diff --git a/packages/credential-providers/README.md b/packages/credential-providers/README.md
index a5dc718f9f776..1cebec7f81370 100644
--- a/packages/credential-providers/README.md
+++ b/packages/credential-providers/README.md
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ A collection of all credential providers, with default clients.
    1. [SSO login with AWS CLI](#sso-login-with-the-aws-cli)
    1. [Sample Files](#sample-files-2)
 1. [From Node.js default credentials provider chain](#fromNodeProviderChain)
+1. [Creating a custom credentials chain](#chain)
 
 ## `fromCognitoIdentity()`
 
@@ -704,14 +705,14 @@ CLI profile name [123456789011_ReadOnly]: my-sso-profile<ENTER>
 
 ```javascript
 //...
-const client = new FooClient({ credentials: fromSSO({ profile: "my-sso-profile" })});
+const client = new FooClient({ credentials: fromSSO({ profile: "my-sso-profile" }) });
 ```
 
 Alternatively, the SSO credential provider is supported in shared INI credentials provider
 
 ```javascript
 //...
-const client = new FooClient({ credentials: fromIni({ profile: "my-sso-profile" })});
+const client = new FooClient({ credentials: fromIni({ profile: "my-sso-profile" }) });
 ```
 
 3. To log out from the current SSO session, use the AWS CLI:
@@ -784,6 +785,37 @@ const credentialProvider = fromNodeProviderChain({
 });
 ```
 
+## `chain()`
+
+You can use this helper to create a credential chain of your own.
+
+```ts
+import { fromEnv, fromIni, chain } from "@aws-sdk/credential-providers";
+import { S3 } from "@aws-sdk/client-s3";
+
+// You can mix existing AWS SDK credential providers
+// and custom async functions returning credential objects.
+new S3({
+  credentials: chain(fromEnv(), fromIni(), async () => {
+    return {
+      ...myCredentialsFromSomewhereElse,
+    };
+  }),
+});
+
+// Set a max duration on the credentials (client side only).
+// A set expiration will cause the credentials function to be called again
+// after the given duration.
+new S3({
+  credentials: chain(fromEnv(), fromIni()).expireAfter(15 * 60_000), // 15 minutes in milliseconds.
+});
+
+// apply shared init properties.
+new S3({
+  credentials: chain(...[fromEnv, fromIni].map((p) => p({ logger: console }))),
+});
+```
+
 ## Add Custom Headers to STS assume-role calls
 
 You can specify the plugins--groups of middleware, to inject to the STS client.
diff --git a/packages/credential-providers/src/customCredentialChain.spec.ts b/packages/credential-providers/src/customCredentialChain.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..9a45e3c629efe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/credential-providers/src/customCredentialChain.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import { ProviderError } from "@smithy/property-provider";
+import { AwsCredentialIdentity, AwsCredentialIdentityProvider } from "@smithy/types";
+
+import { chain } from "./customCredentialChain";
+
+describe(chain.name, () => {
+  const mockCredentials: AwsCredentialIdentity = {
+    accessKeyId: "AKI",
+    secretAccessKey: "SAK",
+  };
+
+  const failure = async () => {
+    throw new ProviderError("", { tryNextLink: true });
+  };
+
+  it("should throw an error if zero providers are chained", async () => {
+    const credentialProvider = chain();
+
+    try {
+      await credentialProvider();
+    } catch (e) {
+      expect(e).toBeDefined();
+    }
+
+    expect.assertions(1);
+  });
+
+  it("should create a custom chain", async () => {
+    const credentialProvider = chain(async () => mockCredentials);
+
+    const credentials = await credentialProvider();
+
+    expect(credentials).toEqual(mockCredentials);
+  });
+
+  it("should resolve a successful provider function", async () => {
+    const credentialProvider = chain(failure, failure, async () => mockCredentials, failure);
+
+    const credentials = await credentialProvider();
+
+    expect(credentials).toEqual(mockCredentials);
+  });
+
+  it("should resolve the first successful provider function", async () => {
+    const credentialProvider = chain(
+      failure,
+      failure,
+      async () => ({ ...mockCredentials, order: "1st" }),
+      failure,
+      async () => ({ ...mockCredentials, order: "2nd" })
+    );
+
+    const credentials = await credentialProvider();
+
+    expect(credentials).toEqual({ ...mockCredentials, order: "1st" });
+  });
+
+  it("should allow setting a duration", async () => {
+    const credentialProvider: AwsCredentialIdentityProvider = chain(
+      failure,
+      failure,
+      async () => ({ ...mockCredentials, order: "1st" }),
+      failure,
+      async () => ({ ...mockCredentials, order: "2nd" })
+    ).expireAfter(15_000);
+
+    const credentials = await credentialProvider();
+
+    expect(credentials.expiration).toBeDefined();
+    expect(credentials.expiration?.getTime()).toBeGreaterThan(Date.now());
+    expect(credentials.expiration?.getTime()).toBeLessThan(Date.now() + 30_000);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/credential-providers/src/customCredentialChain.ts b/packages/credential-providers/src/customCredentialChain.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..32915351080aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/credential-providers/src/customCredentialChain.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+import { chain as propertyProviderChain } from "@smithy/property-provider";
+import type { AwsCredentialIdentityProvider } from "@smithy/types";
+
+export interface CustomCredentialChainOptions {
+  expireAfter(milliseconds: number): AwsCredentialIdentityProvider & CustomCredentialChainOptions;
+}
+
+/**
+ * @internal
+ */
+type Mutable<Type> = {
+  -readonly [Property in keyof Type]: Type[Property];
+};
+
+/**
+ * @example
+ * ```js
+ * import { fromEnv, fromIni, chain } from "@aws-sdk/credential-providers";
+ * import { S3 } from '@aws-sdk/client-s3';
+ *
+ * // basic chain.
+ * new S3({
+ *   credentials: chain(
+ *     fromEnv(),
+ *     fromIni()
+ *   )
+ * });
+ *
+ * // set a max duration on the credentials (client side only).
+ * new S3({
+ *   credentials: chain(
+ *     fromEnv(),
+ *     fromIni()
+ *   ).expireAfter(15 * 60_000) // 15 minutes in milliseconds.
+ * });
+ *
+ * // apply shared init properties.
+ * new S3({
+ *   credentials: chain(...[
+ *     fromEnv,
+ *     fromIni
+ *   ].map(p => p({ logger: console })))
+ * });
+ *
+ * ```
+ *
+ * @param credentialProviders - one or more credential providers.
+ * @returns a single AwsCredentialIdentityProvider that calls the given
+ * providers in sequence until one succeeds or all fail.
+ */
+export const chain = (
+  ...credentialProviders: AwsCredentialIdentityProvider[]
+): AwsCredentialIdentityProvider & CustomCredentialChainOptions => {
+  let expireAfter = -1;
+  const baseFunction = async () => {
+    const credentials = await propertyProviderChain(...credentialProviders)();
+    if (!credentials.expiration && expireAfter !== -1) {
+      (credentials as Mutable<typeof credentials>).expiration = new Date(Date.now() + expireAfter);
+    }
+    return credentials;
+  };
+  const withOptions = Object.assign(baseFunction, {
+    expireAfter(milliseconds: number) {
+      expireAfter = milliseconds;
+      return withOptions;
+    },
+  });
+  return withOptions;
+};
diff --git a/packages/credential-providers/src/index.ts b/packages/credential-providers/src/index.ts
index a1e419ae6188c..1845e3413d68d 100644
--- a/packages/credential-providers/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/credential-providers/src/index.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
+export * from "./customCredentialChain";
 export * from "./fromCognitoIdentity";
 export * from "./fromCognitoIdentityPool";
 export * from "./fromContainerMetadata";
-export * from "./fromEnv";
 export { fromHttp, FromHttpOptions, HttpProviderCredentials } from "@aws-sdk/credential-provider-http";
+export * from "./fromEnv";
 export * from "./fromIni";
 export * from "./fromInstanceMetadata";
 export * from "./fromNodeProviderChain";