diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/Link.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/Link.java
index 40447bfe..fc4c7c39 100755
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/Link.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/Link.java
@@ -71,13 +71,23 @@ public class Link implements Serializable {
 	 * @param rel must not be {@literal null} or empty.
 	 */
 	public Link(String href, String rel) {
+		this(new UriTemplate(href), rel);
+	}
 
-		Assert.hasText(href, "Href must not be null or empty!");
+	/**
+	 * Creates a new Link from the given {@link UriTemplate} and rel.
+	 * 
+	 * @param template must not be {@literal null}.
+	 * @param rel must not be {@literal null} or empty.
+	 */
+	public Link(UriTemplate template, String rel) {
+
+		Assert.notNull(template, "UriTempalte must not be null!");
 		Assert.hasText(rel, "Rel must not be null or empty!");
 
-		this.href = href;
+		this.template = template;
+		this.href = template.toString();
 		this.rel = rel;
-		this.template = new UriTemplate(href);
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/UriTemplate.java b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/UriTemplate.java
index 6e2c68bb..74efd6bc 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/UriTemplate.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/springframework/hateoas/UriTemplate.java
@@ -76,6 +76,20 @@ public class UriTemplate implements Iterable<TemplateVariable> {
 		this.baseUri = template.substring(0, baseUriEndIndex);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Creates a new {@link UriTemplate} from the given base URI and {@link TemplateVariables}.
+	 * 
+	 * @param baseUri must not be {@literal null} or empty.
+	 * @param variables defaults to {@link TemplateVariables#NONE}.
+	 */
+	public UriTemplate(String baseUri, TemplateVariables variables) {
+
+		Assert.hasText("Base URI must not be null or empty!");
+
+		this.baseUri = baseUri;
+		this.variables = variables == null ? TemplateVariables.NONE : variables;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Returns whether the given candidate is a URI template.
 	 *