diff --git a/mongoengine/connection.py b/mongoengine/connection.py
index 705dc25b..38ebb243 100644
--- a/mongoengine/connection.py
+++ b/mongoengine/connection.py
@@ -104,6 +104,18 @@ def register_connection(alias, db=None, name=None, host=None, port=None,
                 conn_settings['authentication_source'] = uri_options['authsource']
             if 'authmechanism' in uri_options:
                 conn_settings['authentication_mechanism'] = uri_options['authmechanism']
+            if IS_PYMONGO_3 and 'readpreference' in uri_options:
+                read_preferences = (
+                    ReadPreference.NEAREST,
+                    ReadPreference.PRIMARY,
+                    ReadPreference.PRIMARY_PREFERRED,
+                    ReadPreference.SECONDARY,
+                    ReadPreference.SECONDARY_PREFERRED)
+                read_pf_mode = uri_options['readpreference'].lower()
+                for preference in read_preferences:
+                    if preference.name.lower() == read_pf_mode:
+                        conn_settings['read_preference'] = preference
+                        break
         else:
             resolved_hosts.append(entity)
     conn_settings['host'] = resolved_hosts
diff --git a/tests/test_connection.py b/tests/test_connection.py
index cdcf1377..f58b1a3e 100644
--- a/tests/test_connection.py
+++ b/tests/test_connection.py
@@ -364,6 +364,12 @@ class ConnectionTest(unittest.TestCase):
         date_doc = DateDoc.objects.first()
         self.assertEqual(d, date_doc.the_date)
 
+    def test_read_preference_from_parse(self):
+        if IS_PYMONGO_3:
+            from pymongo import ReadPreference
+            conn = connect(host="mongodb://a1.vpc,a2.vpc,a3.vpc/prod?readPreference=secondaryPreferred")
+            self.assertEqual(conn.read_preference, ReadPreference.SECONDARY_PREFERRED)
+
     def test_multiple_connection_settings(self):
         connect('mongoenginetest', alias='t1', host="localhost")