diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/MultiServerUserRegistry.java b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/MultiServerUserRegistry.java
index b77893879e4..5bc331d666a 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/MultiServerUserRegistry.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/MultiServerUserRegistry.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package org.springframework.messaging.simp.user;
 
 import java.net.InetAddress;
 import java.net.UnknownHostException;
+import java.security.Principal;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
@@ -310,6 +311,12 @@ public class MultiServerUserRegistry implements SimpUserRegistry, SmartApplicati
 			return this.name;
 		}
 
+		@Nullable
+		@Override
+		public Principal getPrincipal() {
+			return null;
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public boolean hasSessions() {
 			if (this.sessionLookup != null) {
diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/SimpUser.java b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/SimpUser.java
index 544bba0f1aa..bcd0d673927 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/SimpUser.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/main/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/SimpUser.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2017 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2020 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 package org.springframework.messaging.simp.user;
 
+import java.security.Principal;
 import java.util.Set;
 
 import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
@@ -33,6 +34,15 @@ public interface SimpUser {
 	 */
 	String getName();
 
+	/**
+	 * Return the user associated with the session, if available. Typically, the
+	 * user information is available unless the user is connected to a different
+	 * server in a multi-server user registry scenario.
+	 * @since 5.3
+	 */
+	@Nullable
+	Principal getPrincipal();
+
 	/**
 	 * Whether the user has any sessions.
 	 */
diff --git a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/TestSimpUser.java b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/TestSimpUser.java
index dec42d8d2fe..11a46884ead 100644
--- a/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/TestSimpUser.java
+++ b/spring-messaging/src/test/java/org/springframework/messaging/simp/user/TestSimpUser.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2017 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2020 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -16,11 +16,14 @@
 
 package org.springframework.messaging.simp.user;
 
+import java.security.Principal;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 
+import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
+
 /**
  * @author Rossen Stoyanchev
  */
@@ -41,6 +44,12 @@ public class TestSimpUser implements SimpUser {
 		return name;
 	}
 
+	@Nullable
+	@Override
+	public Principal getPrincipal() {
+		return null;
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	public Set<SimpSession> getSessions() {
 		return new HashSet<>(this.sessions.values());
diff --git a/spring-websocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/socket/messaging/DefaultSimpUserRegistry.java b/spring-websocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/socket/messaging/DefaultSimpUserRegistry.java
index ffc07460f98..e1c07de017b 100644
--- a/spring-websocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/socket/messaging/DefaultSimpUserRegistry.java
+++ b/spring-websocket/src/main/java/org/springframework/web/socket/messaging/DefaultSimpUserRegistry.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2002-2018 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2002-2020 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ public class DefaultSimpUserRegistry implements SimpUserRegistry, SmartApplicati
 			synchronized (this.sessionLock) {
 				LocalSimpUser simpUser = this.users.get(name);
 				if (simpUser == null) {
-					simpUser = new LocalSimpUser(name);
+					simpUser = new LocalSimpUser(name, user);
 					this.users.put(name, simpUser);
 				}
 				LocalSimpSession session = new LocalSimpSession(sessionId, simpUser);
@@ -193,11 +193,14 @@ public class DefaultSimpUserRegistry implements SimpUserRegistry, SmartApplicati
 
 		private final String name;
 
+		private final Principal user;
+
 		private final Map<String, SimpSession> userSessions = new ConcurrentHashMap<>(1);
 
-		public LocalSimpUser(String userName) {
+		public LocalSimpUser(String userName, Principal user) {
 			Assert.notNull(userName, "User name must not be null");
 			this.name = userName;
+			this.user = user;
 		}
 
 		@Override
@@ -205,6 +208,12 @@ public class DefaultSimpUserRegistry implements SimpUserRegistry, SmartApplicati
 			return this.name;
 		}
 
+		@Nullable
+		@Override
+		public Principal getPrincipal() {
+			return this.user;
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public boolean hasSessions() {
 			return !this.userSessions.isEmpty();