diff --git a/internal/examples/sqs/consumer/consumer.go b/internal/examples/sqs/consumer/consumer.go
index f63bacf..02e2fe0 100644
--- a/internal/examples/sqs/consumer/consumer.go
+++ b/internal/examples/sqs/consumer/consumer.go
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ func main() {
 	d, err := sqs.New(
 		sqs.WithUrl(os.Getenv("AWS_QUEUE_URL")),
 		sqs.WithRegion(os.Getenv("AWS_REGION")),
+		sqs.WithSharedCredentials(os.Getenv("AWS_SHARED_CREDENTIALS_FILE"), "default"),
 		sqs.AutoTestConnection(),
 	)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -70,14 +71,19 @@ func main() {
 
 	// Ping the sqs to check connectivity with AWS
 	go func() {
-		for {
-			<-time.After(time.Second * 10)
+		ping := func() {
 			if err := sub.Ping(); err != nil {
 				log.Println("Ping failed: " + err.Error())
 			} else {
 				log.Println("Ping OK")
 			}
 		}
+
+		ping()
+		for {
+			<-time.After(time.Second * 10)
+			ping()
+		}
 	}()
 
 	log.Print("Waiting for consuming")
diff --git a/internal/examples/sqs/producer/producer.go b/internal/examples/sqs/producer/producer.go
index 06ebf73..825009f 100644
--- a/internal/examples/sqs/producer/producer.go
+++ b/internal/examples/sqs/producer/producer.go
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ func main() {
 	d, err := sqs.New(
 		sqs.WithUrl(os.Getenv("AWS_QUEUE_URL")),
 		sqs.WithRegion(os.Getenv("AWS_REGION")),
+		sqs.WithSharedCredentials(os.Getenv("AWS_SHARED_CREDENTIALS_FILE"), "default"),
 	)
 
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/sqs/options.go b/sqs/options.go
index 5001153..52949f5 100644
--- a/sqs/options.go
+++ b/sqs/options.go
@@ -25,3 +25,9 @@ func WithRegion(region string) Option {
 		d.region = region
 	}
 }
+
+func WithSharedCredentials(filename, profile string) Option {
+	return func(d *Driver) {
+		d.SetSharedCredentials(filename, profile)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/sqs/sqs.go b/sqs/sqs.go
index de2afdd..6d1b6a9 100644
--- a/sqs/sqs.go
+++ b/sqs/sqs.go
@@ -25,6 +25,18 @@ type Driver struct {
 	url                     string
 	sqsClient               sqsClient
 	testConnectionOnStartup bool
+
+	sharedCredentials *struct {
+		filename string
+		profile  string
+	}
+}
+
+func (d *Driver) SetSharedCredentials(filename, profile string) {
+	d.sharedCredentials = &struct {
+		filename string
+		profile  string
+	}{filename: filename, profile: profile}
 }
 
 func New(options ...Option) (*Driver, error) {
@@ -37,7 +49,7 @@ func New(options ...Option) (*Driver, error) {
 	}
 
 	if driver.sqsClient == nil {
-		clientCredentials, err := getCredentials()
+		clientCredentials, err := driver.getCredentials()
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -59,15 +71,20 @@ func New(options ...Option) (*Driver, error) {
 	return driver, nil
 }
 
-func getCredentials() (*credentials.Credentials, error) {
-	if os.Getenv("AWS_SHARED_CREDENTIALS_FILE") != "" {
-		return credentials.NewSharedCredentials("", ""), nil
-	} else if os.Getenv("AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID") != "" && os.Getenv("AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY") != "" {
+func (d *Driver) getCredentials() (*credentials.Credentials, error) {
+	if d.sharedCredentials != nil {
+		return credentials.NewSharedCredentials(
+			d.sharedCredentials.filename,
+			d.sharedCredentials.profile,
+		), nil
+	}
+
+	if os.Getenv("AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID") != "" && os.Getenv("AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY") != "" {
 		return credentials.NewEnvCredentials(), nil
 	}
 
 	return nil, errors.New(
-		"missing AWS_SHARED_CREDENTIALS_FILE and AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID/AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY env vars",
+		"missing shared credentials and AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID/AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY env vars",
 	)
 }
 
@@ -85,5 +102,10 @@ func createClient(queueUrl string, region string, clientCredentials *credentials
 		},
 	}
 
-	return sqs.New(session.Must(session.NewSessionWithOptions(options))), nil
+	sqsSession, err := session.NewSessionWithOptions(options)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating sqs session: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return sqs.New(sqsSession), nil
 }
diff --git a/sqs/sqs_test.go b/sqs/sqs_test.go
index 7adf42f..ab77c30 100644
--- a/sqs/sqs_test.go
+++ b/sqs/sqs_test.go
@@ -41,11 +41,10 @@ func (suite *SQSTestSuite) TearDownTest() {
 }
 
 func (suite *SQSTestSuite) TestNewWIthUrlAndRegionOption() {
-	os.Setenv("AWS_SHARED_CREDENTIALS_FILE", "test")
-
 	_, err := sqs.New(
 		sqs.WithUrl("https://sqs.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com"),
 		sqs.WithRegion("us-east-1"),
+		sqs.WithSharedCredentials("test", "default"),
 	)
 
 	suite.Nil(err)
@@ -59,8 +58,8 @@ func (suite *SQSTestSuite) TestNewWithDefaultOptions() {
 }
 
 func (suite *SQSTestSuite) TestNew_InvalidQueueURL() {
-	os.Setenv("AWS_SHARED_CREDENTIALS_FILE", "/a/file")
 	_, err := sqs.New(
+		sqs.WithSharedCredentials("test", "default"),
 		sqs.WithUrl("-"),
 	)