diff --git a/packages/core/src/api.ts b/packages/core/src/api.ts
index c79868c5cb83..c79012ec103a 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/api.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/api.ts
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export class API {
     const dsn = this._dsnObject;
     const header = [`Sentry sentry_version=${SENTRY_API_VERSION}`];
     header.push(`sentry_client=${clientName}/${clientVersion}`);
-    header.push(`sentry_key=${dsn.user}`);
+    header.push(`sentry_key=${dsn.publicKey}`);
     if (dsn.pass) {
       header.push(`sentry_secret=${dsn.pass}`);
     }
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ export class API {
     const auth = {
       // We send only the minimum set of required information. See
       // https://github.com/getsentry/sentry-javascript/issues/2572.
-      sentry_key: dsn.user,
+      sentry_key: dsn.publicKey,
       sentry_version: SENTRY_API_VERSION,
     };
     return urlEncode(auth);
diff --git a/packages/types/src/dsn.ts b/packages/types/src/dsn.ts
index c697c275e553..b9f757392533 100644
--- a/packages/types/src/dsn.ts
+++ b/packages/types/src/dsn.ts
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@ export type DsnProtocol = 'http' | 'https';
 export interface DsnComponents {
   /** Protocol used to connect to Sentry. */
   protocol: DsnProtocol;
+  /** Public authorization key (deprecated, renamed to publicKey). */
+  user?: string;
   /** Public authorization key. */
-  user: string;
+  publicKey?: string;
   /** Private authorization key (deprecated, optional). */
   pass?: string;
   /** Hostname of the Sentry instance. */
diff --git a/packages/utils/src/dsn.ts b/packages/utils/src/dsn.ts
index 5188c6d929ad..011472e35234 100644
--- a/packages/utils/src/dsn.ts
+++ b/packages/utils/src/dsn.ts
@@ -12,8 +12,10 @@ const ERROR_MESSAGE = 'Invalid Dsn';
 export class Dsn implements DsnComponents {
   /** Protocol used to connect to Sentry. */
   public protocol!: DsnProtocol;
-  /** Public authorization key. */
+  /** Public authorization key (deprecated, renamed to publicKey). */
   public user!: string;
+  /** Public authorization key. */
+  public publicKey!: string;
   /** Private authorization key (deprecated, optional). */
   public pass!: string;
   /** Hostname of the Sentry instance. */
@@ -46,9 +48,9 @@ export class Dsn implements DsnComponents {
    * @param withPassword When set to true, the password will be included.
    */
   public toString(withPassword: boolean = false): string {
-    const { host, path, pass, port, projectId, protocol, user } = this;
+    const { host, path, pass, port, projectId, protocol, publicKey } = this;
     return (
-      `${protocol}://${user}${withPassword && pass ? `:${pass}` : ''}` +
+      `${protocol}://${publicKey}${withPassword && pass ? `:${pass}` : ''}` +
       `@${host}${port ? `:${port}` : ''}/${path ? `${path}/` : path}${projectId}`
     );
   }
@@ -61,7 +63,7 @@ export class Dsn implements DsnComponents {
       throw new SentryError(ERROR_MESSAGE);
     }
 
-    const [protocol, user, pass = '', host, port = '', lastPath] = match.slice(1);
+    const [protocol, publicKey, pass = '', host, port = '', lastPath] = match.slice(1);
     let path = '';
     let projectId = lastPath;
 
@@ -78,13 +80,19 @@ export class Dsn implements DsnComponents {
       }
     }
 
-    this._fromComponents({ host, pass, path, projectId, port, protocol: protocol as DsnProtocol, user });
+    this._fromComponents({ host, pass, path, projectId, port, protocol: protocol as DsnProtocol, publicKey });
   }
 
   /** Maps Dsn components into this instance. */
   private _fromComponents(components: DsnComponents): void {
+    // TODO this is for backwards compatibility, and can be removed in a future version
+    if ('user' in components && !('publicKey' in components)) {
+      components.publicKey = components.user;
+    }
+    this.user = components.publicKey || '';
+
     this.protocol = components.protocol;
-    this.user = components.user;
+    this.publicKey = components.publicKey || '';
     this.pass = components.pass || '';
     this.host = components.host;
     this.port = components.port || '';
@@ -94,7 +102,7 @@ export class Dsn implements DsnComponents {
 
   /** Validates this Dsn and throws on error. */
   private _validate(): void {
-    ['protocol', 'user', 'host', 'projectId'].forEach(component => {
+    ['protocol', 'publicKey', 'host', 'projectId'].forEach(component => {
       if (!this[component as keyof DsnComponents]) {
         throw new SentryError(`${ERROR_MESSAGE}: ${component} missing`);
       }
diff --git a/packages/utils/test/dsn.test.ts b/packages/utils/test/dsn.test.ts
index 6db6e4f96868..534346cf0067 100644
--- a/packages/utils/test/dsn.test.ts
+++ b/packages/utils/test/dsn.test.ts
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@ describe('Dsn', () => {
         port: '1234',
         projectId: '123',
         protocol: 'https',
-        user: 'abc',
+        publicKey: 'abc',
       });
       expect(dsn.protocol).toBe('https');
-      expect(dsn.user).toBe('abc');
+      expect(dsn.publicKey).toBe('abc');
       expect(dsn.pass).toBe('xyz');
       expect(dsn.host).toBe('sentry.io');
       expect(dsn.port).toBe('1234');
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ describe('Dsn', () => {
         host: 'sentry.io',
         projectId: '123',
         protocol: 'https',
-        user: 'abc',
+        publicKey: 'abc',
       });
       expect(dsn.protocol).toBe('https');
-      expect(dsn.user).toBe('abc');
+      expect(dsn.publicKey).toBe('abc');
       expect(dsn.pass).toBe('');
       expect(dsn.host).toBe('sentry.io');
       expect(dsn.port).toBe('');
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ describe('Dsn', () => {
             host: '',
             projectId: '123',
             protocol: 'https',
-            user: 'abc',
+            publicKey: 'abc',
           }),
       ).toThrow(SentryError);
       expect(
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ describe('Dsn', () => {
             host: 'sentry.io',
             projectId: '',
             protocol: 'https',
-            user: 'abc',
+            publicKey: 'abc',
           }),
       ).toThrow(SentryError);
       expect(
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ describe('Dsn', () => {
             host: 'sentry.io',
             projectId: '123',
             protocol: '' as 'http', // Trick the type checker here
-            user: 'abc',
+            publicKey: 'abc',
           }),
       ).toThrow(SentryError);
       expect(
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ describe('Dsn', () => {
             host: 'sentry.io',
             projectId: '123',
             protocol: 'https',
-            user: '',
+            publicKey: '',
           }),
       ).toThrow(SentryError);
     });
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ describe('Dsn', () => {
             host: 'sentry.io',
             projectId: '123',
             protocol: 'httpx' as 'http', // Trick the type checker here
-            user: 'abc',
+            publicKey: 'abc',
           }),
       ).toThrow(SentryError);
       expect(
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ describe('Dsn', () => {
             port: 'xxx',
             projectId: '123',
             protocol: 'https',
-            user: 'abc',
+            publicKey: 'abc',
           }),
       ).toThrow(SentryError);
     });
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ describe('Dsn', () => {
     test('parses a valid full Dsn', () => {
       const dsn = new Dsn('https://abc:xyz@sentry.io:1234/123');
       expect(dsn.protocol).toBe('https');
-      expect(dsn.user).toBe('abc');
+      expect(dsn.publicKey).toBe('abc');
       expect(dsn.pass).toBe('xyz');
       expect(dsn.host).toBe('sentry.io');
       expect(dsn.port).toBe('1234');
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ describe('Dsn', () => {
     test('parses a valid partial Dsn', () => {
       const dsn = new Dsn('https://abc@sentry.io/123/321');
       expect(dsn.protocol).toBe('https');
-      expect(dsn.user).toBe('abc');
+      expect(dsn.publicKey).toBe('abc');
       expect(dsn.pass).toBe('');
       expect(dsn.host).toBe('sentry.io');
       expect(dsn.port).toBe('');
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ describe('Dsn', () => {
     test('with a long path', () => {
       const dsn = new Dsn('https://abc@sentry.io/sentry/custom/installation/321');
       expect(dsn.protocol).toBe('https');
-      expect(dsn.user).toBe('abc');
+      expect(dsn.publicKey).toBe('abc');
       expect(dsn.pass).toBe('');
       expect(dsn.host).toBe('sentry.io');
       expect(dsn.port).toBe('');
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ describe('Dsn', () => {
     test('with a query string', () => {
       const dsn = new Dsn('https://abc@sentry.io/321?sample.rate=0.1&other=value');
       expect(dsn.protocol).toBe('https');
-      expect(dsn.user).toBe('abc');
+      expect(dsn.publicKey).toBe('abc');
       expect(dsn.pass).toBe('');
       expect(dsn.host).toBe('sentry.io');
       expect(dsn.port).toBe('');