diff --git a/include/libvirt/libvirt-host.h b/include/libvirt/libvirt-host.h
index 7debb5f829..be65b4686b 100644
--- a/include/libvirt/libvirt-host.h
+++ b/include/libvirt/libvirt-host.h
@@ -579,6 +579,80 @@ virConnectPtr           virConnectOpenAuth      (const char *name,
                                                  unsigned int flags);
 int                     virConnectRef           (virConnectPtr conn);
 int                     virConnectClose         (virConnectPtr conn);
+
+/**
+ * VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_USER_NAME:
+ *
+ * The operating system user name as VIR_TYPED_PARAM_STRING.
+ */
+# define VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_USER_NAME "user-name"
+
+/**
+ * VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_UNIX_USER_ID:
+ *
+ * The UNIX user ID as VIR_TYPED_PARAM_ULLONG.
+ */
+# define VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_UNIX_USER_ID "unix-user-id"
+
+/**
+ * VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_GROUP_NAME:
+ *
+ * The operating system group name as VIR_TYPED_PARAM_STRING.
+ */
+# define VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_GROUP_NAME "group-name"
+
+/**
+ * VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_UNIX_GROUP_ID:
+ *
+ * The UNIX group ID as VIR_TYPED_PARAM_ULLONG.
+ */
+# define VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_UNIX_GROUP_ID "unix-group-id"
+
+/**
+ * VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_PROCESS_ID:
+ *
+ * The operating system process ID as VIR_TYPED_PARAM_LLONG.
+ */
+# define VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_PROCESS_ID "process-id"
+
+/**
+ * VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_PROCESS_TIME:
+ *
+ * The operating system process start time as VIR_TYPED_PARAM_ULLONG.
+ *
+ * The units the time is measured in vary according to the
+ * host operating system. On Linux this is usually clock
+ * ticks (as reported in /proc/$PID/stat field 22).
+ */
+# define VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_PROCESS_TIME "process-time"
+
+/**
+ * VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_SASL_USER_NAME:
+ *
+ * The SASL authenticated username as VIR_TYPED_PARAM_STRING
+ */
+# define VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_SASL_USER_NAME "sasl-user-name"
+
+/**
+ * VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_X509_DISTINGUISHED_NAME:
+ *
+ * The TLS x509 certificate distinguished named as VIR_TYPED_PARAM_STRING
+ */
+# define VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_X509_DISTINGUISHED_NAME "x509-distinguished-name"
+
+/**
+ * VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_SELINUX_CONTEXT:
+ *
+ * The application's SELinux context as VIR_TYPED_PARAM_STRING.
+ */
+# define VIR_CONNECT_IDENTITY_SELINUX_CONTEXT "selinux-context"
+
+
+int                     virConnectSetIdentity   (virConnectPtr conn,
+                                                 virTypedParameterPtr params,
+                                                 int nparams,
+                                                 unsigned int flags);
+
 const char *            virConnectGetType       (virConnectPtr conn);
 int                     virConnectGetVersion    (virConnectPtr conn,
                                                  unsigned long *hvVer);
diff --git a/src/driver-hypervisor.h b/src/driver-hypervisor.h
index 58eb731e85..015b2cd01c 100644
--- a/src/driver-hypervisor.h
+++ b/src/driver-hypervisor.h
@@ -36,6 +36,12 @@ typedef virDrvOpenStatus
 typedef int
 (*virDrvConnectClose)(virConnectPtr conn);
 
+typedef int
+(*virDrvConnectSetIdentity)(virConnectPtr conn,
+                            virTypedParameterPtr params,
+                            int nparams,
+                            unsigned int flags);
+
 typedef int
 (*virDrvConnectSupportsFeature)(virConnectPtr conn,
                                 int feature);
@@ -1385,6 +1391,7 @@ struct _virHypervisorDriver {
     virDrvConnectURIProbe connectURIProbe;
     virDrvConnectOpen connectOpen;
     virDrvConnectClose connectClose;
+    virDrvConnectSetIdentity connectSetIdentity;
     virDrvConnectSupportsFeature connectSupportsFeature;
     virDrvConnectGetType connectGetType;
     virDrvConnectGetVersion connectGetVersion;
diff --git a/src/libvirt-host.c b/src/libvirt-host.c
index e5c4e5f72a..d7b1b82277 100644
--- a/src/libvirt-host.c
+++ b/src/libvirt-host.c
@@ -61,6 +61,57 @@ virConnectRef(virConnectPtr conn)
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * virConnectSetIdentity:
+ * @conn: pointer to the hypervisor connection
+ * @params: parameters containing the identity attributes
+ * @nparams: size of @params array
+ * @flags: currently unused, pass 0
+ *
+ * Override the default identity information associated with
+ * the connection. When connecting to a stateful driver over
+ * a UNIX socket, the daemon will interrogate the remote end
+ * of the UNIX socket to acquire the application's identity.
+ * This identity is used for the fine grained access control
+ * checks on API calls.
+ *
+ * There may be times when application is operating on behalf
+ * of a variety of users, and thus the identity that the
+ * application runs as is not appropriate for access control
+ * checks. In this case, if the application is considered
+ * trustworthy, it can supply alternative identity information.
+ *
+ * The driver may reject the request to change the identity
+ * on a connection if the application is not trustworthy.
+ *
+ * Returns: 0 if the identity change was accepted, -1 on error
+ */
+int
+virConnectSetIdentity(virConnectPtr conn,
+                      virTypedParameterPtr params,
+                      int nparams,
+                      unsigned int flags)
+{
+    VIR_DEBUG("conn=%p params=%p nparams=%d flags=0x%x", conn, params, nparams, flags);
+    VIR_TYPED_PARAMS_DEBUG(params, nparams);
+
+    virResetLastError();
+
+    if (conn->driver->connectSetIdentity) {
+        int ret = conn->driver->connectSetIdentity(conn, params, nparams, flags);
+        if (ret < 0)
+            goto error;
+        return ret;
+    }
+
+    virReportUnsupportedError();
+
+ error:
+    virDispatchError(conn);
+    return -1;
+}
+
+
 /*
  * Not for public use.  This function is part of the internal
  * implementation of driver features in the remote case.
diff --git a/src/libvirt_public.syms b/src/libvirt_public.syms
index 252f061ba3..40655fbbf5 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_public.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_public.syms
@@ -857,4 +857,8 @@ LIBVIRT_5.7.0 {
         virDomainGetGuestInfo;
 } LIBVIRT_5.6.0;
 
+LIBVIRT_5.8.0 {
+        virConnectSetIdentity;
+} LIBVIRT_5.7.0;
+
 # .... define new API here using predicted next version number ....