diff --git a/packages/use-auth-client/src/use-auth-client.ts b/packages/use-auth-client/src/use-auth-client.ts
index 05d0d238..6d0619ea 100644
--- a/packages/use-auth-client/src/use-auth-client.ts
+++ b/packages/use-auth-client/src/use-auth-client.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,35 @@ import {
   AuthClientLoginOptions,
   InternetIdentityAuthResponseSuccess,
 } from '@dfinity/auth-client';
-import { Identity } from '@dfinity/agent';
+import {
+  type Identity,
+  type Agent,
+  type HttpAgentOptions,
+  type ActorConfig,
+  HttpAgent,
+  Actor,
+} from '@dfinity/agent';
+import type { IDL } from '@dfinity/candid';
+import { Principal } from '@dfinity/principal';
+
+export interface CreateActorOptions {
+  /**
+   * @see {@link Agent}
+   */
+  agent?: Agent;
+  /**
+   * @see {@link HttpAgentOptions}
+   */
+  agentOptions?: HttpAgentOptions;
+  /**
+   * @see {@link ActorConfig}
+   */
+  actorOptions?: ActorConfig;
+
+  idlFactory: IDL.InterfaceFactory;
+
+  canisterId: Principal | string;
+}
 
 /**
  * Options for the useAuthClient hook
@@ -19,6 +47,10 @@ export type UseAuthClientOptions = {
    * Options passed during the login of the auth client
    */
   loginOptions?: AuthClientLoginOptions;
+  /**
+   * Options to create an actor using the auth client identity
+   */
+  actorOptions?: CreateActorOptions;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -31,17 +63,39 @@ export type UseAuthClientOptions = {
 export function useAuthClient(options?: UseAuthClientOptions) {
   const [authClient, setAuthClient] = React.useState<AuthClient | null>(null);
   const [identity, setIdentity] = React.useState<Identity | null>(null);
+  const [actor, setActor] = React.useState<Actor | null>(null);
   const [isAuthenticated, setIsAuthenticated] = React.useState<boolean>(false);
 
   // load the auth client on mount
   React.useEffect(() => {
-    AuthClient.create(options?.createOptions).then(async client => {
+    AuthClient.create({
+      ...options?.createOptions,
+      idleOptions: {
+        ...options?.createOptions?.idleOptions,
+        onIdle:
+          options?.createOptions?.idleOptions?.onIdle ??
+          (() => {
+            logout();
+          }),
+      },
+    }).then(async client => {
       setAuthClient(client);
       setIdentity(client.getIdentity());
       setIsAuthenticated(await client.isAuthenticated());
     });
   }, []);
 
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    if (identity && options?.actorOptions) {
+      createActor({
+        ...options.actorOptions,
+        agentOptions: { ...options?.actorOptions?.agentOptions, identity },
+      }).then(actor => {
+        setActor(actor);
+      });
+    }
+  }, [identity]);
+
   /**
    * Login through your configured identity provider
    * Wraps the onSuccess and onError callbacks with promises for convenience
@@ -78,10 +132,12 @@ export function useAuthClient(options?: UseAuthClientOptions) {
       setIsAuthenticated(false);
       setIdentity(null);
       await authClient.logout();
+      setActor(await createActor(options?.actorOptions));
     }
   }
 
   return {
+    actor,
     authClient,
     identity,
     isAuthenticated,
@@ -89,3 +145,28 @@ export function useAuthClient(options?: UseAuthClientOptions) {
     logout,
   };
 }
+
+const createActor = async (options: CreateActorOptions) => {
+  const agent = options.agent || (await HttpAgent.create({ ...options.agentOptions }));
+
+  if (options.agent && options.agentOptions) {
+    console.warn(
+      'Detected both agent and agentOptions passed to createActor. Ignoring agentOptions and proceeding with the provided agent.',
+    );
+  }
+
+  // Fetch root key for certificate validation during development
+  if (process.env.DFX_NETWORK !== 'ic') {
+    agent.fetchRootKey().catch(err => {
+      console.warn('Unable to fetch root key. Check to ensure that your local replica is running');
+      console.error(err);
+    });
+  }
+
+  // Creates an actor with using the candid interface and the HttpAgent
+  return Actor.createActor(options.idlFactory, {
+    agent,
+    canisterId: options.canisterId,
+    ...options.actorOptions,
+  });
+};