diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1c575ac1..a1885ebf 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -164,6 +164,12 @@ GenServer.start_link(KafkaEx.Config.server_impl,
 )
 ```
 
+Alternatively, you can call
+
+```
+KafkaEx.start_link_worker(:no_name)
+```
+
 ### Retrieve kafka metadata
 For all metadata
 
diff --git a/lib/kafka_ex.ex b/lib/kafka_ex.ex
index d6a5cec0..9095bce9 100644
--- a/lib/kafka_ex.ex
+++ b/lib/kafka_ex.ex
@@ -550,6 +550,28 @@ defmodule KafkaEx do
     }
   end
 
+  @doc """
+  Start and link a worker outside of a supervision tree
+
+  This takes the same arguments as `create_worker/2` except that it adds
+
+  - `server_impl` - This is the GenServer that will be used for the
+    client genserver implementation - e.g., `KafkaEx.Server0P8P0`,
+    `KafkaEx.Server0P10AndLater`, `KafkaEx.New.Client`.  Defaults to the value
+    of `KafkaEx.Config.server_impl/0` which is determined by the `kafka_version`
+    setting.
+  """
+  @spec start_link_worker(atom, [
+          KafkaEx.worker_setting() | {:server_impl, module}
+        ]) :: GenServer.on_start()
+  def start_link_worker(name, worker_init \\ []) do
+    {server_impl, worker_init} =
+      Keyword.pop(worker_init, :server_impl, Config.server_impl())
+
+    {:ok, full_worker_init} = build_worker_options(worker_init)
+    server_impl.start_link(full_worker_init, name)
+  end
+
   @doc """
   Builds options to be used with workers
 
diff --git a/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_0_p_10_and_later_test.exs b/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_0_p_10_and_later_test.exs
index 9040d91f..5a696433 100644
--- a/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_0_p_10_and_later_test.exs
+++ b/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_0_p_10_and_later_test.exs
@@ -13,13 +13,11 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.KayrockCompatibility0p10AndLaterTest do
   @moduletag :new_client
   @num_partitions 10
 
-  alias KafkaEx.New.Client
   alias KafkaEx.New.KafkaExAPI
 
   setup do
-    {:ok, args} = KafkaEx.build_worker_options([])
-
-    {:ok, pid} = Client.start_link(args, :no_name)
+    {:ok, pid} =
+      KafkaEx.start_link_worker(:no_name, server_impl: KafkaEx.New.Client)
 
     {:ok, %{client: pid}}
   end
diff --git a/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_0_p_8_p_0_test.exs b/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_0_p_8_p_0_test.exs
index c96e985e..8525d670 100644
--- a/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_0_p_8_p_0_test.exs
+++ b/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_0_p_8_p_0_test.exs
@@ -14,12 +14,9 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.KayrockCompatibility0p8p0Test do
 
   @topic "test0p8p0"
 
-  alias KafkaEx.New.Client
-
   setup do
-    {:ok, args} = KafkaEx.build_worker_options([])
-
-    {:ok, pid} = Client.start_link(args, :no_name)
+    {:ok, pid} =
+      KafkaEx.start_link_worker(:no_name, server_impl: KafkaEx.New.Client)
 
     {:ok, %{client: pid}}
   end
diff --git a/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_0_p_9_p_0_test.exs b/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_0_p_9_p_0_test.exs
index b4d468a6..45d73625 100644
--- a/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_0_p_9_p_0_test.exs
+++ b/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_0_p_9_p_0_test.exs
@@ -17,12 +17,9 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.KayrockCompatibility0p9p0Test do
   alias KafkaEx.Protocol.LeaveGroup.Request, as: LeaveGroupRequest
   alias KafkaEx.Protocol.SyncGroup.Request, as: SyncGroupRequest
 
-  alias KafkaEx.New.Client
-
   setup do
-    {:ok, args} = KafkaEx.build_worker_options([])
-
-    {:ok, pid} = Client.start_link(args, :no_name)
+    {:ok, pid} =
+      KafkaEx.start_link_worker(:no_name, server_impl: KafkaEx.New.Client)
 
     {:ok, %{client: pid}}
   end
diff --git a/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_consumer_group_implementation_test.exs b/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_consumer_group_implementation_test.exs
index b55f2090..9ee2e8b2 100644
--- a/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_consumer_group_implementation_test.exs
+++ b/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_consumer_group_implementation_test.exs
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.KayrockCompatibilityConsumerGroupImplementationTest do
 
   alias KafkaEx.ConsumerGroup
   alias KafkaEx.GenConsumer
-  alias KafkaEx.New.Client
   alias KafkaEx.Protocol.OffsetFetch
 
   # note this topic is created by docker_up.sh
@@ -165,9 +164,8 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.KayrockCompatibilityConsumerGroupImplementationTest do
   setup do
     {:ok, _} = TestPartitioner.start_link()
 
-    {:ok, client_args} = KafkaEx.build_worker_options([])
-
-    {:ok, client_pid} = Client.start_link(client_args, :no_name)
+    {:ok, client_pid} =
+      KafkaEx.start_link_worker(:no_name, server_impl: KafkaEx.New.Client)
 
     # the client will die on its own, so don't count that
     ports_before = num_open_ports()
diff --git a/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_consumer_group_test.exs b/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_consumer_group_test.exs
index 0ce80cfc..90a175f1 100644
--- a/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_consumer_group_test.exs
+++ b/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_consumer_group_test.exs
@@ -14,13 +14,11 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.KayrockCompatibilityConsumerGroupTest do
 
   alias KafkaEx.Protocol, as: Proto
 
-  alias KafkaEx.New.Client
   alias KafkaEx.New.KafkaExAPI
 
   setup do
-    {:ok, args} = KafkaEx.build_worker_options([])
-
-    {:ok, pid} = Client.start_link(args, :no_name)
+    {:ok, pid} =
+      KafkaEx.start_link_worker(:no_name, server_impl: KafkaEx.New.Client)
 
     {:ok, %{client: pid}}
   end
diff --git a/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_test.exs b/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_test.exs
index bccdc975..aaa430bd 100644
--- a/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_test.exs
+++ b/test/integration/kayrock/compatibility_test.exs
@@ -20,9 +20,8 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.KayrockCompatibilityTest do
   alias KafkaEx.New.KafkaExAPI
 
   setup do
-    {:ok, args} = KafkaEx.build_worker_options([])
-
-    {:ok, pid} = Client.start_link(args, :no_name)
+    {:ok, pid} =
+      KafkaEx.start_link_worker(:no_name, server_impl: KafkaEx.New.Client)
 
     {:ok, %{client: pid}}
   end
diff --git a/test/integration/kayrock/offset_test.exs b/test/integration/kayrock/offset_test.exs
index f5181adc..bfebd40e 100644
--- a/test/integration/kayrock/offset_test.exs
+++ b/test/integration/kayrock/offset_test.exs
@@ -5,16 +5,14 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.KayrockOffsetTest do
 
   use ExUnit.Case
 
-  alias KafkaEx.New.Client
   alias KafkaEx.Protocol.OffsetCommit
   alias KafkaEx.Protocol.OffsetFetch
 
   @moduletag :new_client
 
   setup do
-    {:ok, args} = KafkaEx.build_worker_options([])
-
-    {:ok, pid} = Client.start_link(args, :no_name)
+    {:ok, pid} =
+      KafkaEx.start_link_worker(:no_name, server_impl: KafkaEx.New.Client)
 
     {:ok, %{client: pid}}
   end
diff --git a/test/integration/kayrock/record_batch_test.exs b/test/integration/kayrock/record_batch_test.exs
index 9f5398d0..5ab15bcc 100644
--- a/test/integration/kayrock/record_batch_test.exs
+++ b/test/integration/kayrock/record_batch_test.exs
@@ -5,14 +5,11 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.KayrockRecordBatchTest do
 
   use ExUnit.Case
 
-  alias KafkaEx.New.Client
-
   @moduletag :new_client
 
   setup do
-    {:ok, args} = KafkaEx.build_worker_options([])
-
-    {:ok, pid} = Client.start_link(args, :no_name)
+    {:ok, pid} =
+      KafkaEx.start_link_worker(:no_name, server_impl: KafkaEx.New.Client)
 
     {:ok, %{client: pid}}
   end
diff --git a/test/integration/kayrock/timestamp_test.exs b/test/integration/kayrock/timestamp_test.exs
index c343b23a..24037d30 100644
--- a/test/integration/kayrock/timestamp_test.exs
+++ b/test/integration/kayrock/timestamp_test.exs
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.KayrockTimestampTest do
 
   use ExUnit.Case
 
-  alias KafkaEx.New.Client
   alias KafkaEx.TimestampNotSupportedError
 
   require Logger
@@ -13,9 +12,8 @@ defmodule KafkaEx.KayrockTimestampTest do
   @moduletag :new_client
 
   setup do
-    {:ok, args} = KafkaEx.build_worker_options([])
-
-    {:ok, pid} = Client.start_link(args, :no_name)
+    {:ok, pid} =
+      KafkaEx.start_link_worker(:no_name, server_impl: KafkaEx.New.Client)
 
     {:ok, %{client: pid}}
   end