diff --git a/src/options/DefaultOptions.cpp b/src/options/DefaultOptions.cpp
index 6d70eb3..d8f2d19 100644
--- a/src/options/DefaultOptions.cpp
+++ b/src/options/DefaultOptions.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ namespace sql
   {
     static const int32_t SocketTimeoutDefault[]= {30000, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0};
     std::map<std::string, DefaultOptions> OptionsMap{
-      { "user", {"user", "0.9.1", "Database user name", false} },
+      {"user",     {"user",      "0.9.1", "Database user name",            false} },
       {"password", {"password",  "0.9.1", "Password of the database user", false} },
 
       /**
@@ -882,7 +882,7 @@ namespace sql
       {
         for (auto& it : properties)
         {
-          const std::string& key= StringImp::get(it.first);
+          std::string key(it.first.c_str(), it.first.length());
           SQLString propertyValue(it.second);
 
           auto cit= OPTIONS_MAP.find(key);
diff --git a/test/unit/classes/connection.cpp b/test/unit/classes/connection.cpp
index b3d957a..a4dd9c7 100644
--- a/test/unit/classes/connection.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/classes/connection.cpp
@@ -3225,5 +3225,20 @@ void connection::bugConCpp21()
 }
 
 
+void connection::unknownPropertyConnect()
+{
+  sql::Properties p;
+
+  p["user"]= user;
+ 
+  con.reset(driver->connect(url + "?password=" + passwd + "&notExistentPropery=blahblah", p));
+  ASSERT(con.get() == nullptr);
+  p["hostName"]= url;
+  p["password"]= passwd;
+  p["notExistentPropery"]= "blahblah";
+  con.reset(driver->connect(p));
+  ASSERT(con.get() == nullptr);
+}
+
 } /* namespace connection */
 } /* namespace testsuite */
diff --git a/test/unit/classes/connectiontest.h b/test/unit/classes/connectiontest.h
index 1e3ac8c..3b22a16 100644
--- a/test/unit/classes/connectiontest.h
+++ b/test/unit/classes/connectiontest.h
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ public:
   TEST_CASE(tls_version);
   TEST_CASE(cached_sha2_auth);
   TEST_CASE(bugConCpp21);
+  TEST_CASE(unknownPropertyConnect);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -266,6 +267,9 @@ public:
    * URL overrides properties instead of the opposite
    */
   void bugConCpp21();
+
+  /* Unknown properties cause nullptr for connect() and exception for getConnection() */
+  void unknownPropertyConnect();
 };