diff --git a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/AbstractXMPPConnection.java b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/AbstractXMPPConnection.java
index 246f05eb2..bd3d47554 100644
--- a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/AbstractXMPPConnection.java
+++ b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/AbstractXMPPConnection.java
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractXMPPConnection implements XMPPConnection {
         user = response.getJid();
         xmppServiceDomain = user.asDomainBareJid();
 
-        Session.Feature sessionFeature = getFeature(Session.ELEMENT, Session.NAMESPACE);
+        Session.Feature sessionFeature = getFeature(Session.Feature.class);
         // Only bind the session if it's announced as stream feature by the server, is not optional and not disabled
         // For more information see http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-cridland-xmpp-session-01
         if (sessionFeature != null && !sessionFeature.isOptional()) {
@@ -1913,14 +1913,13 @@ public abstract class AbstractXMPPConnection implements XMPPConnection {
 
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     @Override
-    public <F extends FullyQualifiedElement> F getFeature(String element, String namespace) {
-        QName qname = new QName(namespace, element);
+    public <F extends FullyQualifiedElement> F getFeature(QName qname) {
         return (F) streamFeatures.get(qname);
     }
 
     @Override
-    public boolean hasFeature(String element, String namespace) {
-        return getFeature(element, namespace) != null;
+    public boolean hasFeature(QName qname) {
+        return streamFeatures.containsKey(qname);
     }
 
     protected void addStreamFeature(FullyQualifiedElement feature) {
diff --git a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/SASLAuthentication.java b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/SASLAuthentication.java
index 6c1c31a5d..2e02b5080 100644
--- a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/SASLAuthentication.java
+++ b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/SASLAuthentication.java
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ public final class SASLAuthentication {
     }
 
     private List<String> getServerMechanisms() {
-        Mechanisms mechanisms = connection.getFeature(Mechanisms.ELEMENT, Mechanisms.NAMESPACE);
+        Mechanisms mechanisms = connection.getFeature(Mechanisms.class);
         if (mechanisms == null) {
             return Collections.emptyList();
         }
diff --git a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/XMPPConnection.java b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/XMPPConnection.java
index 842007f1e..1d3ca49d1 100644
--- a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/XMPPConnection.java
+++ b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/XMPPConnection.java
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ package org.jivesoftware.smack;
 
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
+import javax.xml.namespace.QName;
+
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.SmackException.NoResponseException;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.SmackException.NotConnectedException;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.XMPPException.XMPPErrorException;
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.Stanza;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.StanzaFactory;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.Consumer;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.Predicate;
+import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.XmppElementUtil;
 
 import org.jxmpp.jid.DomainBareJid;
 import org.jxmpp.jid.EntityFullJid;
@@ -576,8 +579,39 @@ public interface XMPPConnection {
      * @param element TODO javadoc me please
      * @param namespace TODO javadoc me please
      * @return a stanza extensions of the feature or <code>null</code>
+     * @deprecated use {@link #getFeature(Class)} instead.
      */
-    <F extends FullyQualifiedElement> F getFeature(String element, String namespace);
+    // TODO: Remove in Smack 4.5.
+    @Deprecated
+    default <F extends FullyQualifiedElement> F getFeature(String element, String namespace) {
+        QName qname = new QName(namespace, element);
+        return getFeature(qname);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the feature stanza extensions for a given stream feature of the
+     * server, or <code>null</code> if the server doesn't support that feature.
+     *
+     * @param <F> {@link ExtensionElement} type of the feature.
+     * @param qname the qualified name of the XML element of feature.
+     * @return a stanza extensions of the feature or <code>null</code>
+     * @since 4.4
+     */
+    <F extends FullyQualifiedElement> F getFeature(QName qname);
+
+    /**
+     * Get the feature stanza extensions for a given stream feature of the
+     * server, or <code>null</code> if the server doesn't support that feature.
+     *
+     * @param <F> {@link ExtensionElement} type of the feature.
+     * @param featureClass the class of the feature.
+     * @return a stanza extensions of the feature or <code>null</code>
+     * @since 4.4
+     */
+    default <F extends FullyQualifiedElement> F getFeature(Class<F> featureClass) {
+        QName qname = XmppElementUtil.getQNameFor(featureClass);
+        return getFeature(qname);
+    }
 
     /**
      * Return true if the server supports the given stream feature.
@@ -586,7 +620,18 @@ public interface XMPPConnection {
      * @param namespace TODO javadoc me please
      * @return true if the server supports the stream feature.
      */
-    boolean hasFeature(String element, String namespace);
+    default boolean hasFeature(String element, String namespace) {
+        QName qname = new QName(namespace, element);
+        return hasFeature(qname);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Return true if the server supports the given stream feature.
+     *
+     * @param qname the qualified name of the XML element of feature.
+     * @return true if the server supports the stream feature.
+     */
+    boolean hasFeature(QName qname);
 
     /**
      * Send an IQ request asynchronously. The connection's default reply timeout will be used.
diff --git a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/compress/packet/Compress.java b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/compress/packet/Compress.java
index a3ba65245..3a197aab6 100644
--- a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/compress/packet/Compress.java
+++ b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/compress/packet/Compress.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  *
- * Copyright © 2014-2015 Florian Schmaus
+ * Copyright © 2014-2020 Florian Schmaus
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ package org.jivesoftware.smack.compress.packet;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import javax.xml.namespace.QName;
+
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.ExtensionElement;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.Nonza;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.XmlStringBuilder;
@@ -55,6 +57,7 @@ public class Compress implements Nonza {
 
     public static class Feature implements ExtensionElement {
         public static final String ELEMENT = "compression";
+        public static final QName QNAME = new QName(NAMESPACE, ELEMENT);
 
         public final List<String> methods;
 
diff --git a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/compression/CompressionModule.java b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/compression/CompressionModule.java
index ce0dddeea..79bd0a21d 100644
--- a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/compression/CompressionModule.java
+++ b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/compression/CompressionModule.java
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ public class CompressionModule extends ModularXmppClientToServerConnectionModule
                 return new StateTransitionResult.TransitionImpossibleReason("Stream compression disabled by connection configuration");
             }
 
-            Compress.Feature compressFeature = connectionInternal.connection.getFeature(Compress.Feature.ELEMENT, Compress.NAMESPACE);
+            Compress.Feature compressFeature = connectionInternal.connection.getFeature(Compress.Feature.class);
             if (compressFeature == null) {
                 return new StateTransitionResult.TransitionImpossibleReason("Stream compression not supported or enabled by service");
             }
diff --git a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/packet/Mechanisms.java b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/packet/Mechanisms.java
index 4ef0bcd66..a981589ee 100644
--- a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/packet/Mechanisms.java
+++ b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/packet/Mechanisms.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  *
- * Copyright © 2014 Florian Schmaus
+ * Copyright © 2014-2020 Florian Schmaus
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -21,12 +21,15 @@ import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.List;
 
+import javax.xml.namespace.QName;
+
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.XmlStringBuilder;
 
 public class Mechanisms implements ExtensionElement {
 
     public static final String ELEMENT = "mechanisms";
     public static final String NAMESPACE = "urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-sasl";
+    public static final QName QNAME = new QName(NAMESPACE, ELEMENT);
 
     public final List<String> mechanisms = new LinkedList<String>();
 
diff --git a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/packet/Session.java b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/packet/Session.java
index a226b729d..48e0330c6 100644
--- a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/packet/Session.java
+++ b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/packet/Session.java
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 
 package org.jivesoftware.smack.packet;
 
+import javax.xml.namespace.QName;
+
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.XmlStringBuilder;
 
 /**
@@ -44,6 +46,8 @@ public class Session extends SimpleIQ {
 
     public static class Feature implements ExtensionElement {
 
+        public static final QName QNAME = new QName(NAMESPACE, ELEMENT);
+
         public static final String OPTIONAL_ELEMENT = "optional";
 
         private final boolean optional;
diff --git a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/packet/StartTls.java b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/packet/StartTls.java
index aebb1ad3f..070b287b7 100644
--- a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/packet/StartTls.java
+++ b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/packet/StartTls.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  *
- * Copyright © 2014-2019 Florian Schmaus
+ * Copyright © 2014-2020 Florian Schmaus
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
  */
 package org.jivesoftware.smack.packet;
 
+import javax.xml.namespace.QName;
+
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.util.XmlStringBuilder;
 
 public class StartTls implements Nonza {
@@ -24,6 +26,7 @@ public class StartTls implements Nonza {
 
     public static final String ELEMENT = "starttls";
     public static final String NAMESPACE = "urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-tls";
+    public static final QName QNAME = new QName(NAMESPACE, ELEMENT);
 
     private final boolean required;
 
diff --git a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/sasl/core/ScramMechanism.java b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/sasl/core/ScramMechanism.java
index 6fadfd3a8..bf8a4a224 100644
--- a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/sasl/core/ScramMechanism.java
+++ b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/sasl/core/ScramMechanism.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  *
- * Copyright 2014-2019 Florian Schmaus
+ * Copyright 2014-2020 Florian Schmaus
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ public abstract class ScramMechanism extends SASLMechanism {
             authzidPortion = "a=" + authorizationId;
         }
 
-        String cbName = getChannelBindingName();
+        String cbName = getGs2CbindFlag();
         assert StringUtils.isNotEmpty(cbName);
 
         return cbName + ',' + authzidPortion + ",";
@@ -244,7 +244,13 @@ public abstract class ScramMechanism extends SASLMechanism {
         return ByteUtils.concat(gs2Header, cbindData);
     }
 
-    protected String getChannelBindingName() {
+    /**
+     * Get the SCRAM GSS-API Channel Binding Flag value.
+     *
+     * @return the gs2-cbind-flag value.
+     * @see <a href="https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc5802#section-6">RFC 5802 § 6.</a>
+     */
+    protected String getGs2CbindFlag() {
         // Check if we are using TLS and if a "-PLUS" variant of this mechanism is enabled. Assuming that the "-PLUS"
         // variants always have precedence before the non-"-PLUS" variants this means that the server did not announce
         // the "-PLUS" variant, as otherwise we would have tried it.
diff --git a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/sasl/core/ScramPlusMechanism.java b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/sasl/core/ScramPlusMechanism.java
index 0aa7eee3f..849eee55d 100644
--- a/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/sasl/core/ScramPlusMechanism.java
+++ b/smack-core/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/sasl/core/ScramPlusMechanism.java
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  *
- * Copyright 2016-2019 Florian Schmaus
+ * Copyright 2016-2020 Florian Schmaus
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public abstract class ScramPlusMechanism extends ScramMechanism {
     }
 
     @Override
-    protected String getChannelBindingName() {
+    protected String getGs2CbindFlag() {
         return "p=tls-server-end-point";
     }
 
diff --git a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/caps/EntityCapsManager.java b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/caps/EntityCapsManager.java
index c63471bcb..b776cf8a4 100644
--- a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/caps/EntityCapsManager.java
+++ b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/caps/EntityCapsManager.java
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ public final class EntityCapsManager extends Manager {
             }
             private void processCapsStreamFeatureIfAvailable(XMPPConnection connection) {
                 CapsExtension capsExtension = connection.getFeature(
-                                CapsExtension.ELEMENT, CapsExtension.NAMESPACE);
+                                CapsExtension.class);
                 if (capsExtension == null) {
                     return;
                 }
diff --git a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/iqregister/AccountManager.java b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/iqregister/AccountManager.java
index 293cb5cbc..18440c9ce 100644
--- a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/iqregister/AccountManager.java
+++ b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/iqregister/AccountManager.java
@@ -339,8 +339,7 @@ public final class AccountManager extends Manager {
                     throws NoResponseException, XMPPErrorException, NotConnectedException, InterruptedException {
         XMPPConnection connection = connection();
 
-        ExtensionElement extensionElement = connection.getFeature(Registration.Feature.ELEMENT,
-                        Registration.Feature.NAMESPACE);
+        ExtensionElement extensionElement = connection.getFeature(Registration.Feature.class);
         if (extensionElement != null) {
             return true;
         }
diff --git a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/iqregister/packet/Registration.java b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/iqregister/packet/Registration.java
index e8b9795e4..543106b2d 100644
--- a/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/iqregister/packet/Registration.java
+++ b/smack-extensions/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smackx/iqregister/packet/Registration.java
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ package org.jivesoftware.smackx.iqregister.packet;
 
 import java.util.Map;
 
+import javax.xml.namespace.QName;
+
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.ExtensionElement;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.IQ;
 
@@ -104,6 +106,8 @@ public class Registration extends IQ {
 
         public static final String ELEMENT = "register";
         public static final String NAMESPACE = "http://jabber.org/features/iq-register";
+        public static final QName QNAME = new QName(NAMESPACE, ELEMENT);
+
         public static final Feature INSTANCE = new Registration.Feature();
 
         private Feature() {
diff --git a/smack-tcp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/tcp/XMPPTCPConnection.java b/smack-tcp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/tcp/XMPPTCPConnection.java
index 52ed8a077..2dbb44a04 100644
--- a/smack-tcp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/tcp/XMPPTCPConnection.java
+++ b/smack-tcp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/tcp/XMPPTCPConnection.java
@@ -801,7 +801,7 @@ public class XMPPTCPConnection extends AbstractXMPPConnection {
             return;
         }
 
-        Compress.Feature compression = getFeature(Compress.Feature.ELEMENT, Compress.NAMESPACE);
+        Compress.Feature compression = getFeature(Compress.Feature.class);
         if (compression == null) {
             // Server does not support compression
             return;
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ public class XMPPTCPConnection extends AbstractXMPPConnection {
 
     @Override
     protected void afterFeaturesReceived() throws NotConnectedException, InterruptedException, SecurityRequiredByServerException {
-        StartTls startTlsFeature = getFeature(StartTls.ELEMENT, StartTls.NAMESPACE);
+        StartTls startTlsFeature = getFeature(StartTls.class);
         if (startTlsFeature != null) {
             if (startTlsFeature.required() && config.getSecurityMode() == SecurityMode.disabled) {
                 SecurityRequiredByServerException smackException = new SecurityRequiredByServerException();
diff --git a/smack-tcp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/tcp/XmppTcpTransportModule.java b/smack-tcp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/tcp/XmppTcpTransportModule.java
index e48c35b25..60ba9fd41 100644
--- a/smack-tcp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/tcp/XmppTcpTransportModule.java
+++ b/smack-tcp/src/main/java/org/jivesoftware/smack/tcp/XmppTcpTransportModule.java
@@ -819,7 +819,7 @@ public class XmppTcpTransportModule extends ModularXmppClientToServerConnectionM
         @Override
         public StateTransitionResult.TransitionImpossible isTransitionToPossible(WalkStateGraphContext walkStateGraphContext)
                 throws SecurityRequiredByClientException, SecurityRequiredByServerException {
-            StartTls startTlsFeature = connectionInternal.connection.getFeature(StartTls.ELEMENT, StartTls.NAMESPACE);
+            StartTls startTlsFeature = connectionInternal.connection.getFeature(StartTls.class);
             SecurityMode securityMode = connectionInternal.connection.getConfiguration().getSecurityMode();
 
             switch (securityMode) {