diff --git a/src/account.rs b/src/account.rs
index 8e3047c..1ebcab7 100644
--- a/src/account.rs
+++ b/src/account.rs
@@ -458,12 +458,38 @@ impl AccountBuilder {
         self,
         key: (Key, PrivateKeyDer<'static>),
         directory_url: String,
+    ) -> Result<(Account, AccountCredentials), Error> {
+        self.from_key_inner(key, directory_url, true).await
+    }
+
+    /// Create a new account with the given private key
+    ///
+    /// The returned [`AccountCredentials`] can be serialized and stored for later use.
+    /// Use [`AccountBuilder::from_credentials()`] to restore the account from the credentials.
+    ///
+    /// Unlike [`AccountBuilder::from_key()`] which only loads existing accounts, this method
+    /// will create a new account if one doesn't already exist for the given key.
+    pub async fn create_from_key(
+        self,
+        key: (Key, PrivateKeyDer<'static>),
+        directory_url: String,
+    ) -> Result<(Account, AccountCredentials), Error> {
+        self.from_key_inner(key, directory_url, false).await
+    }
+
+    /// Shared implementation for `from_key` and `create_from_key`
+    #[allow(clippy::wrong_self_convention)]
+    async fn from_key_inner(
+        self,
+        key: (Key, PrivateKeyDer<'static>),
+        directory_url: String,
+        only_return_existing: bool,
     ) -> Result<(Account, AccountCredentials), Error> {
         Self::create_inner(
             &NewAccount {
                 contact: &[],
                 terms_of_service_agreed: true,
-                only_return_existing: true,
+                only_return_existing,
             },
             match key {
                 (key, PrivateKeyDer::Pkcs8(pkcs8)) => (key, pkcs8),
diff --git a/tests/pebble.rs b/tests/pebble.rs
index 0c6358f..338aebc 100644
--- a/tests/pebble.rs
+++ b/tests/pebble.rs
@@ -446,6 +446,58 @@ async fn account_from_key() -> Result<(), Box<dyn StdError>> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// Test account creation with a provided private key
+#[tokio::test]
+#[ignore]
+async fn account_create_from_key() -> Result<(), Box<dyn StdError>> {
+    try_tracing_init();
+
+    let env = Environment::new(EnvironmentConfig::default()).await?;
+    let directory_url = format!("https://{}/dir", &env.config.pebble.listen_address);
+
+    // Generate a new key
+    let (key, key_pkcs8) = Key::generate_pkcs8()?;
+
+    // Create a new account with the generated key
+    let (account1, credentials1) = Account::builder_with_http(Box::new(env.client.clone()))
+        .create_from_key(
+            (
+                key,
+                PrivateKeyDer::try_from(key_pkcs8.secret_pkcs8_der().to_vec())?,
+            ),
+            directory_url.clone(),
+        )
+        .await?;
+
+    // Extract the key to verify it matches what we provided
+    #[derive(Deserialize)]
+    struct JsonKey<'a> {
+        key_pkcs8: &'a str,
+    }
+
+    let json1 = serde_json::to_string(&credentials1)?;
+    let json_key = serde_json::from_str::<JsonKey>(&json1)?;
+    let key_der = BASE64_URL_SAFE_NO_PAD.decode(json_key.key_pkcs8)?;
+
+    // Verify the key matches
+    assert_eq!(key_der, key_pkcs8.secret_pkcs8_der());
+
+    // Now try to load the account using from_key to verify it was created
+    let key2 = Key::from_pkcs8_der(PrivatePkcs8KeyDer::from(key_der.clone()))?;
+    let (account2, credentials2) = Account::builder_with_http(Box::new(env.client.clone()))
+        .from_key((key2, PrivateKeyDer::try_from(key_der)?), directory_url)
+        .await?;
+
+    // Both should be the same account
+    assert_eq!(account1.id(), account2.id());
+    assert_eq!(
+        serde_json::to_string(&credentials1)?,
+        serde_json::to_string(&credentials2)?,
+    );
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 fn try_tracing_init() {
     let _ = tracing_subscriber::registry()
         .with(fmt::layer())