diff --git a/apiclient/sample_tools.py b/apiclient/sample_tools.py
index ff17b2b..ba6d754 100644
--- a/apiclient/sample_tools.py
+++ b/apiclient/sample_tools.py
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
   storage = file.Storage(name + '.dat')
   credentials = storage.get()
   if credentials is None or credentials.invalid:
-    credentials = tools.run(flow, storage, flags)
+    credentials = tools.run_flow(flow, storage, flags)
   http = credentials.authorize(http = httplib2.Http())
 
   # Construct a service object via the discovery service.
diff --git a/oauth2client/old_run.py b/oauth2client/old_run.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..da23358
--- /dev/null
+++ b/oauth2client/old_run.py
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2013 Google Inc.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+"""This module holds the old run() function which is deprecated, the
+tools.run_flow() function should be used in its place."""
+
+
+import logging
+import socket
+import sys
+import webbrowser
+
+import gflags
+
+from oauth2client import client
+from oauth2client import util
+from tools import ClientRedirectHandler
+from tools import ClientRedirectServer
+
+
+FLAGS = gflags.FLAGS
+
+gflags.DEFINE_boolean('auth_local_webserver', True,
+                      ('Run a local web server to handle redirects during '
+                       'OAuth authorization.'))
+
+gflags.DEFINE_string('auth_host_name', 'localhost',
+                     ('Host name to use when running a local web server to '
+                      'handle redirects during OAuth authorization.'))
+
+gflags.DEFINE_multi_int('auth_host_port', [8080, 8090],
+                        ('Port to use when running a local web server to '
+                         'handle redirects during OAuth authorization.'))
+
+
+@util.positional(2)
+def run(flow, storage, http=None):
+  """Core code for a command-line application.
+
+  The run() function is called from your application and runs through all
+  the steps to obtain credentials. It takes a Flow argument and attempts to
+  open an authorization server page in the user's default web browser. The
+  server asks the user to grant your application access to the user's data.
+  If the user grants access, the run() function returns new credentials. The
+  new credentials are also stored in the Storage argument, which updates the
+  file associated with the Storage object.
+
+  It presumes it is run from a command-line application and supports the
+  following flags:
+
+    --auth_host_name: Host name to use when running a local web server
+      to handle redirects during OAuth authorization.
+      (default: 'localhost')
+
+    --auth_host_port: Port to use when running a local web server to handle
+    redirects during OAuth authorization.;
+      repeat this option to specify a list of values
+      (default: '[8080, 8090]')
+      (an integer)
+
+    --[no]auth_local_webserver: Run a local web server to handle redirects
+      during OAuth authorization.
+      (default: 'true')
+
+  Since it uses flags make sure to initialize the gflags module before
+  calling run().
+
+  Args:
+    flow: Flow, an OAuth 2.0 Flow to step through.
+    storage: Storage, a Storage to store the credential in.
+    http: An instance of httplib2.Http.request
+         or something that acts like it.
+
+  Returns:
+    Credentials, the obtained credential.
+  """
+  logging.warning('This function, oauth2client.tools.run(), and the use of '
+      'the gflags library are deprecated and will be removed in a future '
+      'version of the library.')
+  if FLAGS.auth_local_webserver:
+    success = False
+    port_number = 0
+    for port in FLAGS.auth_host_port:
+      port_number = port
+      try:
+        httpd = ClientRedirectServer((FLAGS.auth_host_name, port),
+                                     ClientRedirectHandler)
+      except socket.error, e:
+        pass
+      else:
+        success = True
+        break
+    FLAGS.auth_local_webserver = success
+    if not success:
+      print 'Failed to start a local webserver listening on either port 8080'
+      print 'or port 9090. Please check your firewall settings and locally'
+      print 'running programs that may be blocking or using those ports.'
+      print
+      print 'Falling back to --noauth_local_webserver and continuing with',
+      print 'authorization.'
+      print
+
+  if FLAGS.auth_local_webserver:
+    oauth_callback = 'http://%s:%s/' % (FLAGS.auth_host_name, port_number)
+  else:
+    oauth_callback = client.OOB_CALLBACK_URN
+  flow.redirect_uri = oauth_callback
+  authorize_url = flow.step1_get_authorize_url()
+
+  if FLAGS.auth_local_webserver:
+    webbrowser.open(authorize_url, new=1, autoraise=True)
+    print 'Your browser has been opened to visit:'
+    print
+    print '    ' + authorize_url
+    print
+    print 'If your browser is on a different machine then exit and re-run'
+    print 'this application with the command-line parameter '
+    print
+    print '  --noauth_local_webserver'
+    print
+  else:
+    print 'Go to the following link in your browser:'
+    print
+    print '    ' + authorize_url
+    print
+
+  code = None
+  if FLAGS.auth_local_webserver:
+    httpd.handle_request()
+    if 'error' in httpd.query_params:
+      sys.exit('Authentication request was rejected.')
+    if 'code' in httpd.query_params:
+      code = httpd.query_params['code']
+    else:
+      print 'Failed to find "code" in the query parameters of the redirect.'
+      sys.exit('Try running with --noauth_local_webserver.')
+  else:
+    code = raw_input('Enter verification code: ').strip()
+
+  try:
+    credential = flow.step2_exchange(code, http=http)
+  except client.FlowExchangeError, e:
+    sys.exit('Authentication has failed: %s' % e)
+
+  storage.put(credential)
+  credential.set_store(storage)
+  print 'Authentication successful.'
+
+  return credential
diff --git a/oauth2client/tools.py b/oauth2client/tools.py
index e283a8a..8f01717 100644
--- a/oauth2client/tools.py
+++ b/oauth2client/tools.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 """
 
 __author__ = 'jcgregorio@google.com (Joe Gregorio)'
-__all__ = ['argparser', 'run', 'message_if_missing']
+__all__ = ['argparser', 'run_flow', 'run', 'message_if_missing']
 
 
 import BaseHTTPServer
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@
 
 
 @util.positional(3)
-def run(flow, storage, flags, http=None):
+def run_flow(flow, storage, flags, http=None):
   """Core code for a command-line application.
 
   The run() function is called from your application and runs through all the
@@ -231,3 +231,12 @@
   """Helpful message to display if the CLIENT_SECRETS file is missing."""
 
   return _CLIENT_SECRETS_MESSAGE % filename
+
+try:
+  from old_run import run
+except ImportError:
+  def run(*args, **kwargs):
+    raise NotImplementedError(
+        'The gflags library must be installed to use tools.run(). '
+        'Please install gflags or preferrably switch to using '
+        'tools.run_flow().')