathers'"), toClientFile),
+        injectSource(methodsTemplate, before('\nexport interface ServiceTypes'), toClientFile),
         injectSource(declarationTemplate, after('export interface ServiceTypes'), toClientFile)
       )
     )
diff --git a/packages/socketio/src/index.ts b/packages/socketio/src/index.ts
index e392206713..5ca37702c3 100644
--- a/packages/socketio/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/socketio/src/index.ts
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@ const debug = createDebug('@feathersjs/socketio')
 declare module '@feathersjs/feathers/lib/declarations' {
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unused-vars
   interface Application<Services, Settings> {
-    // eslint-disable-line
-    io: Server
+    io: any
     listen(options: any): Promise<http.Server>
   }
 }