diff --git a/conf.py b/conf.py
index 24ee5113f04..c4fda2b472a 100644
--- a/conf.py
+++ b/conf.py
@@ -436,7 +436,8 @@ class WKTLexer(RegexLexer):
             r'SHAPEPATH|SIZE|SIZEUNITS|STATUS|STYLE|STYLEITEM|SYMBOL|SYMBOLSCALE|'
             r'SYMBOLSCALEDENOM|SYMBOLSET|TABLE|TEMPLATE|TEMPLATEPATTERN|TEXT|'
             r'TILEINDEX|TILEITEM|TILESRS|TITLE|TO|TOLERANCE|TOLERANCEUNITS|TRANSPARENCY|'
-            r'TRANSPARENT|TRANSFORM|TYPE|UNITS|UTFDATA|UTFITEM|WEB|WIDTH|WKT|WRAP|IMAGEMODE|VALIDATION|VALUES'
+            r'TRANSPARENT|TRANSFORM|TYPE|UNITS|UTFDATA|UTFITEM|WEB|WIDTH|WKT|WRAP|IMAGEMODE|VALIDATION|VALUES|'
+            r'IDENTIFY|CLASSAUTO'
             r')\b')
 
 class MapFileLexer(RegexLexer):
diff --git a/en/images/layer_classes.png b/en/images/layer_classes.png
index 61c26f9bb4a..d8e971191dd 100644
Binary files a/en/images/layer_classes.png and b/en/images/layer_classes.png differ
diff --git a/en/mapfile/identify.txt b/en/mapfile/identify.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b10b7ffa916
--- /dev/null
+++ b/en/mapfile/identify.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+.. index::
+   single: IDENTIFY
+    
+.. _identify:
+
+*****************************************************************************
+ IDENTIFY
+*****************************************************************************
+
+.. versionadded:: 8.6
+
+Controls how vector features are identified, typically through WMS GetFeatureInfo
+or MODE=QUERY requests.
+
+.. index::
+   pair: IDENTIFY; TOLERANCE
+   :name: mapfile-identify-tolerance
+
+.. _identify_tolerance:
+
+TOLERANCE [double]
+    Sensitivity for point based queries (i.e. via mouse and/or map
+    coordinates). Given in TOLERANCEUNITS. If the layer is a POINT or a LINE,
+    the default is 3. For all other layer types, the default is 0.  To
+    restrict polygon searches so that the point must occur in the polygon
+    set the tolerance to zero. This setting does not apply to WFS GetFeature
+    operations.
+
+.. index::
+   pair: IDENTIFY; TOLERANCEUNITS
+   :name: mapfile-identify-toleranceunits
+
+.. _identify_tolerance_units:
+
+TOLERANCEUNITS [pixels|feet|inches|kilometers|meters|miles|nauticalmiles|dd]
+    Units of the TOLERANCE value. Default is pixels.
+
+.. index::
+   pair: IDENTIFY; CLASSAUTO
+   :name: mapfile-identify-classauto
+
+CLASSAUTO
+
+    By default, identification of point features is based on their location,
+    potentially extended with the radius defined by TOLERANCE value.
+
+    When setting the CLASSAUTO keyword, symbols from the style classes used to
+    render the incoming WMS GetFeatureInfo request are used for more precise
+    identification, by recognizing non-transparent pixels of the symbol.
+
+    The TOLERANCE value is also used to extend sensitive pixels beyond
+    non-transparent pixels of the symbol.
+
+    This option is mutually exclusive with CLASSGROUP.
+
+    This option is currently only honoured on layers of type POINT using
+    SYMBOL.
+
+    Example:
+
+    .. code-block:: mapfile
+
+        IDENTIFY
+            TOLERANCE 5  # optional
+            CLASSAUTO
+        END
+
+        CLASS
+            GROUP "my_style_group"
+            STYLE
+                SYMBOL "my_symbol"
+            END
+        END
+
+
+.. index::
+   pair: IDENTIFY; CLASSGROUP
+   :name: mapfile-identify-classgroup
+
+CLASSGROUP [string]
+
+    By default, identification of point features is based on their location,
+    potentially extended with the radius defined by TOLERANCE value.
+
+    When setting the CLASSGROUP keyword, symbols from the specified class's group
+    are used for more precise identification, by recognizing non-transparent
+    pixels of the symbol.
+
+    The :ref:`CLASS` object's GROUP parameter must be used in combination with
+    CLASSGROUP.
+
+    The TOLERANCE value is also used to extend sensitive pixels beyond
+    non-transparent pixels of the symbol.
+
+    This option is mutually exclusive with CLASSAUTO.
+
+    This option is currently only honoured on layers of type POINT using
+    SYMBOL.
+
+    Example:
+
+    .. code-block:: mapfile
+
+        IDENTIFY
+            TOLERANCE 5  # optional
+            CLASSGROUP "my_style_group"
+        END
+
+        CLASS
+            GROUP "my_style_group"
+            STYLE
+                SYMBOL "my_symbol"
+            END
+        END
diff --git a/en/mapfile/index.txt b/en/mapfile/index.txt
index e5ad05deadb..18b2e45ccb1 100644
--- a/en/mapfile/index.txt
+++ b/en/mapfile/index.txt
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ styling using :ref:`CLASS` and :ref:`STYLE` directives.
    fontset
    geomtransform
    grid
+   identify
    include
    join
    label
diff --git a/en/mapfile/layer.txt b/en/mapfile/layer.txt
index 90ae2c95eba..2faa023329c 100644
--- a/en/mapfile/layer.txt
+++ b/en/mapfile/layer.txt
@@ -716,6 +716,20 @@ HEADER [filename]
     Template to use *before* a layer's set of results have been sent.
     Multiresult query modes only.
 
+.. index::
+   pair: LAYER; IDENTIFY
+   :name: mapfile-layer-identify
+
+.. _layer-identify:
+
+:ref:`IDENTIFY`
+    .. versionadded:: 8.6
+
+    Signals the start of a :ref:`IDENTIFY` object.
+
+    Controls how vector features are identified, typically through WMS GetFeatureInfo
+    or MODE=QUERY requests.
+
 .. index::
    pair: LAYER; JOIN
    :name: mapfile-layer-join
@@ -1869,6 +1883,9 @@ TOLERANCE [double]
     set the tolerance to zero. This setting does not apply to WFS GetFeature
     operations.
 
+    .. note:: Starting with MapServer 8.6, the TOLERANCE value can also be
+              defined as a :ref:`child of an IDENTIFY block <identify_tolerance>`.
+
 .. index::
    pair: LAYER; TOLERANCEUNITS
    :name: mapfile-layer-toleranceunits
@@ -1877,6 +1894,9 @@ TOLERANCEUNITS [pixels|feet|inches|kilometers|meters|miles|nauticalmiles|dd]
     Units of the TOLERANCE value. Default is pixels.
     `Nauticalmiles` was added in MapServer 5.6.
 
+    .. note:: Starting with MapServer 8.6, the TOLERANCEUNITS value can also be
+              defined as a :ref:`child of an IDENTIFY block <identify_tolerance_units>`.
+
 .. index::
    pair: LAYER; TRANSFORM
    :name: mapfile-layer-transform