diff --git a/Build/MQTTnet.nuspec b/Build/MQTTnet.nuspec
index c532054..30cb406 100644
--- a/Build/MQTTnet.nuspec
+++ b/Build/MQTTnet.nuspec
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
 * [Server] Added interceptor for unsubscriptions.
 * [MQTTnet.Server] Added interceptor for unsubscriptions.
 * [MQTTnet.AspNetCore] improved compatibility with AspNetCore 3.1
+* [Core] Added MqttApplicationMessage.GetUserProperty() convenience method (thanks to @PMExtra).
+* [Client] Support WithConnectionUri to configure client (thanks to @PMExtra).
+* [Server] Removed exceptions when user properties are set with MQTT protocol version 3.1
 * [LowLevelMqttClient] Added low level MQTT client in order to provide more flexibility when using the MQTT protocol. This client requires detailed knowledge about the MQTT protocol.
     </releaseNotes>
     <copyright>Copyright Christian Kratky 2016-2020</copyright>
diff --git a/Source/MQTTnet/Extensions/MqttClientOptionsBuilderExtension.cs b/Source/MQTTnet/Extensions/MqttClientOptionsBuilderExtension.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc9da23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Source/MQTTnet/Extensions/MqttClientOptionsBuilderExtension.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+using System;
+using System.Linq;
+using MQTTnet.Client.Options;
+
+namespace MQTTnet.Extensions
+{
+    public static class MqttClientOptionsBuilderExtension
+    {
+        public static MqttClientOptionsBuilder WithConnectionUri(this MqttClientOptionsBuilder builder, Uri uri)
+        {
+            var port = uri.IsDefaultPort ? null : (int?) uri.Port;
+            switch (uri.Scheme.ToLower())
+            {
+                case "tcp":
+                case "mqtt":
+                    builder.WithTcpServer(uri.Host, port);
+                    break;
+
+                case "mqtts":
+                    builder.WithTcpServer(uri.Host, port).WithTls();
+                    break;
+
+                case "ws":
+                case "wss":
+                    builder.WithWebSocketServer(uri.ToString());
+                    break;
+
+                default:
+                    throw new ArgumentException("Unexpected scheme in uri.");
+            }
+            
+            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(uri.UserInfo))
+            {
+                var userInfo = uri.UserInfo.Split(':');
+                var username = userInfo[0];
+                var password = userInfo.Length > 1 ? userInfo[1] : "";
+                builder.WithCredentials(username, password);
+            }
+
+            return builder;
+        }
+
+        public static MqttClientOptionsBuilder WithConnectionUri(this MqttClientOptionsBuilder builder, string uri)
+        {
+            return WithConnectionUri(builder, new Uri(uri, UriKind.Absolute));
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Source/MQTTnet/Extensions/UserPropertyExtension.cs b/Source/MQTTnet/Extensions/UserPropertyExtension.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5bb28cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Source/MQTTnet/Extensions/UserPropertyExtension.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+using System;
+using System.ComponentModel;
+using System.Linq;
+
+namespace MQTTnet.Extensions
+{
+    public static class UserPropertyExtension
+    {
+        public static string GetUserProperty(this MqttApplicationMessage message, string propertyName, StringComparison comparisonType = StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+        {
+            if (message == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(message));
+            if (propertyName == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(propertyName));
+
+            return message.UserProperties?.SingleOrDefault(up => up.Name.Equals(propertyName, comparisonType))?.Value;
+        }
+
+        public static T GetUserProperty<T>(this MqttApplicationMessage message, string propertyName, StringComparison comparisonType = StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+        {
+            var value = GetUserProperty(message, propertyName, comparisonType);
+
+            var typeDescriptor = TypeDescriptor.GetConverter(typeof(T));
+            try
+            {
+                return (T) typeDescriptor.ConvertFromString(value);
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                throw new InvalidOperationException($"Cannot convert value({value ?? "null"}) of UserProperty({propertyName}) to {typeof(T).FullName}.", ex);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Source/MQTTnet/Formatter/V3/MqttV310DataConverter.cs b/Source/MQTTnet/Formatter/V3/MqttV310DataConverter.cs
index 48d42cd..4bf4944 100644
--- a/Source/MQTTnet/Formatter/V3/MqttV310DataConverter.cs
+++ b/Source/MQTTnet/Formatter/V3/MqttV310DataConverter.cs
@@ -20,11 +20,6 @@ namespace MQTTnet.Formatter.V3
         {
             if (applicationMessage == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(applicationMessage));
 
-            if (applicationMessage.UserProperties?.Any() == true)
-            {
-                throw new MqttProtocolViolationException("User properties are not supported in MQTT version 3.");
-            }
-
             return new MqttPublishPacket
             {
                 Topic = applicationMessage.Topic,
@@ -171,11 +166,6 @@ namespace MQTTnet.Formatter.V3
         {
             if (options == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(options));
 
-            if (options.UserProperties?.Any() == true)
-            {
-                throw new MqttProtocolViolationException("User properties are not supported in MQTT version 3.");
-            }
-
             var subscribePacket = new MqttSubscribePacket();
             subscribePacket.TopicFilters.AddRange(options.TopicFilters);
             
@@ -186,11 +176,6 @@ namespace MQTTnet.Formatter.V3
         {
             if (options == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(options));
 
-            if (options.UserProperties?.Any() == true)
-            {
-                throw new MqttProtocolViolationException("User properties are not supported in MQTT version 3.");
-            }
-
             var unsubscribePacket = new MqttUnsubscribePacket();
             unsubscribePacket.TopicFilters.AddRange(options.TopicFilters);
 
diff --git a/Source/MQTTnet/MQTTnet.csproj b/Source/MQTTnet/MQTTnet.csproj
index 28e3f3d..07b9161 100644
--- a/Source/MQTTnet/MQTTnet.csproj
+++ b/Source/MQTTnet/MQTTnet.csproj
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
   </PropertyGroup>
 
   <ItemGroup Condition="'$(TargetFramework)'=='netstandard1.3'">
+    <PackageReference Include="System.ComponentModel.TypeConverter" Version="4.3.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="System.Net.Security" Version="4.3.2" />
     <PackageReference Include="System.Net.WebSockets" Version="4.3.0" />
     <PackageReference Include="System.Net.WebSockets.Client" Version="4.3.2" />
diff --git a/Tests/MQTTnet.Core.Tests/MqttApplicationMessage_Tests.cs b/Tests/MQTTnet.Core.Tests/MqttApplicationMessage_Tests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6b791dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/MQTTnet.Core.Tests/MqttApplicationMessage_Tests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting;
+using MQTTnet.Extensions;
+using MQTTnet.Packets;
+
+namespace MQTTnet.Tests
+{
+    [TestClass]
+    public class MqttApplicationMessage_Tests
+    {
+        [TestMethod]
+        public void GetUserProperty_Test()
+        {
+            var message = new MqttApplicationMessage
+            {
+                UserProperties = new List<MqttUserProperty>
+                {
+                    new MqttUserProperty("foo", "bar"),
+                    new MqttUserProperty("value", "1011"),
+                    new MqttUserProperty("CASE", "insensitive")
+                }
+            };
+
+            Assert.AreEqual("bar", message.GetUserProperty("foo"));
+            Assert.AreEqual(1011, message.GetUserProperty<int>("value"));
+            Assert.AreEqual("insensitive", message.GetUserProperty("case"));
+            Assert.AreEqual(null, message.GetUserProperty("nonExists"));
+            Assert.AreEqual(null, message.GetUserProperty<int?>("nonExists"));
+            Assert.ThrowsException<InvalidOperationException>(() => message.GetUserProperty<int>("nonExists"));
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Tests/MQTTnet.Core.Tests/MqttClientOptionsBuilder_Tests.cs b/Tests/MQTTnet.Core.Tests/MqttClientOptionsBuilder_Tests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a482081
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/MQTTnet.Core.Tests/MqttClientOptionsBuilder_Tests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Text;
+using Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting;
+using MQTTnet.Client.Options;
+using MQTTnet.Extensions;
+
+namespace MQTTnet.Tests
+{
+    [TestClass]
+    public class MqttClientOptionsBuilder_Tests
+    {
+        [TestMethod]
+        public void WithConnectionUri_Credential_Test()
+        {
+            var options = new MqttClientOptionsBuilder()
+                .WithConnectionUri("mqtt://user:password@127.0.0.1")
+                .Build();
+            Assert.AreEqual("user", options.Credentials.Username);
+            Assert.IsTrue(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes("password").SequenceEqual(options.Credentials.Password));
+        }
+    }
+}