diff --git a/ibis_omniscidb/__init__.py b/ibis_omniscidb/__init__.py
index 617388e..2e5843c 100644
--- a/ibis_omniscidb/__init__.py
+++ b/ibis_omniscidb/__init__.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 """OmniSciDB backend."""
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import warnings
 from typing import Optional, Union
 
 import ibis.common.exceptions as com
@@ -108,14 +109,16 @@ def connect(
 
         if session_id:
             kwargs = {'sessionid': session_id}
+        elif uri is not None:
+            kwargs = {}
         elif (
             user is not None and password is not None and database is not None
         ):
             kwargs = {'user': user, 'password': password, 'dbname': database}
         else:
             raise ValueError(
-                'If `session_id` is not provided, then `user`, '
-                '`password` and `database` must be provided.'
+                'If `session_id` is not provided, then the connection `uri` '
+                'or all `user`, `password` and `database` must be provided.'
             )
 
         new_backend.con = pyomnisci.connect(
@@ -771,3 +774,34 @@ def version(self):
             Version of the backend library.
         """
         return pyomnisci.__version__
+
+
+def connect(
+    uri: Optional[str] = None,
+    user: Optional[str] = None,
+    password: Optional[str] = None,
+    host: Optional[str] = None,
+    port: Optional[int] = 6274,
+    database: Optional[str] = None,
+    protocol: str = 'binary',
+    session_id: Optional[str] = None,
+    ipc: Optional[bool] = None,
+    gpu_device: Optional[int] = None,
+):
+    warnings.warn(
+        '`ibis_omniscidb.connect(...)` is deprecated and will be removed in '
+        'a future version. Use `ibis.omniscidb.connect(...)` instead.',
+        FutureWarning,
+    )
+    return Backend().connect(
+        uri,
+        user,
+        password,
+        host,
+        port,
+        database,
+        protocol,
+        session_id,
+        ipc,
+        gpu_device,
+    )
diff --git a/ibis_omniscidb/tests/conftest.py b/ibis_omniscidb/tests/conftest.py
index 87fcd1d..d6f8e2e 100644
--- a/ibis_omniscidb/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/ibis_omniscidb/tests/conftest.py
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@
 OMNISCIDB_PROTOCOL = os.environ.get('IBIS_TEST_OMNISCIDB_PROTOCOL', 'binary')
 OMNISCIDB_DB = os.environ.get('IBIS_TEST_DATA_DB', 'ibis_testing')
 
+URI_USER = f'{OMNISCIDB_USER}:{OMNISCIDB_PASS}'
+URI_HOST = f'{OMNISCIDB_HOST}:{OMNISCIDB_PORT}'
+URI = f'omniscidb://{URI_USER}@{URI_HOST}/{OMNISCIDB_DB}'
+
 
 class TestConf(BackendTest, RoundAwayFromZero):
     """Backend-specific class with information for testing."""
diff --git a/ibis_omniscidb/tests/test_client.py b/ibis_omniscidb/tests/test_client.py
index 678a9d4..28699cf 100644
--- a/ibis_omniscidb/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/ibis_omniscidb/tests/test_client.py
@@ -12,6 +12,19 @@
 from ibis.tests.util import assert_equal
 from pytest import param
 
+import ibis_omniscidb
+
+from . import conftest
+
+
+def test_connect_with_uri(con):
+    con.connect(uri=conftest.URI)
+
+
+def test_legacy_connect_warns():
+    with pytest.warns(FutureWarning):
+        ibis_omniscidb.connect(conftest.URI)
+
 
 def test_table(alltypes):
     assert isinstance(alltypes, ir.TableExpr)