diff --git a/Source/HiveMQtt/MQTT5/Types/MQTT5PublishMessage.cs b/Source/HiveMQtt/MQTT5/Types/MQTT5PublishMessage.cs
index fe39272b..547ffb29 100644
--- a/Source/HiveMQtt/MQTT5/Types/MQTT5PublishMessage.cs
+++ b/Source/HiveMQtt/MQTT5/Types/MQTT5PublishMessage.cs
@@ -168,11 +168,7 @@ public string PayloadAsString
     /// <exception cref="HiveMQttClientException">The exception raised if some value is out of range or invalid.</exception>
     public void Validate()
     {
-        if (this.PayloadFormatIndicator.HasValue && (this.PayloadFormatIndicator.Value is not MQTT5PayloadFormatIndicator.Unspecified and not MQTT5PayloadFormatIndicator.UTF8Encoded))
-        {
-            throw new HiveMQttClientException("Payload Format Indicator must be Unspecified or UTF8Encoded.");
-        }
-        else
+        if (!this.PayloadFormatIndicator.HasValue)
         {
             this.PayloadFormatIndicator = MQTT5PayloadFormatIndicator.Unspecified;
         }
diff --git a/Tests/HiveMQtt.Test/HiveMQClient/PublishTest.cs b/Tests/HiveMQtt.Test/HiveMQClient/PublishTest.cs
index 19932aba..bdcec6b7 100644
--- a/Tests/HiveMQtt.Test/HiveMQClient/PublishTest.cs
+++ b/Tests/HiveMQtt.Test/HiveMQClient/PublishTest.cs
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 namespace HiveMQtt.Test.HiveMQClient;
 
+using System.Text;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using HiveMQtt.Client;
 using HiveMQtt.MQTT5.ReasonCodes;
+using HiveMQtt.MQTT5.Types;
 using Xunit;
 
 public class PublishTest
@@ -146,4 +148,31 @@ public async Task PublishWithOptionsAsync()
         var disconnectResult = await client.DisconnectAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
         Assert.True(disconnectResult);
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task PublishPayloadFormatIndicatorAsync()
+    {
+        var client = new HiveMQClient();
+        var connectResult = await client.ConnectAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+        Assert.True(connectResult.ReasonCode == ConnAckReasonCode.Success);
+
+        var msg = new MQTT5PublishMessage("tests/PublishPayloadFormatIndicatorAsync", QualityOfService.AtMostOnceDelivery)
+        {
+            PayloadFormatIndicator = MQTT5PayloadFormatIndicator.UTF8Encoded,
+            Payload = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("blah"),
+        };
+
+        var taskCompletionSource = new TaskCompletionSource<bool>();
+        client.OnPublishSent += (sender, args) =>
+        {
+            Assert.Equal(MQTT5PayloadFormatIndicator.UTF8Encoded, args.PublishPacket.Message.PayloadFormatIndicator);
+            taskCompletionSource.SetResult(true);
+        };
+
+        var result = await client.PublishAsync(msg).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        var eventResult = await taskCompletionSource.Task.ConfigureAwait(false);
+
+        var disconnectResult = await client.DisconnectAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+        Assert.True(disconnectResult);
+    }
 }